Easiest Ways to Teach Your Dog Basic Cues
Updated: 3 days ago
Sit, down, stay and come are the skills you'll use every single day with your dog. They help at the front door, at the kerb, at meal times and when your dog is heading somewhere they shouldn't. The good part is that none of them is hard to teach. You don't need special equipment or hours of free time. You need a few tasty rewards, a quiet room and a few minutes a day. Think of the treats like wages, triple pay while it's new and hard, then double, normal and part-time pay as it gets easy. Here's the easiest way to teach each one, how to keep sessions short and fun, and how to make the cues work out in real life, not just in the kitchen.
THE SHORT ANSWER
The easiest way to teach your dog basic cues is to use food or a toy to help them into position, reward the moment they get it right, then add the word once they're doing it reliably. Teach sit by moving a treat up and back over their nose, down by moving it slowly to the floor, stay by building one second at a time and come by making it a fun chase game. Keep sessions to a few minutes, say each cue once and use the same words as everyone at home. Start somewhere quiet, then practise in the garden, on walks and in busier places. Use the cues in everyday life, like a sit before dinner or a come during play, so your dog learns they matter everywhere.
IN THIS POST
ā Before you start
ā Sit
ā Down
ā Stay
ā Come
ā Say it once
ā Every dog learns differently
ā FAQs
Before you start
A few things make every cue easier to teach. Pick a quiet room with nothing much going on. Have small, soft treats your dog loves, cut into tiny pieces.
Choose one word for each cue and agree it with everyone at home. If one person says "down" and another says "lie down", your dog has to guess. Keep sessions to three to five minutes and stop while your dog is still keen. Read how long a puppy can concentrate.
Sit
Hold a treat at your dog's nose, then slowly move it up and slightly back over their head. As their nose goes up, their bottom usually goes down.
The second their bottom touches the floor, say "yes" and give the treat. Repeat this five or six times. Once your dog is sitting easily, say "sit" just before you move your hand. Over a few sessions, make the hand movement smaller, until the word alone is enough.
Down
Start with your dog in a sit. Hold a treat at their nose and slowly move it straight down to the floor between their front paws, then a little away from them.
Many dogs fold down to follow it. Say "yes" the moment their elbows touch the floor, then reward. If your dog stands up instead, go slower and keep the treat closer to the floor. Some dogs find it easier on a soft rug. Add the word "down" once they're following your hand easily.
Stay
Stay is all about tiny steps. Ask for a sit, say "stay", wait one second, then say "yes" and reward while your dog is still sitting.
Build up time slowly, a second or two at a time. Only add distance once your dog can hold a stay for ten seconds with you right next to them. Then take one step back, return and reward. Always go back to your dog to reward, rather than calling them out of the stay. If they get up, that step was too big. Make it easier and build again.
Come
Recall is the most important cue of all, so make it the most fun. Start inside with your dog close by. Say their name and "come" in a happy voice, then move backwards a few steps.
When they reach you, say "yes" and give a really good reward, like a piece of chicken or a quick game. Practise often, in short bursts. Never call your dog to you for something they don't like, like a bath or the end of a walk. Coming to you should always be worth it. Read what to do when your dog won't come back.
Say it once
It's tempting to repeat a cue when your dog doesn't respond straight away. "Sit, sit, sit, SIT." The trouble is, your dog learns the cue is "sit sit sit sit".
Say the cue once, in a normal voice, and give your dog a moment to think. If they don't respond, help them with your hand or make it easier. Read what is signalling in dog training?
Every dog learns differently
Some dogs pick up a sit in one session. Others take a week. Both are normal. Some will do anything for food, while others work harder for a toy or praise.
Watch what keeps your dog interested and use more of it. If your dog gets distracted, try a quieter room or shorter sessions. And never use harsh methods. A worried dog can't learn well, and fear makes training slower, not faster.
Practise in new places
A dog who sits perfectly in the kitchen may look blank at the park. Dogs don't transfer skills to new places easily, so each new place is like starting a little lower.
Once your dog knows a cue at home, practise in the garden, then on a quiet walk, then somewhere busier. Reward more often in each new place. Read train before the situation happens.
Use cues in everyday life
The best practice happens in real life. Your dog learns these cues matter everywhere, not just in training sessions. Weave them into your day like this:
sit: before you put the food bowl down
down: while you eat your own dinner
stay: at the front door before you open it
come: a few times during play in the garden, then back to the game
Short, regular practice like this does far more than one long session at the weekend. It also shows your dog the cues pay off in real life.
RENEE'S TIP
Put five treats in your pocket each morning and use them up by lunchtime on one cue. Ask for a sit at the kettle, the back door and before a cuddle. By the end of the week, your dog has had dozens of quick wins without you ever setting time aside to "train".
QUICK CHECK
ā Help your dog into position, reward, then add the word
ā Keep sessions to a few minutes
ā Say each cue once and use the same words at home
ā Build stay one second at a time
ā Make coming to you the best thing in the world
ONE-TO-ONE HELP
Help with your dog's basics
If your dog won't settle into training or the basics just aren't sticking, I can help you build a plan that suits your dog in an online Dog Behaviour Consultation from wherever you are.
Online on Teams, wherever you are. 30 or 60 minutes.
FAQs
What are the basic cues to teach a dog?
Sit, down, stay and come are the most useful ones to start with.
How do I teach my dog to sit?
Move a treat slowly up and back over their nose. When their bottom touches the floor, say "yes" and reward.
How long should training sessions be?
Three to five minutes is plenty. A few short sessions a day work better than one long one.
Why does my dog only listen at home?
Dogs don't transfer skills to new places easily. Practise in easy places first, then build up.
Should I repeat a cue if my dog doesn't respond?
No. Say it once, give your dog a moment, then help them or make it easier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
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