German Police Dog Commands

German police have been using the services of dogs (for several reasons) since the early 1900s. This is one of the reasons why German is the most popular foreign language to teach dog commands. Not only are German police dog commands effective for training, but they also allow you to learn a new language. Read on to know some important information about German police dog commands.

Why German is Helpful for Training Dog Commands?

The following are some reasons that urge many owners to use German dog commands.

Fun-filled Sessions

The very first factor that makes a training session successful is the presence of fun for you and your dog. Being a foreign language, German makes it incredibly enjoyable for both parties. It helps your dog to learn faster, and you also have a great time training him/her. Although German can be a hard language to learn, these dog commands are short and simple.

Learn New Language

Other than being incredibly entertaining, you get a chance to learn a new language. This means that you can surprise your friends and family with your German vocabulary. In many cases, it comes off as unexpected and can lead to great conversations. After all, knowledge of a second language is an effective conversation starter and is incredibly cool!

Authenticity

Many popular dog breeds originated from Germany. Therefore, it feels more authentic to train a German dog in the German language. Although it is subjective, the feeling is genuine in most situations.

On top of that, your dog may find it easier to distinguish German dog commands from day-to-day English words.  

Why German is Helpful for Teaching Police Dog Commands?

There are several reasons for German being the language used to train police dogs. Some of them are discussed below.

Native Language – Police dogs were initially introduced in Germany and it made sense to use the native language to teach them. The primary goal was to keep things simple for the people commanding the dogs.

Uncommon Language – Another major reason for German being the language of choice is to save police dogs from criminals’ influence. This is especially useful in countries other than Germany because German is not as common as English. There have been several cases where police dogs were stopped by criminals because the dogs were trained in English.

Makes You Stand Out – Another reason for the use of German police dog commands is the uniqueness of German phrases. It may look like a weird reason, but German dog commands make you stand out from the crowd. Many cops tend to prefer the coolness and mystique associated with German police dog commands.

German Dog Training Commands

Here are a few German police dog commands that you can try with your dog!

Bleib (Stay)

You can use this command if you want your dog to stay put. This is one of the basic dog commands that you can start with.

Komm (Here)

You can use this command to call your dog to you. Komm is pronounced almost the same way as ‘come’ and is easy to teach your dog. You can also use the word ‘Hier’ (an adverb) that means here. This is another command you can get started with.

Lauf (Go)

If you want your dog to run, you can say ‘lauf’.It can be used for both walking and running and is often used while playing fetch with your dog. This is an extremely important command for police dogs because they need to dash after the criminals.

Nein (No)

If you want your dog to stop doing something (bad), use this command. It is essential for training because you need to curb all sorts of negative behavior. You can also use ‘pfui’which means ‘eww’ if your dog is trying to eat something nasty!

Stopp/halt (Stop)

Both these German words sound exactly like their English counterparts. They have the same usage as ‘Nein’because these words can also be used to quickly get your dog’s attention.

‘Stopp’and ‘halt’are interjections. The verb forms of these words are ‘stoppen’and ‘halten’, respectively.

Braver Hund (Good dog)

This dog command is used to praise your pup whenever he/she obeys you. This speeds up the training process and encourages your dog to follow your instructions. In German, the appreciative phrase ‘braver hund’is used for this purpose. The adjective in this phrase is brav.

 If you want to learn why adjectives in German end in -er, you can read more about adjective endings here!

Bring (Fetch)

Fetch is one of the staple dog commands and the German word for it is Bring. Yes, it is pronounced the same way as the word ‘bring’ in English. You can train your dog to bring back a ball when playing fetch by using this command.

Sitz (Sit)

This command comes from the verb ‘sitzen’. Just add a “z” at the end of the English word ‘sit’ and you can teach your dog to sit down in German.

Fass (Bite)

In normal circumstances, you should NEVER encourage your dog to bite others. However, German guard dogs are taught this command to train them to bite. Other than that, ‘fass’can also be used to teach your dog to gently bite objects, such as a stick. You never know when this command may come in handy, especially if you own a guarding breed.

NOTE: German words can be hard to pronounce at times. If you feel the same, you can use the pronunciation dictionary to learn the appropriate sounds.