Verbal Cues - One and Done
A verbal cue is a word or phrase that tells your dog what you want them to do. Common cues include Sit, Down, Leave It, Stay, Heel, and more.
One common mistake is repeating the cue multiple times—like saying, “Bruno, sit… sit… sit, Bruno, sit.” A cue should only be given ONCE. When you repeat a cue over and over, your dog learns that they don’t need to respond until they hear it multiple times, which leads to what trainers call learned irrelevance.
If your dog doesn’t respond after the first cue, here are a few ways to handle it:
Reset: Gently move your dog around and try the cue again.
Correction: Calmly give a verbal correction like “eh eh,” then say the cue once more.
Go Back to Basics: If the dog still doesn’t respond after a few tries, use a lure (like a treat) to show them what you want. Once they respond reliably to the lure, gradually fade it out and return to the verbal cue alone.
Though it sounds simple, even experienced trainers often catch themselves repeating cues. The first step is to become aware of it, and over time, you’ll naturally reduce the number of times you repeat cues, making your training more effective.