Verbal Cues Used for Guide Dog Puppies

Please do not teach your puppy any additional verbal cues or “tricks.” Teaching them anything extra can affect their formal guide dog training and cause them to be released from our programs.

1. Touch:  The puppy moves forward to touch their nose to your hand.
2. Place: The puppy moves to their designated place mat.
3. Sit: The puppy places their bottom on the floor.
4. Down: The puppy lays on the ground in a relaxed manner. Ideally, the pup is leaning onto their right hip and their spine is curved toward your left leg.
5. Stand: The puppy stands with four feet on the floor, usually cued from a sit or down position.
6. Free: Releasing the puppy from any prior verbal cue or position. This can also be used in conjunction with whistle feeding or self-control exercises, to cue the puppy to begin eating the food in front of them, for example.
7. Under: The puppy movies under a table or chair that you are seated at and lays down.
8. Come: The puppy comes directly to you.
9. Stay: The puppy stays in their current position until you release them.
10. Wait:  The puppy pauses until you provide an additional cue shortly after.
11. Leave it: Redirects the puppy from a distraction. "Leave it" is a helpful cue, but you will also learn the importance of self-control exercises that allow your puppy to build reinforcement history and make their own, independent decision to ignore distractions. As pups mature, "leave it" would ideally only be needed as an emergency cue when a distraction is unexpected or especially challenging/close.
12. Heel: The puppy moves into the proper heel position, next to your left leg. The space between the pup's ear and shoulder is aligned with your left knee.
13. Kennel: The puppy moves into their crate/kennel.
14. Enough: The puppy stops an activity that is undesirable.
15. Go busy: Prompts the puppy to relieve themselves in an appropriate location.
16. Inside/Outside: The puppy gets in or out of a building, entryway, or vehicle.
17. Head in: The puppy moves their head into their vest, collar, or head collar.
18. Steady: The puppy slows their pace down while walking. This cue is given while you reduce your pace, too.
19. Out: The puppy releases the item that is in their mouth. With young pups under 6 months, practice giving the cue while you remove the item from their mouth in exchanging for another toy or a piece of kibble.
20. Off:  The puppy puts "four on the floor." For example, if they are jumping up on someone or attempting to get on a piece of furniture, use this cue to prompt the puppy to put all 4 paws on the ground.