What is the hardest dog command?

This doesn't include elaborate or specialized tasks, but the foundational commands: sit, down, stay come, wait, look at me, heel, etc. All dogs are different, but in your experiences, what has usually been the most challenging basic command to teach your dog(s). I just adopted a two-year old rescue, my first dog as an adult, and for her, the sticking point is heel. She has been able to pick up everything except this.

Training your dog to come when called can be one of the hardest commands to teach, but it’s also one of the most important for their safety. The reason some dogs resist recall is because they’d rather keep playing or exploring than stop and return to you. Many dogs love to pull on the leash, and getting them to walk politely at your side can feel impossible. For many dogs, the challenge lies in staying in one place when they would rather follow you or investigate something new. Teaching your dog not to bark, especially when they’re excited or anxious, can be tricky. The “drop it” command is essential for keeping your dog safe when they pick up something they shouldn’t, like a dangerous item or food. Some dogs love to play keep-away with toys or objects, and others might guard valuable resources. Training your dog is a process that requires time, consistency, and patience.

The recall cue is arguably the most important to teach and, with some dogs, one of the more difficult. Your challenge is to teach your dog that when you blow a whistle or use your ‘recall’ word cue your dog should respond immediately by returning to you. Outdoor environments and competing stimuli may make it hard for your dog to see, hear, or register you. Additionally, if your dog knows that recall means the end of their fun, they’ll have little incentive to return promptly – so you need to be the incentive and to make pleasing you a better reward than staying away. Teaching a dog to do something in the face of distractions that may seem far more appealing to the dog than what we’re asking them to do is likely to take longer and may not always achieve hundred per cent compliance. Leave it and drop it are also skills that need a lot of practise as again, complying with either of these cues requires your dog to give up something good, something that they want, and, in the case of ‘drop it’, something they already have. Both these cues require plenty of practise with gradually increasing levels of items of interest. Curtailing a chase – teaching a ‘Stop’ cue may be better in situations where your dog is chasing another animal, perhaps a squirrel or a cat, interrupting a game of football or heading fast towards a busy road when a reliable ‘Stop’ cue may be better.