If you've got Borzoi, Black Russian Terrier, Samoyed, Russian Toy, Caucasian Shepherd, or another Russian dog, you would probably want to teach him/her some Russian dog commands. Russian commands for dogs are short and quite easy to pronounce and remember.
On our website, you have a unique opportunity to listen to how these commands are pronounced by a professional dog trainer, the famous Russian Dog Wizard Vladae Roytapel (you can read about Vladae at the end of this page, or on a special page devoted to the Russian Dog Wizard).
Photo Credit: Ferlinka Borzoi (Deb West)/Flickr CC
BASIC COMMANDS
First of all, teach your Russian puppy several basic and most important Russian dog commands like "Come!", "Sit!", "Down!", "Stand!", "Stay!", "Heel!" and "Out!".
Here is your initial list (capitals for stress):
COME! - KO MNE (ko MNE, "o" like in "poll", "e" like in "bell")! КО МНЕ!
SIT! - SIDET' (see-DET', "e" like in "bell", "t" palatalized)! СИДЕТЬ!
DOWN! - LYEZHAT' (lje-ZHAT', "a" like "u" in "sun", "t" palatalized)! ЛЕЖАТЬ!
STAND! - STOYAT' (sto-JAT', "o" like in "poll", "t" palatalized)! СТОЯТЬ!
STAY! - MYESTO (MJE-sto, "o" like in "poll", "e" like in "bell")! МЕСТО!
HEEL! - RYADOM (RJA-dom, "a" like "u" in "sun")! РЯДОМ!
OUT! / NO! (Let go! Leave it! Stop it!) - FU (FOO, "u" like "oo" in "book" but shorter)! ФУ!
After that you can learn and teach your dog some Russian dog training commands that he will definitely enjoy:
GOOD - HOROSHO (ho-ro-SHO, "o" like in "poll"), ХОРОШО.
GOOD BOY, GOOD DOG - MOLODETS (mo-lo-DETS, "o" like in "poll", "e" like in "bell"), МОЛОДЕЦ.
GO OUTSIDE - GULYAT' (gu-LJAT', "u" like in "put", "a" like "u" in "sun")! ГУЛЯТЬ!
GO HOME - DOMOY (do-MOJ, "o" like in "poll", "oy" like in "boy")! ДОМОЙ!
If you want your dog to bark or stay quiet you can use the Russian commands for that:
VOICE! / BARK! - GOLOS (GO-los, "o" like in "poll")! ГОЛОС!
QUIET! - TIHO (TEE-kho, "ho" like in "holiday")! ТИХО!
COMMANDS FOR ADVANCED OWNERS
FETCH! (Retrieve!) - APORT (a-PORT, "a" like "u" in "sun")! АПОРТ!
JUMP (over)! - BARYER (ba-RJER, "a" like "u" in "sun")! БАРЬЕР!
FORWARD! - VPERYOD (vpe-RJOD, "e" like in "bell")! ВПЕРЁД!
GUARD! - OKHRANIAY (o-khra-NYAJ, "o" like in "poll", "ay" like "uy" in "buy")! ОХРАНЯЙ!
ATTACK! - FAS (FAS, "a" like "u" in "sun")! ФАС!
RUSSIAN HERDING DOG COMMANDS
Russian herding dog commands are a bit different from commands in English-speaking countries.
1/ DRIVE! - GONI! (go-NI) ГOНИ!
To return an animal to the stock.
2/ AROUND! - KRUGOM! (kru-GOM) КРУГОМ!
To gather the stock into a group.
3/ FORWARD! - VPERYOD! (vpe-RJOD, "e" like in "bell") ВПЕРЁД! Audio above
The direction depends on the location of the shepherd.
4/ GUARD! - OKHRANIAY! (OkhraNIAY) ОХРАНЯЙ! Audio above
To keep the stock where they are.
5/ SEARCH! - ISHCHI (ish-CHI) ИЩИ!
To search for a missed animal.
6/ BARK! - GOLOS! (GO-los, "o" like in "poll")! ГОЛОС! Audio above
SEARCH AND RESCUE COMMANDS
And finally, some dog commands that are related to SAR:
SMELL! - NYUKHAI (NYU-khai) НЮХАЙ!
SEARCH! - ISHCHI (ish-CHI) ИЩИ! Audio above
To find something/someone around you.
TRACK! - SLED (SLED) СЛЕД!
To find someone by following the traces.
Russian commands for dogs sound unusual and will attract additional attention to your dog. Another reason to learn them is to make your dog more secure because he won't obey English commands from strangers.
Learn some more "dog words" in Russian!
About the Russian Dog Wizard
Known as the Russian dog training wizard, Vladae Roytapel is Chief Executive of SoCal Dog Training, Inc., which has served Newport Beach and other Orange County communities since 2008.
Vladae Roytapel’s firm provides in-home and group training for canines, focusing on common issues such as jumping up, destructive chewing, disobedience, and housebreaking problems. Vladae Roytapel is famously known in America for his incomparable knowledge on how to rehabilitate aggressive dogs. He explains that understanding how a dog feels leading up before they attack is paramount. His enterprise also offers a full range of training toys, pet supplies, nutritious canine food, and instructional books and DVDs.
For Vladae's biography please view The Russian Dog Wizard
Alaya Siberian Husky says
Thanks so much for the commands! I would like to teach my puppy a few different commands as well… What is the correct word and pronunciation for “Roll Over”? “Hand Shake”? “Sneeze”?
admin says
“Hand Shake” is usually DAI LAPU (daj LA-pu, “dai” sounds like “die”, and “u” like in “book”)
“Roll Over” is PEREVERNIS’ (pe-re-ver-NIS’, “e” like in “bell”)
“Sneeze” is not obvious, it may be CHIHNI (chih-NI, “i” like in “me”)
Good luck with that!
Samuel says
Is the U in lapu not more like the ‘oo’ in ‘troop’ instead of ‘book’?
admin says
It should be short.
Lawrence says
Wow! Articles like this who teach Russian dog command are very valuable indeed, I really have to spend some times and go deep into it, thanks so much.
Daniel says
Great web site! Thanks. You listed the translation for "Good Boy," but not "good girl." So far, I've just been saying "хорошая собака." What is the female equivalent?
admin says
Thank you for your comment. You can say "Molodets!" to a girl as well. Translation for "good girl" is "ho-RO-sha-ya DE-voch-ka". Your girl will be pleased to hear that.
Daniel says
благодарю вас!
Oje says
this dog world is nice and a russian breed is the bomb !!!
admin says
You are welcome!
karli allen says
thank you very much this helped my little sister so so so so so so very much!!!!! she has horse lessons and her horse lessons teacher has a russian black terrier and the horse teacher is wanting her (but she made me do it) look up some russian dog commands in case a burglar comes into their house un-invited so this website is very halpful thank you