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
chad says
I am training a one year old pit bull
Never done this before. Got a full time job ahead of me.
RussianDog says
Good luck to you!
Kimberly Pearson says
I have just ordered Vladae’s training dvd’s and am waiting excitedly for them, but in the meantime I cannot find the proper translation for certain commands. My Caucasian Ovcharka is being used as a service dog, primarily for balance. What would be the commands for positioning the dog on the right side, settle, touch (as in pushing a handicap button), and something for bracing for when I use him to get off the ground or from a sitting position?
Jenna says
I am actually doing the same thing with my Caucasian Ovcharka! I am hoping to have him be a fully trained service dog by next year. How did your dog do with the training? Did it work out for you? Do you think it worth it for me to start training?
Alex says
I’m a disabled veteran and currently trying to have my dog trained professionall. I want to have him trained in Russian but I can find an audio on how to correctly pronounce the commands. Any help is appreciated. Thank you
admin says
Hi Alex,
Thank you for your question. It’s time to attach some audio to this article. Please give us a few days for that.
admin says
Try to take her to a professional dog trainer.
Saqib Ali says
i have a samoyed but she is too lazy to train what should i do
Anna says
What would be the correct command for “Up!” (like when you give your dog permission to jump onto the couch) and “Be gentle” or “Be nice” (like when you’re playing and they start to become a tad bit too rambunctious)? Spasibo!
admin says
In first case you would probably want to use the command FORWARD! – VPERYOD (vpe-RJOD, “e” like in “bell”)! or JUMP (up)! – PRYG (PRYG, there’s no exact match for this “y” in English, maybe the closest is “only”)!
In second case you could use QUIET! – TIHO (TI-ho, “i” like in “teach”, “o” like in “Holland”)!
Rusty Fox says
A couple of suggestions on the spelling in English, if I may. I was 7 years in Kiev teaching English, and picked up a fair bit of Russian.. Not as criticism of what is written here, but perhaps helpful for readers.
I would describe TIHO as more like ‘TEE-kho’ (a very soft ‘kh’, but there is a ‘k’ sound in there)
and similar for ‘OHRANYAI’, more of a very soft ‘kh’ sound OKH-ranyoi.
Thanks for these.
admin says
Thank you for your valuable input.