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
Ashley says
Hello,
Thank you for making this website, I have a couple more commands that I was wondering if there was a similar Russian equivalent. The first is “look at me” or “pay attention” or anything that will get the dog to look at me. Second, if there is a command for “drop/drop it” and the opposite “pick it up/grab”. And lastly, “leave it/ignore”. If there are no good equivalents I will make do with other words. Thank you again for doing this for everyone.
RussianDog says
Hi Ashley, thank you for your kind words.
To get a dog to look at you they usually use the dog’s name. There’s, actually, a command “SMOTRI NA MENYA!” which is an exact translation of “look at me” but it’s probably too long for you to pronounce.
For “drop” you can use the Russian command “BROS!” with a softened “S”, and for “grab” you can use “VOZMI!” with a softened “Z”.
As for “leave it” there’s a command “NELZYA!” with a softened “L”.
Hope it helps!
Isabel says
Thank you for this! We are using Russian commands for purview new pup. He will be a working herding dog on our farm, do you have a list of the common Russian herding commands? For instance those for moving clockwise, counterclockwise, through the center, hold, slow, back, etc,?
Also, do you have a release command? Similar to “break”?
RussianDog says
Nice to hear that you use Russian dog commands for your puppy. The command similar to “Break” is “GULYAI” (gu-LYAY) – “ГУЛЯЙ”. You can listen to this word pronounced here
We have included Russian herding commands into the list (see above).
Rachael says
Hi I have kids who speak Russian and I am trying to help them work with me training our new puppy. I know most of the words you have here (because I want to be consistent with the puppy when my kids are at school, but I only know some Russian), however when I have trained dogs in English before I have trained them for not getting too close to human faces with their mouths or paws and also to not bite or chew on humans, offering instead their toys for play. Normally if a dog gets too close to my face I would use the command “No face” in the first instance, and “No bite” or “No biting” in English successfully. Can you advise on the Russian equivalent to these commands to start working with the puppy on? Thank you!
RussianDog says
There are no official commands “No face” or “No bite” neither in Russian nor in English :) Actually, you can use “NYET!” (“NO!”) or just use any Russian word as a custom command. OR you can teach your pup the universal prohibitive command “FU!” (listen to how it is pronounced above). Good luck with your training!
Bridgette Simon says
When I lived in Chisinau, Moldova I had a trainer from Siberia for my wolf-dog. I remember him using a command to tell my dog he was free to roam in Russian which sounded like “Goo-Lie”. Was he actually using the command “Gulyat”? I have an American Blue Bay Shepherd (new breed) that I am starting to train and I’ll like to interject some of the Russian commands I used in the past.
Thanks.
RussianDog says
Dear Bridgette,
So sorry to have missed your interesting question! Yes, you are absolutely right: “Goo-Lie” is a derivative of “Gulyat” but most dog owners and trainers use the word “Goo-Lie” that is more personal.
Except for the dog trainers, it’s not exactly a command. Usually, Russian dog owners say “Goo-Lie” to their dog when they came to a particular place like a park and unleash the dog. It means something like “enjoy yourself” and is being said with a hope that the dog will do all the necessary pees and poops :)
It was great to learn about the new breed – American Blue Bay Shepherds, and to visit their official website. If you feel like it, we’ll be glad to publish your story about this unusual dog.
Misty says
Would these only work on Russian dogs or would this also work for English dogs like pitbulls?
RussianDog says
You can use these commands for any dog.
tim says
no way it will work on a American dog
Jake says
Thank you so much so sharing these. We just adopted a causian sheppard from Moscow Russia that was abandoned in a dumpster as a pup. His ears have been cut off and his tail also. I hope to eventually teach him english but for now knowing a little russian and being able to speak to him in his own languange will make things much easier.
RussianDog says
It’s great there are people like you to help the abandoned dogs! Normally, Caucasian Shepherds’ tails are never cut off. Could he be a Central Asian Shepherd? Anyway, wishing you luck with your new puppy!
Jake says
It is possible he is Central Asian Sheppard. Do not know for sure. I am just guessing from looking at photos. I could send you a photo?
RussianDog says
Sure, you can send it to [email protected]