#214 Up and Off: Two Cues Every Dog Should Know

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Have you ever wished your dog understood exactly when they're allowed on furniture and when they need to get down? Discover how two remarkably simple commands—"up" and "off"—can transform your relationship with your dog while solving dozens of everyday challenges you might not have considered.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
One of the most useful pairs of cues that I ever
taught my dogs is up and off.
Up means jump onto something andoff means get down.
It sounds simple, but the numberof times these cues have come in
handy is endless.

(00:23):
For furniture rules, it'sobvious.
If I invite you up, you can hopup on the couch.
If I say off, you need to getdown.
Same with my bed.
It keeps things clear and fair.
My dog doesn't have to guess andI don't have to shove or pull.
But these cues also shine insituations you may not expect.

(00:47):
Here's one at the vet.
I've always had big dogs andsooner or later one comes home
with a cone or bandage or stilla little wobbly from sedation.
And I can't just lift a 70 pounddog into the car by myself.
But if I say up, they'll atleast try to jump, giving me the

(01:10):
boost I need to help guide themin safely.
That little bit of teamwork hassaved the day more than once.
Another example, smaller dogs.
If you've got a Yorkie orChihuahua, you know how much
easier it is to do nail trims orleash them up if they're on a

(01:31):
raised surface.
Instead of having to pick themup every time, just cue up and
they'll hop up into the chair orottoman or grooving table on
their own.
And off is just as important.
If my dog jumps up on thefurniture to hang out with my
friend, off is a quick, lowdrama way to clear the couch.

(01:56):
Two more uses that people don'talways think about.
One is when we're hiking orwalking trails.
Sometimes you come across a downlog or a big rock queuing up to
get your dog onto it and thenoff to get them back down.
Keeps staying safe, especiallyif you're not physically able to

(02:18):
lift them up.
And another one is at thegroomer or the vet's office.
Asking your dog to jump up ontothe scale.
Staff appreciate it, and yourdog is more confident when they
know the cue.
So how do you teach it?
Well, start with something low,like a step stool or an ottoman.

(02:41):
Lore your dog with a treat andsay up as they climb on.
Reward when all four feet are onthe object.
Then low them back down, sayoff, show them the reward treat.
And at first you might have toshow your dog the treat and then
throw it on the floor.

(03:01):
As they jump to the floor toretrieve the treat, cue off.
And then repeat this ondifferent surfaces, chairs,
benches, the couch, so theygeneralize it.
Once they're solid, you won'teven need to lure anymore.
They'll just hop on or off withthe verbal cue.

(03:22):
And if you used an upward handmotion when you lord your dog up
and a downward hand motion asyou lord your dog off, those
hand motions can be used as handsignals for the cues going
forward.
Simple, practical, andsurprisingly useful, up and off

(03:42):
are two cues you'll never regretteaching.