Have you ever taken your pup to a busy dog park and had your dog look at you all confused when commands are being tossed around? There are a few things you can do to avoid this.
You can teach the dog commands using words people don’t regularly use, or you can teach the dog essential dog commands in Norwegian!
Here are 9 of the most popular dog commands used in English, translated into Norwegian.
1. “Sit” – Sitte (si te)
Sit is probably the most popular dog command that’s out there. Even most untrained dogs learn to “sit” eventually.
When you train your dog to sit from that position, you can train it to obey corresponding commands. Using the Norwegian word “sitte,” a trained dog will sit and intently look at you, awaiting its next command.
2. “Down” – Ned (ne ad)
“Down” is another popular command- particularly amongst owners of large, high-energy pups. Training a pup with a “down” command will help to understand when it might misbehave, standing up and resting its paws on the neighbor’s shoulders uninvitingly.
This command should only be used when necessary, which is why it’s a great command to teach in Norwegian. “Nead” sounds much different than this or other commands, which will avoid confusion when other dog owners are commanding their pups.
3. “Stay” – Oppholde Seg (op holde seg)
The “stay” command is a must for a dog to learn. Not only does it make the lives of owners much easier, but it can also potentially save the dog’s life. Telling the dog to “stay” when you’re backing out of the driveway for an easy example.
“Oppholde Seg” sounds nothing like any English command, so owners who train their dogs using Norwegian will have a unique sound that the dog won’t get confused with. This is also a great command to help teach the indoor dog manners when someone comes for a visit.
4. “Come” – Komme (co meh)
Teaching the dog to “come” at your command will make your life a lot easier during off-leash occasions- strolling through the woods or open fields, for example. Having the dog come to you is a whole lot easier than chasing the dog through trees, shrubs, brooks, and bushes.
The Norwegian word “komme” sounds different enough when pronounced properly (though it looks similar on paper). Good thing that the dog is listening rather than reading.
5. “Heel” – Hael (haal)
If you don’t want your dog dragging you around the neighborhood while talking for a stroll, you will want to teach your dog to heel. This is also good whenever you want your dog to stick close to you rather than within a broader radius.
You’d want your dog to “hael” if you come across an excited, barking dog at the end of its run in an attempt to get your dog. This command helps make outings go more smoothly and tends to take the edge off passersby that may get nervous around dogs.
6. “Off” – Av (ov)
Teaching your dog “off” will be helpful when it decides to push its boundaries where they don’t belong. Dancing around on the dining room table, for example, and an in-your-face stand-up greeting at the door for another.
The Norwegian word “av” sounds remarkably close to “off.” This is one of the few words that come close to sounding like an existing English command. However, it’s not a regular command you’d necessarily hear used in a dog-rich environment like a dog park.
7. “No” – Nei (nie)
No puppy on the planet hasn’t heard the “no” command at some point in their lives. Even owners who don’t care enough to train their dogs will tell them “No” all the time.
The Norwegian word “nei” sounds different enough and will make it a bit easier to train the pup- particularly in a household with kids. Parents and kids use the word “no” all the time, so teaching the dog the same thing but in a different language will let the dog know that you’re speaking to it rather than anyone else.
8. “Go” – Ga (goh)
Dinner, arriving visitors, or in-house events, are a couple of instances when you’d find yourself telling the dog to “go.” Sometimes the dog needs to learn that people need a bit of space for a little while to do things.
If you have a friend or family member allergic to dog saliva, and your dog is a drooler, you may want to command it to “ga.” Now, if you’re determined for words to sound different than their English counterparts, perhaps you could be a little lax with this one and say the word as it’s spelled rather than pronounced.
9. “Lay Down” – Ligg Ned (lig neh)
Teaching your dog to “lay down” comes in handy when you don’t see that it’s necessary to boot the dog out of the room but want it to settle down and relax. I’m sure owners of large dogs find this especially helpful when the dog is standing in front of the tv during a family movie night or in the middle of a big game.
“Ligg ned” will tell the dog that it’s time to lie down, relax, and take a breather. How well this command will work (or how long it will last) will depend on how much energy that dog was able to burn off prior and how much it might have left in the tank.
Final Thoughts
Training a dog correctly is paramount, and anything that can help should be utilized as an added benefit. Teaching your dog commands in a different language, like German, is one of those helpful (yet often underutilized) things you can do to help train the dog all that much easier.
You’ll create a special language that only you and your dog will understand, teaching the dog that when it hears any of these dog commands spoken in Norwegian, you are only talking to it, not anyone else.
WORTH A LOOK: Native dogs from Norway
