People are always asking me what is the least that their dog should know. I don’t know why I find this funny, because it’s kind of like saying “I’m setting the bar really low, what’s the least I can get away with?” But, I think there are some things that you and your dog should definitely know. So, here goes.

I think he/she should know his name. My dog’s name is Gunnar. But we call him myriad other names, too, like Goose, or GooGoo or Gunnar MacGunderson. We didn’t name him and he already knew his name (we adopted him when he was 6 months old from Great Dog Rescue New England.) He knows that his name is Gunnar, and that he has a lot of other names. Make sure that your dog knows his or her name - especially if you’re changing it once you’ve adopted him or her.
Sit, Down and Stand. Your dog knows how to sit, lay down and stand up (on all four legs) already. What training does is match the sound coming out of your mouth with her actions. That sound “sit” means that her butt goes on the floor. What you’re doing is kind of an Annie Sullivan thing - that something she knows how to do has a human name.
Front (or Come or Here). This is probably one of the most important things you can teach your dog, for obvious reasons.

I think that those are the 5 most important commands you can teach your dog. There are a ton of other things you should teach your dog that aren’t commands, and we’ll get into that later.

In the meantime, have a great summer, be safe, stay cool, keep your dogs out of hot cars, and love your pup!