21 Dog Commands In Spanish You Need To Train Your New Puppy

So you just got a new dog and want to issue commands in Spanish?

Do you have the Spanish verbs prepared to strengthen your bond?

It’s a critical question - especially if your dog has learned its commands in Spanish - as it simply won’t understand your instructions when you speak to it in English.

Even though some dogs have the capacity to learn 250 words, this intelligence won’t shine through if you’re talking to it in a language it doesn’t understand.

To remedy this, I’ve put together a list of dog commands in Spanish to help you train your new friend.

Dog commands in Spanish

Let’s begin the list.

From siéntate to busca to túmbate, here’s a list of dog commands you should learn if a Spanish dog is about to join your family.

1. Ven aquí

This dog command features two Spanish words: The verb ven, and the demonstrative adverb aquí. Ven aquí means “come here”.

The verb ven in this phrase means “come” and uses the second person imperative form of the verb venir.

Aquí means “here”.

Use this informal register to instruct your dog to come to you, perhaps to give it a delicious treat.

2. No ladres

¡No ladres! is a command that means “don’t bark”. As you may have noticed from your Spanish course, this command is a negative imperative.

It features the negation word no (meaning “don’t”) and the negative imperative verb form ladres taken from the verb ladrar.

If your goal is for your canine friend to stop barking or you need a minute’s peace, this is the Spanish dog command you need.

3. ¡No lo comas!

¡No lo comas! means “don’t eat it”.

This instruction is another negative imperative command that features a negative imperative verb. Instead of the second-person present verb, we use the second-person negative imperative verb comas, with an a.

Use this command to tell your dog to stop eating that mysterious thing it found on the floor.

4. Abajo

Say your dog keeps climbing on the sofa.

In that case, you’ll need the word abajo to instruct it to get down, as that’s what it means.

Keep in mind that abajo can also mean “below” when you’re speaking to another human.

5. Suéltalo

This affirmative imperative means “drop it”.

Two main words make this command: suelta, a verb meaning “let go” or “release”, and lo, a pronoun meaning “it”.

Note the accent mark above the é, meaning the stress of the word falls on the é, so you should pronounce this word sooehhltalo with emphasis on the é.

Use this command when you want your dog to drop something it has in its mouth.

6. Trae

If you’re out with your dog with its favourite squidgy ball or toy, and your canine friend has located it, you can use this dog command to retrieve the item.

Trae means “bring” or “fetch”.

You can also use the imperative command tráelo, which means “bring it”.

7. Busca

But what if your dog has lost an item?

Or if you’ve hidden a small morsel of food as a reward and you want your dog to find it? Busca is the perfect command in this case.

Busca means “search” or “look for”.

8. Arriba

Arriba is a Spanish dog command that means “up” or “get up”.

Don’t forget that this word can also mean “upstairs” or “above” in other contexts.

9. Déjalo

Use déjalo when you want to tell your dog to leave something alone or “leave it”.

This command is an affirmative imperative that uses the verb deja, which combines with the pronoun lo.

The é in this dog command features an accent mark, so you should pronounce this word dehhalo, with emphasis on the é.

10. Vamos

Although vamos means “come on”, it can also mean “let’s go”.

Say you’re about to leave the park and head back home. You can use this dog instruction to get your pet’s attention and tell it to come with you.

11. No

This is a fairly simple command. Use no to tell your dog to stop doing something.

It means the same thing as its English equivalent, but you should pronounce it noh as the o in this command is a short, sharp o.

12. Rápido

In a hurry and need your dog to speed up? Use rápido to tell it to walk faster or run. Rápido means “quickly”.

13. Dáme la pata

The literal meaning of this phrase is “give me the paw”, but it can mean “shake hands” as well.

This command contains the verb dar (meaning “to give”) enveloped in the word dáme.

14. Siéntate

Siéntate is a common Spanish dog command that can help you raise an obedient dog if you practice!

It means “sit”, which you may remember as it features the reflexive verb sentarse.

In this command, siéntate is an affirmative imperative that takes the second person “you” form (as indicated by the te).

15. Quieto

If you aim to have your dog wait for you outside a shop, teach it this command.

Quieto means “stay”, although it can also mean “(stay) still” or “(keep) quiet”.

Combine this command with a hand “stop” gesture and your dog will soon learn the command and follow your instructions.

16. ¡Muy bien!

Sometimes we want to praise our dogs if they’ve done something really well. If you’ve told them to sit, and they do this instantly, you can praise them with the phrase ¡muy bien! which means “very good!”

17. ¡Perro malo!

And on some occasions, your dog might be in a mischievous or disobedient mood.

In that case, you may need the command ¡perro malo! which means “bad dog”.

You can also simply say malo, which is the short version of this command.

18. Bebe el agua

If it’s a very hot day, you need to ensure your dog stays hydrated. The best option for this is to tell your dog to drink some water, which you can do with the command bebe el agua or bebe tu agua. This command is another imperative, as you can see from the verb bebe (which means “drink”).

19. Túmbate

To tell your dog to lie down, you’re going to need this command. Túmbate means “lie down”. It’s an affirmative imperative that features the pronoun te. Note the accent above the ú, which means you should emphasise this part of the word and pronounce it toombahte, and not tombaaahte.

20. Silencio

Here’s a similar dog command to the word quieto.

Silencio means “quiet”.

Use this command when your dog keeps barking and doesn’t seem to want to stop.

21. Mírame

If your dog is distracted, use this Spanish dog command to get it to focus on you. Mírame means “look at me”. It’s another handy affirmative imperative command when your dog’s focus is elsewhere.

Other Spanish dog commands to learn

If the Spanish dog commands listed above isn’t sufficient, here’s a little bonus. I’ve listed other important commands to help you train your dog more easily.

Integrate these into your dog’s training routine.

Why is it important to learn the Spanish imperative to understand dog commands?

It’s crucial to learn the Spanish imperative to understand dog commands, as there’s an essential difference between using positive and negative imperatives.

Knowing the difference can help you memorise many of these commands.

Consider the difference between ladra and no ladres.

The difference here is the verb form and the negation word no.

It would be incorrect to say no ladras, since the verb conjugation is different in the negative imperative form.

How do you form the negative imperative in Spanish?

To form the negative imperative in Spanish, you should follow the general rule that if the infinitive verb ends in an ar you switch this for an er, conjugate the new verb, and stick a no on the front of the phrase.

If the infinitive verb ends in an ir or er, switch this for an ar, conjugate the new verb, and again, stick a no on the front of the phrase.

Let’s look at an example.

If you want to say “don’t lie down”, keep in mind that the verb tumbar ends in an ar and switch this with an er. You can then conjugate the verb in the second person negative imperative, giving you no tumbes.

Teach your old dog new Spanish tricks and help it become a real canine friend

If you’re serious about having a dog join your family, it’s essential you teach it the crucial Spanish commands to help it integrate well.

If the dog you hope to adopt has previously had Spanish owners, English commands won’t help you.

Ensure you remember the commands in this list and teach your dog with love and affection so it can become a loyal animal friend.

Which Spanish dog commands have I forgotten?

Comment below!

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