What commands does your Big Paw know?

When I got MeatLoaf from the rescue centre {he's a Saint Bernard X Old English Mastiff}, he wasn't trained at all, except for 'sit'.

Because I had a young daughter at the time, I spent lots of money and time with a private large-breed dog trainer and heaps of personal one-on-one training time, to make it safe for them both.

MeatLoaf knows both verbal and non-verbal commands. Non-verbal being the same as his verbal commands, but in Auslan, which is the Australian version of sign language.
We have a few friends, as well as my step-brother, who are at various levels of being either deaf or mute, and this makes it easier for them to give him commands if I'm unavaliable.
Also, if I can't speak {like being restrained by an attacker} I can still command him using hand signals.


A few of the things I've personally taught him are:

When I go to the door to open it, he gets to my right in a way that allows him to see a hand-signal and to get through the doorway easily {like if I was being attacked}.

He won't eat anything thrown on the ground, or drink water from a stream or pond. I grew up in the bush, where dingo bait was poisoned meat left on the ground, and our dogs were taught only to eat things that they found in their personal bowls. If we go out walking in an off-leash area, I know he cannot be poisoned by eating or drinking bait.

He was worked with by my trainer and my daughter, so that he knows that she's an important member of the family, and she can give him commands too. This, of course, meant she'd constantly fire "sit,roll over, fetch, beg, drop it!" all at once, and he'd go crazy trying to do it all.

He is also a child safety officer. Well, not really, but that's what I call him! One step towards a road and he blocks the way with his body, same goes with the kitchen, pool and bathroom.
Difficult at first, when I tried to give her a bath and he'd constantly leap in front of us and block our way. Being too tall to step over, and too heavy to knee-nudge out the way.

He can fetch balls and frisbees, too.


So, what commands does your Paw know, and how did you teach them?
I'm looking for what ideas others have, and maybe some more things I can teach him.


By the way, is he too old to teach new commands to?

Wow!  That's impressive!  Can Meatloaf come and visit to teach our girl a thing or two?

Ursa just started training but she's already learned "watch me", "sit" and "down".  She does better on hand signals than on words so we've really been reinforcing those.  

Holly, your post had me in stitches.  You said what I was gonna say about my pups, only soooo much better. LOL    

Ok, besides the basics like "sit" & "down" that my pups know, I can add a couple more.  Sammy knows "no dirt" means that he can't dig or lay in his dirt hole right then.  He gets that "Ahhhhh Mom!" look on face, but then he walks right by his favorite spot and goes to do his potty business.  Now if you turn your back for more than a minute or two though?  All bets are off & he's in the dirt.      Oh & he can tell time.  Breakfast & dinner time, that is.  Ha, ha!

Daisy knows the difference between "lay on the sofa" and "lay on the loveseat".      Nah, they're not spoiled.    

Cassie knows that if she's begging too much, she'd better lay down and just give big, sad, intense eyes.  Otherwise she won't get any treat b/c she was too pushy.  She also will "give a paw" (shake hands).

Meatloaf sounds like a very impressive pup!  Wow, you've done a wonderful thing with all of the training.  

Titan knows:
sit, down, stay (up to 4 hours), come, heel (left and right), roll over, paw, back up, back off, out, load, hup, gee, haw, stand, kennel, bed, easy (when he gets intimidated at times), potty (say once for pee, 2x poop)

Jazmine (all hand signals since she is deaf)
sit, down, stay, come, heel, off, bed, kennel,
with both paws  - wave, high five, paw
Pray, bow, roll over, away, back,

We have the book 101 tricks..by chalcey and her owner...the weimer.  Great book!!!

Gunther knows both verbal and hand signals, sit, lay down, up, turn around, shake (both paws), crawl, hug, back (up).  We're working on "beg" but it's hard for his long body.........l ol.  He also knows leave it, come, wait, watch me, quiet, slow up, inside, outside, out (leave the room/area), treat, seepy (going to bed), go lay down (go lay on his bed), be nice, foodies (dinner time), walk, park, beach, ride, okay (release from command), it's okay (used when something is bothering him), ENOUGH! (last command given before time out so he better stop what he's doing now!)

Keiko knows all of the above, in addition to: beg, dance, speak, find it, shake it off (before coming inside when raining).  We're working on getting her to howl on command.

Well, Nigel and Posey aren't big paws but they both know the basics, sit, lay down, shake, crawl, wait, leave it.  As well as all the vocal commands.  Working on "speak" and "beg"  Harder to get things through to them b/c their attentions spans are soooooo small!