Basic commands are not about turning your spaniel into a robot. They are about communication, safety, and everyday life. When your dog understands a small set of simple cues — and can follow them in different places — everything becomes easier: walks are calmer, greetings are less chaotic, handling is smoother, and training in other areas (recall, lead walking, gundog work) progresses faster.
This hub covers the core cues and manners most spaniel owners need, plus how to teach them in a way that is clear, consistent, and realistic for an energetic, scent-driven dog.
What counts as “basic commands and manners”?
For most spaniel households, the essentials are:
- Sit (impulse control and pausing)
- Down (calm behaviour, settling)
- Stay / wait (pauses, doors, safety moments)
- Leave it (prevent grabbing and scavenging)
- Drop / give (toy and object release)
- Come / recall (covered in the recall hub)
- Place / bed / settle (switching off at home)
- Polite greetings (no jumping, no rushing)
You don’t need dozens of cues. You need a handful that work reliably.
Key guides in this section
Start here: which commands matter most (and why)
- What commands to use for training spaniels
- Essential commands for spaniel training
- Basic obedience training for Cocker Spaniels
- Mastering obedience: practical steps to teach your dog
Sit and “sit” variations (the foundation cue)
- The best way to train a puppy to sit
- How to train a dog to sit (simple and fast)
- How to train a Cocker Spaniel to sit
- How to train a Springer Spaniel to sit
- Get a spaniel to sit at a distance
Stay (building patience without frustration)
Leave it (self-control and safety)
Everyday manners (polite behaviour at home and around people)
Making training easier (how you teach matters)
Related training hubs
- Training Foundations
- Loose Lead Walking
- Recall & Whistle Training
- Calmness & Impulse Control
- Training Troubleshooting
- Training Tools & Equipment
Start here: how to teach any command (the foundation method)
Nearly every cue is taught using the same simple pattern:
- Set up success (quiet space, low distraction)
- Lure or shape the behaviour (help your dog find the right action)
- Mark the moment (“yes”) and reward immediately
- Repeat a few times until it becomes predictable
- Add the cue word only when the behaviour is happening reliably
- Build duration (a second longer at a time)
- Change the location (proofing) before adding heavy distraction
Spaniels often learn quickly — but they need repetition in new environments to make skills stick.
The core cues (and why they matter)
Sit
A sit is a pause button. Use it at doors, before meals, before throwing a toy, and when your spaniel is building excitement.
Down
A down can be calming, but only if you teach it positively and don’t use it as a punishment. For many spaniels, “down” becomes the first step towards a reliable settle.
Stay / wait
A stay is a skill, not an instruction. Build it gradually: one step, one second, one distraction at a time. For spaniels, “wait” is often easier than “stay” because it implies a short pause rather than long immobility.
Leave it
Leave it is one of the most important cues for spaniels because of scavenging, chasing, and general curiosity. It’s not just obedience — it’s safety.
Drop / give
Spaniels often love picking things up. Teaching a release cue prevents conflict and makes play and retrieving safer.
Place / bed / settle
This is the “home manners” cue. It teaches your spaniel how to switch off, especially in busy homes or when visitors arrive.
Manners that make life easier (beyond commands)
Some “manners” are actually routines:
- No jumping for greetings (reward four paws on the floor)
- Calm doorway behaviour (wait before exiting)
- Handling manners (touching paws/ears/collar without fuss)
- Food manners (wait for the bowl, release cue to start eating)
- Polite play (start/stop cues so arousal doesn’t spiral)
When these are in place, your spaniel becomes easier to live with — and easier to train.
Common mistakes that slow progress
If commands don’t “stick”, it’s usually one of these:
- Teaching only at home and expecting it to work outside
- Saying the cue repeatedly (teaches your dog to ignore the first one)
- Rewarding sometimes and not others for the same effort
- Moving too fast on duration (asking for too much too soon)
- Using the cue when your dog is unlikely to succeed (especially outdoors)
A good rule: don’t test it — teach it.
How to practise (without drilling)
A simple structure that works:
- Practise one cue for 60–90 seconds
- Stop while it’s going well
- Use the cue once in real life later (doorway, meal, lead on/off)
- Reward generously for success in new places
Spaniel training improves fastest through many short wins.