The Difference Between a Dog Command and a Cue

You may have heard different trainers refer to requests for specific behaviors as either “cues” or “commands”. What’s the difference anyway and does it really matter?

Oftentimes, positive reinforcement trainers will use the word “cue,” while trainers that use punishment refer to a request for a behavior as a “command.” While this isn’t always the case, it can be helpful for pet parents to take notice of the language pet professionals utilize and find out the methods they use if you and your dog are going to be learning from them.

The reason positive reinforcement trainers refer to requests for behaviors as “cues” and not “commands” is because a well-taught cue prompts a behavior but doesn’t force compliance. A person holding out their hand is a cue for a handshake, but you’re not obligated to shake hands! A dog command, on the other hand, fosters a “do it now or else!” mentality so if a dog doesn’t respond correctly and promptly, punishment is soon to follow.

Positive reinforcement training doesn’t mean you take a complacent approach or that dogs don’t listen. In fact, they often listen much better because more time is put into building really solid and reliable responses. Cues are taught in such a way that the brain doesn’t even have to think about a response, it just responds the way you naturally hit the brakes when a pedestrian crosses in front of you as you’re driving. Good training requires time and dedication. A fun trick or behavior shouldn’t be expected to be perfect 100% of the time. Why should it be? We don’t behave perfectly 100% of the time so why should dogs be held to a different standard? In order for dogs to have a good quality of life they should have the agency to make choices, including whether or not they want to perform a behavior. Since dogs can’t communicate to us with words, we must look at every other aspect of their behavior including non-compliance to cues so we can better understand their overall wellbeing.

You might be thinking, “it’s just a word, why does the language a trainer uses matter?” The language a trainer uses often provides a clue into their mentality and approach to solving behavior problems and training dogs. Trainers who speak of “commands” often adopt the ideology that dogs exist to do whatever we ask, and any time they don’t listen to us it’s because they are trying to dominate us. Dogs are sentient beings with their own needs and unique motivations for engaging in behaviors. It’s overly simplistic to assume that they don’t listen to us simply because they have an agenda to be dominant over humans. We miss all the other contributing factors to non-compliance such as health, emotional state, stress, distraction, unmet needs, etc.

The word “command” has been used in the animal training industry for decades, so it’s not uncommon to hear some trainers still use the word “command” out of habit even though they have updated the methods they use and follow the latest scientific practices. I have used the word “command” myself in an attempt to reach a different audience and show the benefits of positive reinforcement. Still, it’s always a good practice to cautiously research as much as we can about the methods a professional adheres to before placing our animals in their care. We want the best for our pets and for them to feel safe in the world. We owe it to them to ensure that they are treated with the utmost care and respect by anyone we entrust with their care.