Have you taught your dog basic obedience commands like sit, stay or fetch yet?

Many dog owners know the importance of teaching dog commands to communicate and train their dogs in proper behavior but with so many different commands, which are the truly important and effective ones to know?

Well, here are essentially 12 dog commands that we believe your dog need to know to get along happily with you and the rest of the world.

[Come]
This is the first and most important command in your dog's command repertoire. Usually taught together with his/her name, it's a command that you will use actively to recall your dog back to you if he/she breaks free from the leash or is running around disturbing other people in the park.

[Sit]
This is one of the easiest commands to teach, and also one of the most useful especially to control your dog from getting too excited while you are preparing its meal. Dogs who understand the "Sit" command are easier to manage and are also less likely to misbehave like jumping on people, chasing animals or fighting with other dogs.

[Stay]
Often used in combination with commands "sit" or "down," the command "stay" is useful to keep your dog out of harms way should he/she approach something it's not suppose to or attempting to run across a busy street. Not the easiest command for dogs as sometimes their curiosity and animal instinct might take over instead of staying put when told.

[Wait]
Different from the "Stay" command which is more often use to keep your dog away from danger, the "Wait" command is more of a obedience command to keep your dog in check, letting him/her know he/she has to wait till your next command. Commonly use on dogs that have a habit of rushing through doors or pull ahead on a leash.

[Down]
Unlike the "sit" command, the "down" command means your dog goes down on his/her stomach. This command is an essential part of doggy etiquette. It's also more comfortable than a sitting position when you want your dog wait for you for more than a minute or two.

[Stand]
This command tells your dog to stop moving and be still. It's useful for when you are having a veterinarian examining him/her over or when you are bathing and grooming him/her.

[Okay]
The "Okay" command is use to release your dog from a previous command you have given earlier. For example, your dog is now free to walk through the open door after you had early given the "Wait" command.

[No]
Depending on the situation, the "No" is usually use to discourage or break up undesirable behavior such as chewing, biting or jumping. This is an important command that you should teach your puppy from the beginning.

[Off]
The "Off" command is useful to teach your dog to get off that expensive sofa or your bed and is also applicable for telling them to stop jumping on you or other people.

[Leave It]
Dogs are inquisitive animals and sometimes give in to their instinct to explore things that appeal to their senses. The "Leave It" command is perfect to stop dogs that fancies poop eating or having a fetish chewing habit to chew everything around the house.

[Drop It]
The "Drop It" command is necessary to get your dog drop whatever it is in their mouth especially items like your expensive leather shoe or unknown substances that might be potentially harmful. This command is also useful when you start teaching your dog how to "Fetch".

[Heel]
"Heel" simply means that your dog will walk on your left without lagging behind or running ahead of you. This is extremely useful for your dog to understand this command to prevent him/her pulling you on the leash while going for walks. This command becomes all the more necessary if you have a large dog.

Knowing these 12 voice commands will give you the basic fundamentals to having a well-manner dog in your every day life.