Free reference
A reference list of the verbals we suggest to students. Adapt them however you like — just choose your words before you start training, and stay consistent.
Consistent verbal cues are one of the most useful things you can establish early in agility training. Your dog doesn't care which words you pick, but they care a great deal that you use the same ones every time. Changing a cue mid-training costs you far more than choosing an imperfect one at the start.
| Behavior | Verbal |
|---|---|
| Instruct dog to stay in a stationary position | Stay |
| Release dog from a stationary position | Break or OK |
| Marker word | Yes |
| Instruct dog to get toy or food presented | Get It |
| Behavior | Verbal |
|---|---|
| Tunnel | Tunnel |
| A-Frame | Frame |
| Dog Walk | Walk It |
| Weave poles | Weave |
| Jump — take the jump in extension | Jump |
| Table — get on table and down | Table or Table Down |
| Initial 2O2O stopped contact training | Touch |
| Behavior | Verbal |
|---|---|
| Drive straight ahead to the next obstacle on the line | Go |
| Drive away from the handler laterally | Out |
| Wrap the front of a jump, turning right tightly 180° | Dig |
| Wrap the front of a jump, turning left tightly 180° | Check |
| Dog turns right approximately 90° | Right |
| Dog turns left approximately 90° | Left |
| Backside jump | Back |
| Threadle — take the non-obvious side of the jump or tunnel | In-In |
Some handlers prefer different words — “tunnel” becomes “through,” “frame” becomes “climb.” That's fine. What matters is that everyone who handles the dog uses the same vocabulary, and that no two cues sound alike. Avoid words that rhyme with each other or with your dog's name.
New to agility?
Our Beginners class in Chandler starts each September and February. No experience needed, and we teach with positive reinforcement only.