I know this is a bit off the wall, but do you know where I could learn the Irish for some basic dog obedience commands, like “sit" "wait", "stay," "down," "heel," "leave it," "go out," etc.? Since I'm a newbie, I'll also need help with pronunciation.

At first, I wanted to know because the Rottweiler/ Dobermann/ German Shepherd people are so smug, giving commands in German. Then I thought about it, and it sounds like a lot of fun - and a good way to work on my Gaelic! Besides, my girl deserves the best.

Thanks – I’ll be most grateful for any leads. I’ve checked with the US Irish Wolfhound Club – they don’t have any clues either, but think it’s a grand idea, and would I let them know….

Go raibh maith agabh.

Caitlín Myers

sit suigh
wait/stay fan
down síos
heel (fan) le'm chos
leave it fág é
go out amach leat

Irish has an imperative, so you can turn almost any verb into a command.
I don't do pronunciation, but I suspect the dictionary of your choice will have all of these.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again...

A dog responds to single word commands and tone of voice better than phrases. It's quite ludicrous to suggest that a German Sherpherd would respond better to a German command than an English one, and I've certainly never met anybody who speaks German to their pet simply because it has a German name. Such an approach would be, as you say, smug in the extreme.

But let me get back to the main point.. what I'm trying to say is that you'll do better with short, single syllable words such as fag against fag é.

I've trained and owned German Sherpherds for a number of years. That has been my experience.

Le meas,
Larry.

The alleged origin of using obedience commands in a foreign language (according to Albert Payson Terhune of blessed memory) was in part, an ability to keep strangers from being able to command one's dog contrary to the owner's wishes. Terhune also recommended NOT naming a dog something that sounded too much like one of the more volatile commands (i.e. Sigurd/Sick'em).

Just my little two cents from Nerdland,

Ursula

As to pronunciation:
Suigh - See (or sig depending where you're from)
Fan - Fon
Síos - Sheeus
le'm chos - lem chos (the ch has a gutteral sound I can really describe)

fág é - fawg A (capital A as opposed to the flat a)
amach leat - amok lat