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You are here: Home / Language / Why Do We Say “Sic em” When We Want a Dog To Attack and Where Did the Command Come From?

Why Do We Say “Sic em” When We Want a Dog To Attack and Where Did the Command Come From?

July 29, 2020 by Karen Hill

Dogs are descended from wolves and interact with humans the same as they would with other dogs within a pack.

They are protective of their family or pack and instinctively attack only when hunting or frightened.

This behavior can be altered in some dogs through aggressive training.

Guard dogs have to learn to attack on command from the human alpha dog, their trainer.

“Sic ’em,” a very old command, is an abbreviation of “seek him.”

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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