We'll be getting our male puppy next weekend.  He should grow into a large and athletic specimen.  Needless to say, we are very excited.

Restricting this just to the realm of the verbal, I am trying to form a simple noëtic structure comprised of the following:

A) Categories of training;
B) When in the dog's development training in a particular category applies;
C) A complete lexicon of commands and words for each category.

First training category (C1) address those needs that are common all humans and animals: we eat and must eliminate.  In simpler terms, potty training:

firm "NO!";
{any ebullient praise and affection for the dog }

Second category (C2) handles overall behavior and good manners in the home.  What we would all deem "basic obedience.":

Full C1 lexicon
Sit(*)
Stay(*)
Down(*)
Come(*)

Third category (C3) gets us into (in our case) basic Schutzhund, with its commands:

Fuss
Sitz
Bleib
Platz
Hier
Steh
Bring
Hopp
Voraus
Such (tsuuk)
Pass auf/Wache
Packen/Fass
Aus
Gib Laut
Rauschgift
Such Rauschgift
Zwinger/
Box
Geh Raus/Geh Draussen
Geh Voraus
Geh rein
Monte/ Pojd sem
Was ist los?
Good (praise in English, from C1*)
No (correction, from C1*)
Lass das sein
Nimm Futter
Bleiben Ruhig/Steht Noch
Such Verloren
Lass es

Fourth category (C4): Fun stuff:

Roll over
Play dead
Paint my living room!
etc.

Together, these words would form the dog's meaningful vocabulary.  In looking at this, several things can be noted.  It is apparent that subsequent categories build on previous ones.  For example, praise is always a part of training.  Furthermore, there is the possibility of confusion if the Schutzhund is to be administered in German, since a few of the items were already covered in C2, but in English.

I think understanding the mental structuring of information in the dog's brain might be useful to us as owners/trainers to tap into his full potential.

It would be of some interest to know how others have organized this information both in their own minds and in how they beleive their dog organizes it, and if it is perhaps more common to use a flat, "I learned a new command for master today!" lumped into one big unorganized mental command bag than to use this hierarchy.  We as humans are able to view it either way; I wonder how the canine brain sees and organizes it.  Does he get into "Schutzhund" mode doing that sport focusing deeply on it, "play" mode, etc.?  That would seem to suggest the hierarchical model

* A question arises depending on ultimate goals:  Is the dog to be trained in Schutzhund?  If so, is it more appropriate to use, even in C2, the German vernacular - Setz, Platz, etc.?  Or... will to dog understand that two separate verbal commands indicate the same action, ergo "Down" vs. "Platz"?