Using dog training hand signals has several advantages. Why Should You Use Hand Signals in Training? In this guide, we’ll cover all the benefits of using dog training hand signals, and more importantly, how to use them properly. Incorporating hand signals into your dog’s training – and not just relying on voice commands – will therefore bring forth quicker and more effective results. Click on image above to launch or this link.Our canine companions find body language much easier to process and understand than verbal communication. You can find great instructional videos like this one from Texas-based dog trainer, Lillian Sikorski: Lillian Sikorski of showing 2 beautifully trained goldens. Being able to work with your dog without speaking commands can enhance your bond and level of communication with your pet, and can be a great skill to teach and to learn! For more on training your dog with hand signals, we recommend checking out YouTube. Once your dog knows how to “sit” or “lie down” then you can begin to add on the next step of the hand gesture, and take training between you and your dog to a whole new level. Non-verbal training is most effective with a dog who already knows the basic commands that you want to teach them to respond to non-verbally. Make sure you reward them with the treat once they do so, and make sure to have patience with any of these signals and make them as a clear and simple as possible. Bringing the arm down to your side and brushing the treat past your dog’s nose at the same time as saying “down” or “lie down” to your dog will naturally incite them to follow your hand down and into a lying position. Starting with your dog sitting in front of you, you can start with a treat in your fingers and your hand all the way above your head. “Lie down” is another helpful hand signal command to teach. When your dog begins to catch on, you can practice the signals and sharpen their responses by alternating between the signals for “come” and “stay” in a silent game of red light green light. Another good command sequence to teach hand gestures for is “come” and “stay.” A clear curl of one finger, with the arm outstretched, can be used for “come.” For the opposite effect, raising one arm, hand flexed flat out like a traffic guard, can mean “stay.” Again, the method for associating these hand signals with the verbal signal comes through repetition and plenty of rewards. When their nose rises to follow the treat, their hindquarters should drop as you tell them to “sit.” With both methods, after enough repetition, the treat can eventually be removed and then the voice command, until the dog responds only to the motion of your hand or arm. Another common gesture to make a dog sit down is to start with your hand, enclosed around a treat, at your dog’s nose, and then raise your arm straight up. By telling your dog to “sit!” at the same time as holding up this finger, and then rewarding them with a food-based treat as soon as they do, you can, after repetition, get your dog to respond to the hand gesture only. The first is to hold one finger pointed directly up. For sitting down, there are two signals that can be helpful. While you can use almost any hand signal to train your dog (as long as you’re consistent!), there are some commonly accepted ones that can be useful. As an added benefit, hand signals can be easier for foreign house guests who are not fluent in your native tongue, and they definitely come in handy for an older dog who has become slightly or very hard of hearing. Once a dog has been trained to respond to hand signals, you can communicate with your pet without saying a word. Using hand signals with your dog is a fun and smart alternative to using spoken commands or a clicker to train your dog.
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