Hand Signals for Dog Obedience Training
There are several methods you can use for dog obedience training. While some dog owners rely solely on verbal instructions to train their animals, others use hand signals. It is important to know how hand gestures are used and how these gestures work effectively if you want to use this type of training method.
How do manual signals work?
When you use your hands to perform gestures or movements while using certain verbal instructions, dogs learn to associate these signals with voice commands. This association helps dogs learn the right behavior in the command. While prompts or verbal commands may be helpful for training, adding hand signals may help dogs recognize what is expected of them. Keep in mind that dogs are very attentive to body language. In fact, they tend to focus on the movement of their bodies rather than the words they use when executing commands.
Advantages of manual signals
Manual signals provide a range of benefits for dog obedience training. These include the following:
- Easy to use: manual signals are not complicated for dog owners to learn or use. These are simple movements that you can easily perform while you train your dog, whether you sit down or come with you to the command.
- Shorter workout time: The combination of manual and verbal commands can also make the workout faster than expected. As dogs pay attention to body language, your dog will probably find out in less time what to do than use verbal commands.
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- Effective training of deaf dogs: The use of hand signals is also a very effective way to train dogs with hearing problems. If you have a deaf dog in your home, it is a good alternative to teach him to follow hand signs if you can not use verbal commands. Deaf dogs are perfectly able to learn to follow the signals of the hand to sit, stay, stand and follow other commands.
Use of manual signals
Begin working on dog obedience training by matching the signals with the verbal commands. Give the verbal command at the same time as your hand gesture and wait for your dog to respond. Remember, your dog may need several attempts to find out what to do. How do you know if your dog has learned to successfully follow the hand signals? You can easily test it by giving your dog the hand signal without any verbal instruction. If your dog behaves correctly after seeing the hand signal, he knows that he has learned the meaning of the movements of his hand.
What to do if you do not use hand signals?
Avoid the following measures if you want to teach your dog the obedience training hand signs:
- Be inconsistent: Keep in mind that the way you use manual signals and verbal commands must be very consistent. If you change the hand or verbal commands, eg. For example, by using a different word, voice, or hand gesture, your dog may be redirected. If your dog receives inconsistent hand signals, you will have more difficulty understanding the meanings, which will prolong your workout.
- Punish your dog: No matter how frustrated you feel with your dog during exercise, it is never acceptable to scream or punch him. Screaming or physically punishing your dog will only scare you, which can lead to behavioral problems. Your dog will also learn to form a negative association with hand signals, which makes him more reluctant to participate in training sessions. Exercise calmly and positively, and your dog understands hand signals much faster and stress-free.
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- Give Up: Dogs learn at different speeds, so you may have more time to learn the signs with your hands. It can be tempting to stop using the hand signal if your dog is not stuck. However, it is important to continue training with him. Your dog will eventually learn what the hand sign means and assume the appropriate behavior. If you give up and start with another hand signal, your dog is confused, which makes the dog's obedience training more frustrating for both of you.
Basic signals for dog obedience training.
There are no official requirements for the hand signs you use. Although some characters are commonly used in dog obedience classes, it's also possible to create yours if they work better for you. Remember that you must use your own signals whenever you create them with your hands. You should also avoid creating complex hand signals that are hard for your dog to learn. Here are some of the most basic hand signals that are commonly used to train dogs:
- Sit down: To make this sign with your hand, first hold a treat with one hand and put it to your side. Lift your hand slowly through your dog's nose and tell him to sit down. Your dog should of course sit when the candies on nose and head rise. When he sits, reward him with the treat and repeat this sign with his hand.
- Down: To make this mark with your hand, place a treat in one hand and lift it over your head. Slowly move your hand down past your dog's nose, giving the verbal command "Down." When you move your hand to the ground, your dog's head and body should follow. When your dog lies on the ground, reward him with the candy you hold. Practice this hand signal several times with your dog.
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- Come on: Hold a treat with one hand for this hand signal and then stretch your arm to one side. Slowly move your arm to the opposite shoulder while giving the verbal command "Come". Take a few steps back and let your dog come towards you. When you reach it, reward it with sweets. This hand signal may take a little longer to learn from your dog than to "sit" or "bend down", but that's important. With the command "come" you can protect your dog in public from dangers.
- Getting Up: To make this mark with your hand, first hold your hand near your hip, then slowly pull it back while giving the verbal "get up" command. When your dog gets up, reward him with a treat.
- Stay: To give this signal with your hand, all you have to do is stretch your arm in front of you and hold your hand in front of your dog while giving the verbal command "Stay". If your dog stays in its tracks. And stay in place, reward him with a whim. Make sure you do not reward him if he moves after stopping. Otherwise, you'll think you reward him for moving instead of staying still.
Patience is the key
As with any type of dog obedience training, the key to successful learning for your dog is patience. Plan several signs before your dog knows what to do when he orders it. To make this work more effective, make sure the workouts are short, entertaining and positive. Do not let your dog train with the same hand sign several times in a row, otherwise he will be bored or distracted. Instead, change things during each workout. This will keep your dog's attention on you longer and keep him waiting for workouts.
Remember that you can no longer exercise with your dog. Once your dog can easily track the signals of the hands, you can reward it from time to time instead of rewarding it each time. After all, you do not have to reward him with treats if he follows the signals of your hands. At this point you can be sure that your dog has learned the signs with his hands and knows what to do when giving specific commands. This means that you have successfully trained your dog with hand signals. Your dog should be able to follow them easily.
Reference:
Training Dog Obedience Using Hand Signals