Hand Signals for Training Your Dog

October 17th, 2009

Dog training hand signals are a valuable addition to just using your voice when obedience training your dog. If your dog has been trained with the hand signals, he can still do as you command, even when he is not able to hear you. Handlers of hunting dogs or agility dogs can control their dog’s actions in the field simply by using hand signals. By using the appropriate hand signals, the handlers can make their dogs turn left or right, stop, go fast or go slower, etc.

It is best to teach your dog the hand signals at the same time you are teaching the obedience exercises. Any good dog training program will explain the different standard hand signals and how they are used for training your dog at home. You can even use hand signals of your own invention as long as your are consistent in using the same movement each time.

Dogs pay very close attention to body language- in nature dogs do a lot of communicating between each other with body language, so the dog training hand signals will actually aid your attempts to quickly train your dog. If your dog’s obedience training is just getting started, be sure to include the hand signals as part of the training. Even for a dog that has been obedience trained only with verbal commands, the hand signals will help you over distances, so add them to your training now. Try starting with a few of the more basic obedience commands (such as sit, down, and stay). This way you are following the usual route of obedience training anyway. After your dog learns these first 3 signals, he is ready to keep going when taught the remainder of his dog obedience lessons.

• To teach your dog the hand signal that means sit, you should bend your arm at the elbow and quickly raise your hand up to your head’s level, while firmly commanding your dog to sit. Always repeat the hand signal each time you command your dog to sit-this will reinforce and associate the hand signal with the need to sit.
• To teach the hand signal for the down  position you should hold  your arm out straight from the shoulder and then lower your hand with the  palm facing down towards the floor. Do this at the same moment you command your dog down. The idea of this hand signal is that your dog will follow the direction of your hand and associate it with lying down on the floor.
• To teach your dog the hand signal to stay, hold your arm straight out towards your dog  with your palm facing up-the same hand position a policeman uses to stop traffic. You need to do this at the same moment you command your dog to stay.

If your aren’t already training your dog with hand signals, you should start now. You will like the feeling of control you get from being able to command your dog to behave even across a distance where he can’t hear you.

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1. Useful Tips On Dog Training Hand Commands
2. How Dogs Use Their Tails as Signals – Helpful Knowledge
3. Understanding Deaf Dog Training
4. The Basics Of Obedience Training
5. Dog Training – Stay Command