Dog commands and hand signals4/5/2024 ![]() ![]() Bring your left arm up in a circular motion in front of your chest with your elbow bent, then straighten it out to your left side, parallel to the ground, in a “ta-da!” sort of flourish. With your dog lying down in front of you, stand with both arms relaxed at your sides. Sit: Hold a treat in your left hand this time.You will probably be surprised by how quickly he does it. If he doesn’t lie down, do another dozen repetitions with both cues, and then try again with just the hand signal. If he goes down, Click! and Jackpot! That is, feed him lots of treats, one at a time, in special recognition of his ac- complishment. When he has done at least a half dozen downs without the lure, give the hand signal (arm raised) without the verbal cue. Repeat this exercise until he will lie down for the hand signal and verbal cue without the lure. If your dog does not lie down, lower your right hand to his nose and lure him down with the treat. A second after your arm reaches its full height, fingers pointed toward the ceiling, say your verbal “Down” cue. With your dog sitting in front of you, stand with both arms relaxed at your sides. Down: Hold a treat in your right hand.No one wants to risk having their dog miss the signal from across the ring! I encourage my students to start with big hand signals, like the ones most people use in obedience competition. Whatever commands you decide to teach your dog, be sure to remain patient, have fun, and lavish him with praise for a job well done.Here is how I initially teach hand signals for Down, Sit, and Come. ![]() When he comes, praise and give him the kibble. Say “Come” and back up a few steps at the same time. Do this slowly at first, bringing the kibble past your dog’s nose as you signal. Now sweep your arm forward so your hand touches your opposite shoulder. Start with your arm held straight out to your side parallel with the ground. To teach him to come when you call, start with your dog in front of you. Lead his nose down as you say “Down.” When he lies down, praise him and give him the kibble. Do this slowly, bringing the kibble past your dog’s nose as you signal. Hold a piece of kibble in your fingers and - with your hand raised above your head - bring it down, keeping your arm straight until it is hanging at your side. When he sits, praise him and give him the kibble.įor the “down” command, start with your dog sitting in front of you. You’re leading his nose upward as you say sit. Do this slowly, bringing the kibble past your dog’s nose. Hold a piece of kibble in your fingers and - starting with your hand at your side - bring it up slowly, folding your arm as if you were going to toss something over the same shoulder. To teach your dog to sit, start with him standing in front of you. Soon your dog will sit, lie down, or come with just a motion of your hand. Once your dog reliably reacts to the silent hand gesture when you have the food, gradually remove the piece of food from the equation. For a while you might use the verbal command and hand gesture together half the time and the hand gesture alone half the time. While still using the food reward, gradually eliminate the verbal command. You will have to repeat this many times to ensure your dog understands the association. When your dog performs the correct action, immediately reinforce this behavior with a kibble. To get started, pair the verbal command with a hand signal (see below for examples of common hand signals). The next thing you’ll want to do is to create a new association between an unfamiliar hand signal and the verbal command and action that he already knows. Let’s assume that your dog already knows the association between a verbal command (sit) and the action you want him to perform (sitting). From there, getting your dog to react to the hand signal alone is just a matter of repetition. Later in this article, we’ll give you tips on how you can link a specific motion to a specific command. The first thing you’ll want to do is to get your dog to associate a hand gesture with one of your command words. There are several ways to teach your dog hand signals. All you need to get started are a few kibbles of food. They’re fun to teach and easy for most dogs to understand. Once he understands and responds to your verbal commands for sit, down, and come, hand signals are a good next step in the training process. Training your dog isn’t just for getting him to follow your directions - it’s also a great way to bond, and when done correctly, can be a lot of fun for both you and your dog. Does your dog understand verbal commands like “Sit,” “Down,” and “Come”? See how teaching him hand signals is a fun and rewarding next step in his training regimen! ![]()
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