Training Your Dog With Hand Signals

Besides using verbal commands while obedience training your dog, you should also learn the dog training hand signals. 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. This is how  hunting dogs or agility dogs  are controlled in the field by their handlers. 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 make up your own particular hand signals-just make sure to pick one for each exercise and use it consistently.

In nature dogs pay a lot of attention to body language, so the hand signal training is easily understood by 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 if your dog has already been verbally trained, you should still teach him the hand signals as well. Try starting with a few of the more basic obedience commands (such as sit, down, and stay). Most courses start the obedience training withe these basic steps, so it makes good sense to begin here. 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 the hand signal for sit you should bend your arm upwards at the elbow and raise your hand or closed fist up to the side of your head at the same time you command him 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.
• For teaching the down hand signal hold your arm out level with the floor and then lower it down towards the floor. Use this hand signal at the same time that you are giving your pet his down command. The hand signal gets him to follow your hand down to the floor.
• Teaching the hand signal for stay is done by using the policeman’s hand sign to stay-holding your arm outstretched towards your dog with the palm facing him. You need to do this at the same moment you command your dog to stay.

If you haven’t already started using dog training hand signals when obedience training your dog, you can get started 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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