Dogs are experts at reading body language. They always read our cues, so hand signals are a natural way to teach your dog most of the cues. Also, learn Show dogs are more likely to respond correctly to hand signals than to verbal cues.
Learn suggests that our ability to understand hand gestures may be innate, or perhaps they tend to understand our pointing better than other gestures. Thus, analog hand signals can be distinguished from learning and practice.
Are there dog trainer hand signals that people use?
There are no standards for hand signals in the dog training industry. However, what’s important to you and your dog is not whether you’re following certain cues, but whether you’re consistent with the cues you choose. Consistency is key in all dog training, especially when it comes to teaching and maintaining communication. While there are commonalities among trainers, it is up to you to decide which signals you are most comfortable using and which your dog can understand.
Why are hand signals useful in dog training?
Using hand signals are more common than you think because they:
- Useful in many situations where you cannot use your voice
- deaf dog
- deaf dog training
- Your baby is sleeping, you’re on a video call/phone call or any time you want some quiet
- Improved concentration: Your dog learns to keep an eye on you for direction and guidance
- Improve cognitive skills
- Provides richness and stimulation to help alleviate boredom
- Helps build solid behaviors while having fun
How to teach a dog to signal by hand
If your dog already knows verbal cues, start adding manual cues.
- Start in an environment with few or no distractions.
- Get your dog’s attention (look at you) and give verbal cues along with hand signals. Be clear and thoughtful with your signal, and tick/click when he executes the intended signal.
- Repeatedly.
- Alternate using verbal and manual cues.
- Skip verbal cues and just use hand signals. Of course, your dog must look at you first! Say his name first to get his attention, then immediately give the command/hand.
- Keep the session short and focused.
- Start regularly generalizing hand signals into everyday life.
If your dog doesn’t already know verbal cues, teach both verbal and manual cues simultaneously using attraction and reward.
Top 10 manual dog training signals (with photo)
Arrive: Hold your hand to your heart with your elbow at your chest (as if you were saying a pledge of allegiance)
To sit: Palms facing up; flex the fingertips towards the palm
Down: Use all four fingers together or the index finger in a position perpendicular to the ground
Stay/Wait: Open your palm facing up as a “stop” signal.
Look/Follow me: Index or index finger and middle finger pointing at your eyes together
Set/Go to Mat: Similar to lying down, since you usually ask your dog to lie on your mat, you can use your index finger to point towards the mat to lower it at the same time.
Drop: Holding hands pointing to the ground
To speak: Extend your palm toward your dog, keeping four fingers together and close to your thumb; open and close many times
Shaking legs: Use an outstretched hand, palm facing up
Reinvestment: index finger in a circular motion; if your dog rolls both ways, teach to use clockwise means rolling right and counterclockwise means rolling left
As with all dog training, consistency is a top priority. You’re communicating, so be as clear as possible. Think of the myriad nuances of our written communication: For example, there, their (possessive) and they’re (they are) have very different meanings. Be clear to get the exact point on!
The more hand signals you teach your dog, the better you can communicate and the happier you’ll be. You can even use hand signals to differentiate activities such as a tricks training certificate and a freestyle dog.
