How Do I Teach My Dog To Obey Hand Signals?

Answer 1

Make sure your dog already knows the command by voice that you want him to know by hand signals. I’m using "sit" as an example. Tell your dog to sit while doing your chosen signal. Make sure you say "sit" loud and clear, but draw your dogs attention to your hand by holding a treat. Once he sits, reward him. Do this in ten minute intervals, so your dog doesn’t get bored. After a few days, your dog will begin to notice the correlation and try doing the hand signals without the voice. Slowly do more and more hand signals instead of voice commands and in about a week (give or take a few days, depending on the dog) he should respond to hand signals. Remember not to stop having ten minute "training sessions" once your dog knows the signal. Also, the first hand signal will be the hardest to teach. Good luck!

Answer 2

If your dog obeys verbal commands, just make the hand signals every time you say the command. Start to do the signal before you actually tell the dog what to do, and eventually he will obey the signal alone.

Answer 3

Most dogs actually tend to learn hand signals more easily than verbal signals. Dogs are much more in tune with our body language than our verbal chatter. The biggest trick is to be careful to use very consistent signals. For example, if you're using a hand signal for sit, don't sometimes use your left hand and other times use your right hand -- use the same signal every time.

Answer 4

My bf dog was taught voice command, and hand signals. When shes upset and doesn't want to do what she told she will not make eye contact, she'll listen to voice signals but will pretend to be interested in the wall or the floor. Umm soooo, what i m saying is don't depend on hand signals alone. both can be learned from a trainer

Answer 5

Take an obedience class, or get a training book!! There are a LOT on hand signals. Wendy Volhard has a good one that has a lot of hand signals in it.......can't think of the name of it.

Answer 6

T-Bone does... and I am sure I went about it all wrong... see I lose my voice quite frequently, not from yelling, I'm just not a very healthy person. "Come" he learned first, I would slap my lap, and when he didn't respond I'd get him by the Collar and take him to where I want him to be and slap my lap again. "Sit" he got through treats and repetition. Down was fairly simple after sit, I think he recognized my pattern from the verbal commands and figured down was next.

Answer 7

Check out the "Dog Whisperer" on the Discovery Chanel or you can buy the book The "Dog Whisperer".