There are also specific scenarios where hand signals may even be more beneficial than verbal cues: So it only makes sense that our training methods appeal to as many senses as possible, in this case, both hearing and seeing. They use their ears to hear us, their noses to smell us, their eyes to see us… you get the picture. Dogs are like humans in that they have multiple senses. Let’s start with a super basic anatomy lesson. WHY SHOULD YOU TRAIN YOUR DOG TO RESPOND TO HAND SIGNALS? Today we’re going to dive into dog training hand signals: why you should use them, some common ones to teach your dog, and how to help your dog successfully learn them. Even if your dog has perfect hearing now, it’s still worthwhile to have a “toolkit” of both visual and verbal cues to use in a variety of situations-especially those in which you can’t verbally give commands-and to make things easier if your dog is deaf or ever experiences hearing difficulties in the future.Whether you are at the beginning of your dog training journey or in the middle, using hand signals can help so much when it comes to training your dog! We can’t underestimate how useful it can be for dogs to learn the skill of following hand signals. Start training sessions in a quiet area where your dog can’t easily get distracted.Be patient with your dog-these commands can take a while to learn.Remember to immediately mark the moment with a reward when your dog gets something right.Stick to one hand signal per training session to avoid overwhelming yourself and your dog.Make sure there’s a clear distinction between the hand signals you teach your dog to prevent them from getting confused.Don’t feel limited by common hand signals-you’re free to be creative and use any hand signals you feel most comfortable with.You can gradually build up the length of time your dog has to watch you before they get the treat. Hold a treat in your hand to help your dog focus, then give them the treat when they look at you, even if it’s only for a short time at the beginning. To signal this, point your finger towards your eye from the side. “Watch me” or a similar command like “look” is used to get your dog to focus on you when you need them to. With a treat in your hand, give the verbal command and the hand signal simultaneously, and reward your dog with the treat if they stay where they are. The hand signal for “stay” is often an open palm stretched out and facing your dog. Reward your dog.Īnother very important command is “stay”. Take a treat in your hand, and as you give the verbal command “sit”, raise your hand upwards from your chest to your shoulder to encourage your dog to back into a sit. You can create your own gestures depending on what works for you and your dog, but one recommendation for the “sit” hand signal is an upwards-facing open palm. It’s always good to start at the very beginning, and “sit” is often one of the first commands most dogs learn. This may take some time and multiple attempts before your dog gets the gist, so be patient. As your dog starts to get the hang of it, you should be able to give the hand signal without the vocal command. Tip: At first, it’s useful to combine a vocal command with the hand signal to help your dog create the association. The 10 Common Hand Signals for Dog Training Without further ado, let’s explore some of the most common and useful hand signals to teach your dog. Even if your dog didn’t learn hand signals as a puppy, they can still pick them up as adults with patience, consistency, and some tasty treats for motivation. If this is the first time you’ve heard of this kind of training, don’t worry. Hand-signal training exercises are also great for sharpening your dog’s concentration and mentally stimulating them. We typically tend to concentrate on vocal commands when training our dogs, but hand signals can also come in very handy, especially in noisy environments where your dog can’t hear you or when you need to communicate with a dog that’s losing its sense of hearing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |