Hand Signals for Training Your Dog

October 4th, 2009 at 12:57pm

Dog training hand signals are a valuable addition to just using your voice when obedience training your dog. The dog training hand signals make it possible to command your dog over distance, as long as you are visible to him-even when he can’t hear you. This is how hunting dogs or agility dogs are controlled in the field by their handlers. Just by using the appropriate hand signal, the handlers command their dog to do the right action.

Teach your dog his hand signals while you obedience train your dog. Any good dog training program will explain the different standard hand signals and how they are used for training your dog at home. If you want, you can make up your own dog training hand signs, as long as you are always consistent about using the same one each time you have a training session with your dog.

In nature dogs pay a lot of attention to body language, so the hand signal training is easily understood by your dog. If you are beginning your dog’s training now, be sure to utilize the hand signals as part of your training regimen. Even for a dog that has been obedience trained only with verbal commands, the hand signals will help you over distances, so add them to your training now. It is a good idea to start the hand signal training with a few of the more basic commands-sit, down, and stay. This way you are following the usual route of obedience training anyway. 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.
To teach the hand signal for the down position you should hold your arm out straight from the shoulder and then lower your hand with the palm facing down towards the floor. Do this at the same moment you command your dog down. The hand signal gets him to follow your hand down to the floor.
To teach your dog the hand signal to stay, hold your arm straight out towards your dog with your palm facing up-the same hand position a policeman uses to stop traffic. You need to do this at the same moment you command your dog to stay.

If your aren’t already training your dog with hand signals, you should start 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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