HAND SIGNALS FOR SIT DOG TRAINING PLUS
HAND SIGNALS FOR SIT DOG TRAINING PROFESSIONAL

82% accuracy in dog responses with verbal commands.

99% accuracy with dogs responding to hand signals!.

Amazingly, the results were statistically significant in revealing dogs were more reliable with hand signals although they were taught both verbal cues and hand signals.

HAND SIGNALS FOR SIT DOG TRAINING PROFESSIONAL

If you need help with the training itself, you can contact the Pet Professional Guild or the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.This is actually backed up with real science in a recent Italian study with 25 dogs including Golden and Labrador Retrievers. You can also contact the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants or the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists to find a behavior specialist in your area. Take your deaf dog to the veterinarian to be sure there aren’t any physical issues. If at any time your dog is reactive, aggressive, or you’re not making progress, get professional help before proceeding. Remember that every time you mark a behavior you must treat or provide some other high-value reinforcer. Use your reward marker signal after he performs the desired behavior cue, then immediately provide him with his reward treat. This can be a thumbs-up, the action of clapping your hands, or even nodding your head a few times. Since your dog can’t hear the traditional “good job” reward marker such as the click of a clicker or a verbal “Yes!” you need a different reward marker.

HAND SIGNALS FOR SIT DOG TRAINING PLUS

Plus – there may be times you can’t (or don’t want to) speak – like when you’re on the phone with a client. And, just as with us, background noise can get in the way of the dog hearing a verbal cue.

Even if your dog still has his hearing, many lose it as they age. Treat and reward when his elbows come into contact with the ground.įrankly, hand signals help any dog – with or without hearing – pay more attention to you. Make a sweeping motion with a treat in front of his nose down to the ground when he’s sitting, luring him down. In another training session, you can teach him to lie down on cue. As soon as your dog’s posterior touches the ground in a sit, give him his reward treat. Slowly move it toward the back of his head, then lift your elbow up toward a 90-degree angle. Have a yummy treat in your hand and hold it just above your dog’s nose. The dog will naturally follow the motion of the lure. Use lure-reward training when teaching a cue using a hand signal. Even though the dog can’t hear it, you will probably be more natural if you simultaneously say the cue as you give the signal. When using hand signals, you can speak the word for the behavior cue.

Each hand signal must be distinctive from the others. Whatever you select, it’s crucial that you and everyone working with your deaf dog are precisely consistent in the signal used, including which hand is used. Dogs are experts at reading body language. You can use traditional hand obedience-competition signals: adapt some from American Sign Language, or make up your own. Never use a shock collar, which is always aversive. If so, use a different method to get his attention. Some dogs may be sensitive to the vibrations and become stressed. This can be used to get your dog’s attention. Before doing this, you need to condition him that this is a positive action so that you don’t startle him.

Gently touch his shoulder or on his back above his tail.

Caution using light sources though: Some dogs may develop OCD and compulsively chase the lights, especially lasers. You can even use a porch light turned on and off to get attention at night. You want him to understand that’s the desired behavior. Do the light flashes inside near him first, so that you can give him a treat immediately after he looks at you. Turning a flashlight on and off a few times should get your dog’s attention inside any time or outside at night. If not, you may stomp your foot or hand on the floor to get his attention.

As you approach your dog, he may feel the floor vibrating and turn to look at you. Just remember to reward him when he looks at you. If your dog looks away too much, don’t worry. You can train a “pay attention to me” cue, like pointing to your face, but if simply you treat each time he looks at you – consistently! – he will happily and frequently look at you, hoping it pays off with a yummy treat. After he gets the idea that looking at you is the desired behavior, just give the attention cue and reward him when he looks at you. Do this a half-dozen to a dozen times, and then end the session. This will take patience, but your dog will look at you.

Hand signals for sit dog training