Normally I use both, but I make sure that they can respond to each type of cue independently as well. I like my dogs to respond to verbal alone, hand signals alone, and the two together. :doglaugh: Of course, you wouldn't use this in obedience, but ah well. Eventually I want to teach a Left side heel and a right side heel, so of course I would use the opposite arm for the right side heel. Heel-Right arm across my stomach, palm facing the dog. Same signal Silvia Trkman and several other of her 'students' use. With my closed palm toward the inside, pointer finger extended, I point for whichever leg I want the dog to lift. March-I only use the hand signal for this one, no verbal command. (Mud's still working on this one, so occasionally she'll swing too far out or something.) I give the initial command, and at the beginning of the weave I point with one finger on the opposite side where I want the dog to go through, and only repeat the signal when the dog needs it. Weave-I don't exactly have one for this.not really. Roll Over-Fingertips towards the dog, rotating wrist in a 'rolling' motion(a little circle) Switch(sides)-Swinging whichever pointer finger around behind me and back to my side. Like luring the dog to my side, except they know to turn around, sit, and look up at me when they get there. On my Left(DTA's lessons call this 'Get In')-left pointer finger out in front of me, the move it back to my side. Wait-Usually they're at my left when I ask them to wait, so I have my hand dangling normally, but I turn my palm to them and give the verbal command. Spin-I start out having to trace a rather large circle with my finger, but I gradually decrease it until I'm just tracing a tiny circle with my pointer finger. After the dog is matched, signals are easy for them to pick-up if the new handler want's to use them.īut if I am asking her to raise from a down to a sit, then a have my palm flat facing up, and raise it, as if I had a book on my hand and was raising it a few inches.ĭown-Palm facing down, 'pushing' the air down. it's when I work with other dogs that either have different signals or none at all that I get confused! For example, service dogs shouldn't learn hand signals (any targeting/luring should be faded out completely), becuase you never know if their future partner will be able to give signals - verbal needs to be solid. I have a lot of hand/body signals, but most started as targeting/luring, or synchronizing, so they are pretty easy to keep track of for my own dog. I use my arms to show him what I want his front paws to do (he mirrors my movements) - we're still working on this one. 'Cover', I sort of salute with bent fingers. 'Roll over' I 'roll' my hand a couple of times. Run out in front of me until I tell you to stop, I use my arm up high and 'push' forward. head in 'that' direction a little bit, I do a little point with my finger, arm still at my side.

'Down' is the opposite of sit - palm down, fingers bend toward ground. 'Sit' is the North American one shown above, but I fade it down to just a little finger-raise. 'Stay' I just show a flat hand for a moment, at the dog's eye level from whatever position they are in. For 'speak', I open and close my fingers like a mouth.įor 'wait', I swing my hand/arm along the line that I don't want crossed.

Hand signal for down for dogs