Teaching your dog to respond to hand signals does not require advanced training methods. Dogs communicate with each other by the use of body language. They will cringe or lower their head, use their tail and ear position to show interest or fear and they instinctively recognize body signals of other dogs.
Hand signals are not only easy to teach but can often be taught at the same time you are teaching voice commands. Teach a puppy to sit using treats. After he understands what to do, each time you tell him to "sit" extend your hand, point your index finger and twist your wrist so the finger moves down. Before long you'll be able to simply make the hand movement and your dog will sit.
For most commands it is not important what hand signal you use as long as it is used consistently for that command. For a few commands, the ability to display a hand signal your dog will respond to can save your dog from danger even if he can't hear your voice.
The commands requiring exaggerated hand movements are stay, come and down. For teaching these commands as hand signals, it is best to use your entire arm. That allows your dog to recognize the command even if he is a distance away from you.
The hand signal for "stay" is to extend your arm fully in front of you with your palm facing outward. If you boldly swing your arm into position your dog will be able to recognize "stay" even from a distance.
Command your dog to "come" by extending both arms outward. Do you recognize that hand signal? Of course you do - it's a universal signal and means "welcome".
Tell your dog to assume the "down" position by extending one arm in front of you, palm down and slowly lower your arm. This signal is a good reinforcing command if you have used the "stay" hand signal to stop your dog where he stands.
You can also use the dog's natural behavior to reinforce hand signals when training. If you catch your dog just as he begins to sit (on his own) use the command and hand signal. If your dog rides with you when you do errands in the car, always use the "stay" hand signal as you leave the car.
When teaching basic obedience commands incorporating hand signals the priority for the trainer is being consistent with the hand signals. Teaching the verbal command at the same time as giving a hand signal will allow the dog to learn both verbal and hand commands.
Unless you are training a dog for the show ring, the signals you use can be any movements you are comfortable with. Even tricks you teach and good manners can have recognizable hand signals your dog will obey.
When you teach your dog to "back up" use the verbal command "back" as you move forward forcing him to retreat a few steps - but also allow your extended hand to drop down from the wrist and then indicate "back" by sweeping your hand up a few times. This command is useful if your dog sometimes needs to be shooed away from a plate of food on a table or is demanding attention while you are sitting on the couch.
Adding hand signals to your obedience training routine is a simple task and hand signals are often easier for your dog to understand than verbal commands. Use the same signals consistently to reinforce the training.
