How to Teach your Dog Sign Language Commands

Teach your dog hand signals and it will appear as if he is responding to verbal commands in any language.

Teaching your dog to respond to subtle hand signals is easy. You simply add the hand signals to the verbal command. There are universal hand signals for each of the basic training commands. It's fun to teach your dog hand signals because you can pretend to speak to him in any language and your dog will respond. For example, you can say "sit" in Spanish (sientan) when you are around your Spanish-speaking friends and he will respond. Nobody but you and your dog will know he's responding to hand signals and not the verbal command. You can teach in either American Sign Language or use the universal hand signal commands. Both are included in the steps.

Things You'll Need

• A dog
• Time to train
• Treats

Instructions

1. 

   Teach the command for sit in any language using hand signals.

   Teach your dog to sit. Call your dog and get eye contact. Say the sit command just as you would during training. Use the sign for sit at the same time. Keep doing this each time you tell your dog to sit. Lessen the times you actually say the command until no words are necessary. How long it takes depends on the time commitment you invest in your dog and the intelligence of your pooch. Here's how to sign sit: Two fingers come down on top of the other two fingers. Here's how to use the universal hand signal for sit: Hold your hand out, palm facing up, and move your hand straight up.

2. 

   Tell your dog to "stay" and walk a few paces away. It's important to turn your back on your dog as you walk away.

   To teach the stay command, call your dog and get eye contact. Say "stay" just as you would while teaching a dog to stay. But, instead of just pointing at him and telling him to stay, use the stay sign. Walk away slightly until the dog stays as told. Do not walk away while facing him. Instead, turn your back to him and walk away. To start using just the sign lessen the times you actually say stay until no words are necessary. Here's how to sign stay: Thumb and pinky out, push your hand toward the dog. To use the universal hand signal for stay, hold your hand out, fingers upward, palm towards the dog.

3. Teach your dog to come. After you have successfully taught the "stay" command, teach the "come" command. When your dog is in a "sit, stay" position, walk away to the end of the leash. Tug gently on the leash and say "Rover, come." Many trainers advocate using the dog's name when you want him to come. Here's the dog sign to use for come: Slap your outer thigh with your flat palm. This is also the ASL gesture for the word "dog." The universal hand signal for come is as follows: Hold your hand out in front of you, palm facing inward, and move your hand towards you, as if you are waving someone to come to you.

4. Train your dog the down command by having him lie down in front of you. One way to do this is to have him in a sitting position, then, show him a treat and lower the treat to the ground. His nose and body should follow. As soon as his belly hits the ground, praise and treat. The ASL gesture for down is as follows: Hold your hand in front of you, index finger pointing down, and then move your hand downward. The universal hand signal for down is: Hold your hand in front of you, palm facing down, and move your hand downward.

Tips & Warnings

• Have treats or praise rewards just as you do to start training your puppy anything.

• Do not scold or hit your dog. This should be fun for both you and your dog.

References

• Sign Savvy: Down
• Sign Savvy: Sit

Resources

• Mendocino Humane Society: Universal Hand Signals