Hand Signals Stage 2- Dog Training

Once your dog has mastered the stage 1 hand signals, and she can move through them as readily as she did
when you were luring her around by the nose in the part 1 exercises, then you’re ready to move on to stage 2
of hand-signal training.
In the second stage, you introduce a little sleight-of-hand. You continue holding a treat in the signal hand
and use it to lure your dog. However, you also hold a handful of treats in your other hand, which you keep
either behind your back or to your side, where it’s not so obvious to your dog. You’ll continue luring your dog
with the treats in the hand-signal hand but start rewarding her with treats from behind your back.
Eventually, as you repeat these exercises, your dog will start ignoring the treat in your signal hand —
even though it’s still functioning as something of a lure — and begin looking for the treat from the opposite
hand. That’s the bridge to getting rid of the treat in the signal hand altogether, which is stage 3 of hand-signal
training.

For these exercises, hold one treat in your signal
hand, and hold a large pile of treats in your other
hand.

 

 

 

 

 

Hide these other treats behind your back, but
have them ready to use.

 

 

 

 

Stand to Sit

 

With your dog in stand, get her attention
with the treat in your signal hand. Hold a
handful of treats in your other hand, which
is held behind your back or to the side.

 

 

 

Give the hand signal and say, “Sit,” at the
same time.

 

 

 

 

 

As your dog sits, deliver your treat from
the hand behind your back (NOT from your
signal hand). As you do, say, “Good sit,” as
a positive marker.

 

 

Sit to Down

 

With your dog in sit, get her attention with
the treat in the signal hand, while holding
more treats in your hidden opposite hand.

 

 

 

Sweep your signal hand down in front of
your dog’s nose while saying, “Down.”

 

 

 

 

When your dog is down, say, “Good down,”
and place a treat on the floor between your
dog’s feet from the opposite hand, while
removing your signal hand with its treat.
Remember, don’t feed your dog out of your
hand! Let her pick the treat up off the floor.

 

Down to Sit

 

With your dog in down, get her attention
with your signal hand.

 

 

 

 

Sweep your hand upward while saying,
“Sit.”

 

 

 

 

When your dog sits, say, “Good sit,” as a
positive marker and deliver a treat from
your hidden, opposite hand.

 

 

Stand to Down

With your dog in stand, get her attention
with your signal hand.

 

 

 

Sweep the signal hand down to the ground
and say, “Down.”

 

 

 

 

When your dog is down, deliver the treat
from your opposite hand while saying the
positive marker, “Good down.”

 

 

 

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