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Trains better with gestures then verbal cues.

608 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Kratty
I've been working with Jordan on basic obedience before his class starts and while I've just started the clicker a few days ago I've noticed he does wonderfully with gestures but doesn't seem to be picking up on just using words. I do it until I'm blue in the face and he does wonderfully using gestures and the words but when I drop the gestures and use only words he just looks at me like what????. When I do just the gestures he immediately follows commands. I'm sure he'll get the words down soon enough, he already does sit but that is about it.

I think it is important to use words because I'd like to be able to tell him down from across the yard and have him down for me without me having to get his attention first and then signal him from across the yard. I'm not sure he'd even get the gesture from that far away.
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Take a hot dog and cut it up into little treats that Jodan will put it in his mouth and swallow. You don't want him spending time chewing and get distracted. Now start with the command he knows. Tell him Jordan sit. when he does give him the treat and then tell him good sit as he snafs down the treat. Walk five feet away and when he comes over to you repeat the sit command as described. Use only the sit command and do this without hands or arms. Once you are sure he has that one down then move onto the next command, lets say it is heel. Once he is hooked on a leash, hold it close to his collar in your left hand. Have a treat in the right. From the sit tell him Jordan heel. Give a slight tug of the leash and lead him with the treat in front of him. When he is walking a few feet beside you tell him good heel and reward. Do this with all of the commands you want him to learn.
Just don't use your hands or arms. You may have him in a habbit of watching you but need to change that behavior.

You might be like my wife who could not hold a conversation if I tied her hands down. (yes I am exaggerating a little). If so have your kids help you with this one. When they see you talking and waving your arms and hands they should nicely pull your hands down to your side. It is a subconsious movement on your part if this is you.
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My dogs train closely with hand signals. I do this mainly for the ring since verbal is not accepted. They still do the commands on voice. It just takes time. Your pup is still young and learning and could take some time. Don't expect too much too soon.
Its easier for dogs to learn handsignals than words. The hand signals or motions often indicate what the dog should do. Like with a treat in hand and you slowly raise it over the dogs head, the dog will sit. So eventually, when you do that hand motion again, the dog will sit. Once the hand signal is down, all you need to do is attach the word sit to the hand signal. Just my thoughts
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