Deaf dog hand signals how to#

Getting a deaf dog’s attention isn’t as easy as yelling their name, since they can’t hear anything, so the first thing to do is come up with a way to get them to look at you.

Deaf dog hand signals how to#

The first thing you’re going to need to do is learn how to get your dog’s attention. This helps the dog learn direction signaling, and it can be extremely useful when calling them inside the house or showing them what direction they need to go in. As you are moving and walking point in the direction you want your dog to pay attention too. This means that they will respond to certain hand signals over others, this also shows how much they understand.Īnother great and easy training signal is pointing. Don’t be surprised if your dog starts to teach you what deaf dog hand signals that they want you to use! Some deaf dogs will teach you in the form of call and response. Dogs communicate well, deaf or not, and they will often show you what signs work for them. Learning how to communicate with a deaf dog can be an exciting and funny experience for both you and your dog. As you go through your day, you will want to sign things repetitively, so you start to train these symbols and embed them into your dog’s routine and mind – just like most dogs will get excited when they see you pick up their leash because they know that means walk time. The main thing to remember is that signing to your dog doesn’t require immense knowledge of sign language, you just need to create signs that you can remember easily and use to communicate with. This sign could be a hand motion or a letter, you might want to use the letter “B” for bowl or “F” for food – the choice is yours. For example, when it is time to eat you will want to come up with a sign for the eating action.

Essentially, you will be using hand signals for everything in their daily routine. When you find out that you have a deaf dog, the best way to start the training process is by signing to your pooch throughout the entire day as well as talking to them still. If you’re after some ideas for signals, the image below is from ResearchGate ☺ No matter whether your dog was born with hearing problems or has started to go deaf with age, if you want to communicate with a deaf dog hand signals are going to be critical.ĭeaf dog hand signals can be a combination of hand commands that you’d normally use in dog training, along with ones of your own you can make up using some of the signs from American Sign Language, and are motions that allow you to communicate with your deaf dog in a clear and concise manner. If you want to make sure your hard-of-hearing best friend has the best possible life and feels safe, being able to communicate effectively with them is one of the most important things you’ll need to learn to do.