Hand Signals for Dogs: Why They’re a Good Idea for Boxers

So, you’ve got your new boxer puppy and are excited about starting the training process.  One of the best decisions you can make is to implement hand signals into your training regimen.  When you begin teaching your new pooch a few tricks, throw in some hand signals for dogs.

Aren’t Hand Signals Just For Deaf Boxer Dogs?

While it is true that deaf boxers need to be trained with hand signals, it does not take away from the positive effects they can have on dogs who can hear.  I have always found that by teaching my dogs hand signals, they begin responding to them just as quickly, if not quicker, than spoken commands.  As they grow older, it is pretty neat when you can give your dog commands without saying a word.

How Do I Teach My Dog Hand Signals?

This is pretty self-explanatory.  All you have to do is choose a hand signal for each command and use it during training.  The most important thing that I can stress here is consistency.  You must choose ONE hand signal for each command and be consistent with it.  It is vital that your dog understands that each command corresponds with one hand signal.  If you mix it up at all your boxer will just get confused and you won’t see any results.

Which Hand Signals Do I Use?

You can use whatever hand signals suite your needs.  This is completely up to you.  The specific hand signals that you choose is arbitrary because you can associate whichever action you please to go along with them.  The only important thing here is, again, consistency.

Examples of Hand Signals For Dogs

Here are a few that I have used over the years for my boxers that seem to work well and aren’t too extravagant for you to perform.

Sit: Hold up a clenched fist in front of your body with fingers facing your dog.

Stay: Hold up an open hand in front of your body with palm facing your dog.

Lay Down: Simply point a finger towards the ground.

Back Up: Hold out your hand with a sweeping gesture, motioning your dog to move back.

Go to Your Bed: Simply point to your dog’s bed.
These are all very simple to perform and have worked well with all of my boxers in the past.  Once your dog has mastered the craft of recognizing hand signals, you can show him off to your friends and rub it in that your dog is so much smarter than theirs.  But if your dog is a boxer, you probably already knew that. :-p