Teach Your Dog Sign Language!

"Kaycie, beg!"

"Kaycie, roll over twice!"

Nothing extraordinary about these commands except they are done using American Sign Language. Kaycie, my West Highland White Terrier, began responding to commands in sign when she was about six months old. By the end of her first year, she learned six commands and we are in the process of teaching her more.

Kaycie was first trained with both the voice command and sign command at the same time. Once she learned to respond to those commands, the auditory part of the command was dropped. She quickly learned to respond to the command in American Sign Language. She was rewarded with her favorite treat after each command.

There were some days when she was forgetting to watch the signs and instead, she completed a sequence of tricks without waiting for the next command. I discovered that the kids were making her do several tricks and then rewarding her only at the end of all of them. It took a few sessions with a generous amount of treats to get her to respond to each command alone.

The signs for commands can be found by browsing Lifeprint or American Sign Language Browser. Type in commands such as "sit," "stay," "come," etc. and begin with one command/sign at a time. The Lifeprint website is great for printing out the commands in sign. The ASL Browser provides animated action signs, allowing the viewer to see the signs in action.

Introduce the sign with the voice command and reward your dog after the completion of the command. If your dog is not familiar with the command, you can use treats and guidance to complete the command. For example, when training a dog to respond to the command, "sit" for the first time, hold the treat near the nose and direct the treat slightly behind the dogs nose. You may have to place a gentle hand on the rump to complete the command at first. Once the dog understands the command via voice and no longer needs the treat prompt, add the sign to the voice command. With consistent practice, your dog will respond to the sign alone without using voice.

I have to admit, there is definitely an advantage to teaching a dog sign language. On a cold wintery day, when Kaycie is being stubborn about going outside, I can command her to "go to the bathroom" using a sign while standing in a nice, warm house.