Why Fade Out Hand Signals

Why Fading Out Your Hand Signals Is Important?

I got a great question from a client last weekend when I was working as a dog obedience trainer in Stanmore, running my weekly dog training classes. One of the owners in my adult dog manners class asked me why she should fade out hand signals. The answer is no, you don’t need to IF you don’t plan to use vocal cues. Dogs don’t need vocal cues to learn, they actually learn body language easier and quicker. BUT if you plan to use vocal cues, it is very important to fade out your hand signals.

Dogs Learn Body Language Better

In fact, most dogs focus on body language and completely ignore your vocal cue. Or if your timing isn’t right they might associate your vocal cue with something completely different, like you moving your hand. So in order to be sure that your dog learns the correct association with the vocal cue, you need to fade out your hand signals. It’s the only way to see that the right association has been made!

Eazy Dog Training Sydney – Your Dog Obedience Trainer in Stanmore

The dog training methods used in my Eazy Dog Training Classes are positive, reward-based and fun for both you and your dog. And no, reward-based training doesn’t mean that you’re bribing your dog with treats to do what you want or that you’ll need to use rewards forever. Hand signals isn’t the only thing you need to fade out – it’s treats as well!