Sit, down and come are three cues many people use to prompt their dogs to do something. But what happens when your dog can’t hear those words? They might be a distance away or have hearing loss. Enter the physical cue! People can really mess up their hand signals when training their dog, but physical cues can be easy to teach once you know the process.
In the episode you'll hear:
- What a physical cue is and how the training can get messed up.
- How physical cues overpower verbal cues.
- Why we want our dogs to have some physical cues.
- How stimulus creates behaviour and reinforcement sees behavior repeated.
- How to train your dog to go to a mat or bed.
- About generalizing a behaviour before adding the cue.
- When and how to add a cue for your dog.
- How I use a finger point as one of my physical cues.
- The reason I use "hop it up" for a verbal cue.
- Why to remember "new cue, old cue".
- The physical cue to use for your dog coming when called.
- How to test the cues that you use now for your dog.
- Why I don't have a verbal cue for a hand touch.
Resources:
- Podcast Episode 44: Using Coincidences and Positive Associations in Dog Training
- Podcast Episode 6: The Art of Manipulation
- YouTube Video: Perch Work Dog Tricks (Pivots and Spins)
- Podcast Episode 85: Understanding Your Dog’s Sit: LWT
- Blog Post: Dog Training Question ~ When Do I Add a Cue?
- Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube
- *Large Raised Travel Bed
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Dear Susan,
This episode was recommended to me by someone on your staff when I asked about training a dog who had become deaf at a relatively young age (4 yrs). I am a 69-yr-old retired veterinarian who has been training dogs for 60 years and competed with many of them in obedience and agility. Several of my dogs have gradually lost their hearing late in life, of course, and typically would go through a few weeks to a few months during which time they seemed to come to understand that the problem was with their hearing, and not due to the fact that I was no longer speaking to them! Since they are all trained with visual as well as auditory cues in obedience, and were beyond the age of competing in agility, this really didn’t pose many problems. My current situation is quite different, however, because the dog involved became deaf very suddenly, and the poor girl was terribly confused at agility trials. It seemed very hard for her to focus, and she rapidly became ring sour. Of course, I am largely to blame, and I really feel stupid about it, because it took me over a year to figure out why: I had never taught her a visual cue/sign for affirmation!!!!! She could no longer hear me telling her that she was a good dog, or giving her any other form of verbal praise, and she soooo much needed that!!! This has made such a difference. It has improved her attentiveness, because she looks at me often to check in and make sure that she is doing what I want. All I have to do is give her a fist pump (her “good dog” sign) and she happily keeps right on going. So, I though some of your other viewers working with deaf dogs might want to benefit from my slow learning. In addition to teaching your dog to associate the sound of a clicker with a treat, I recommend teaching the dog to associate some physical sign with a treat.
I had only been taught/shown to teach my dog by luring. It is SO refreshing to see/hear how to actually get the dog thinking and learning effectively.
5 Stars!!! Great Podcast!
Hi Susan,
I have 4 deaf Dalmatians that work with the Memphis Fire Department as K9 Public Safety Educators and therapy dogs.
It’s rare that I have 4 dogs out together but when I do I use a bent knee as a cue for all 4 to sit. All 4 sit at once, instead of using my hand to ask each one individually. It is quick and easy and very impressive.
Dear Susan,
Just finished listening to this episode – very useful as usual. So, today I’m going to try Hop It Up in different locations with a physical cue. Might even try the garden if it stops raining!