Dogs learning sign language!
Check out this article on how dogs can learn sign language, click here.
Do you have any experience communicating non-verbally with domestic animals? Share your thoughts below!
Yes you can communicate without being verbal to your pets. Yes they understand sign. Can't say how I know without giving out my sources.
@Catsunrise Fair enough! Protect those sources!
I trained my dog, Hank, in German but he responds quicker to the hand signal than the verbal command
@unassumingOrange164 interesting! I tried a combo of hand signals and voice commands with my dog, the combo seems to work the best.
When I adopted Tess, my border collie, she was shared of so many words because of her past abuse. For example, you couldn't say 'sit' as she'd get upset and wet herself. So I found a way around this by using some different words and mostly by using hand signals instead. She was really good at learning them and eventually I could let her off the lead and just give her hand signals to get her to do tricks! I miss her.
@LittleLotte awww sweet Tess! I'm glad you found a way to communicate with her that felt safe to her.
@Jill7cups My dog responds to different things I do because he is like a support/therapy dog for me but he isn't anything official. He learned what do when I do different things like when I have an anxiety attack. One thing I'm afraid of is moths and I cover my ears when I see them so every time I cover my ears he thinks there is a moth around and tries to catch it.
for some reason my dog will only sit when I point at the ground. is that kind of like sign language?
@Jill7cups i've taught my parents dog to sit, lay down, roll over, beg, and stay, all in spoken english and sign language! she responds to both equally well, i sometimes impress my friends by getting her to do tricks by signing to her instead of speaking.