Recently Jet (my foster mom) and I discussed the importance of me understanding commands from her by voice and by non-verbal signals. Since I can hear her, why not just tell me what she wants?
A lady at doggybytes.ca/ mentioned some specific reasons why humans should train their dog to understand hand signals.
Why Teach a Dog Hand Signals?
The obvious reason is if you have a deaf dog, but there are other reasons why you might want to teach your dog ASL such as;
• When his/her hearing begins to deteriorate due to age
• Dogs competing for obedience titles are required to know
hand signals
• Command from a distance, when they are unable to hear
you but can still see you
• Command a working dog from a distance
So, here’s my lesson of the day… As Jet says, “Sometimes crap happens” and being able to communicate under any circumstances is important so teach your dog a few fundamental signals.
Okay, here’s the question of the day from Arnie who asked: Now that it’s summer, my boy human has more time to do fun things with me. Can you supply us with a list of fun things to do?
Dear Arnie:
The list below is one of my favorites. It has a lot of different dog activities including a few I’ve yet to do myself. Get your human in gear and go have some fun. (List and other ideas from: http://www.dogplay.com/index.html.)
Fun things to do with your dog: Games, Sports and Just Good Fun
• Agility - in, out, over and through this sport is all about working as a team
• Animal Assisted Activities and Animal Assisted Therapy - the warm head of a friendly pet can soothe a lonely heart
• Bikejoring - some dogs love to run. Adding the responsibility of teamwork adds to the fun.
• Canicross - dog powered running for those who want to share their running goals with their best friend
• Carting - channel the desire to pull into harness work that lets the dog feel useful and skilled
• Coursing and racing - root instinct drives the joy of running with purpose in coursing and racing
• Day trips and vacations - the dogs need not be left behind, bring them along for even more fun
• Disc Dog or Flying Disc - if there was ever meaning to jump for joy this is it, jumping with achievement
• Dock Jumping or Dock Diving - dogs who excel in this sport are love to show they can do it further and better
• Dog Camps - Activity Sampler - too many choices? take a vacation with your dog and sample a variety
• Dog Parks and Dog Walks: Socialization and Off-leash Play - a joy for the social dog, think tot lot
• Dog Scootering - some dogs love to run. Adding the responsibility of teamwork adds to the fun.
• Earthdog Trials - instinct, drive, and flying dirt - what more could an earthdog want
• Flyball - excitement, speed, and focus, a sport for dogs driven to do it faster
• Flygility - racing and teamwork to build confidence and a sense of belonging
• Games - the most basic of interactions, fun ways of practicing skills of hunting, fetching, working together
• Herding - it's all about the dog's instinct and desire to control and direct movement for the pack leader
• Hiking, Backpacking and Dog Walks - sharing our quiet moments, our contemplations is the essence of being a pack
• Hunt and Field Trials - working as a team is what drives these dogs
• Kids and Dogs - dogs and kids can be a wonderful pairing with a little learning to keep it safe and fun
• Mushing - for dogs who love to pull and people who want to let them
• Musical Freestyle - the ultimate in teamwork is working with rhythm and coordination
• Obedience - precision, focus and a great activity for perfectionist dogs, those who love to get it exactly right
• Performance Art (Tricks) - curiosity and a willingness to try new things makes this fun
• Pet Facilitated Therapy - for the dog who loves attention what better way to get it than visiting people in need
• Precision Drill Teams - the excitement of success, of meeting a challenge and being a part of the team
• Pulling - great for dogs who love to pull, and people who want to let them
• Racing - for the dogs who love not just running but being faster than the next one
• Rally Obedience - more focus on teamwork, less focus on precision, fun and relaxed for human and dog
• Ring Sport - a sport that says "I can be a contributing member of the family" Some dogs thrive on responsibility
• Rollerblade - a fun way for dogs and humans to share exercise and fresh air
• Schutzhund - tracking, obedience, protection, schutzhund is all about what a well rounded dog is all about
• Search and Rescue - for some making a difference is important, that includes dogs, they know it matters
• Skijoring
• Sledding
• Sniffer Dog
• Stock Dog Trials
• Tracking
• Visiting Pets
• Water Work
• Weight Pulling
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