Service Dog training sign for sit

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Jman6076

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I am not deaf, but have recently decided to learn sign language because I am autistic and think the visual/movement natures of sign language will help me turn my words into thoughts better.

I have a service dog that I have trained, and she has hand signs for all of her tasks. They're totally made up. I've decided to help motivate me in learning to slowly replace her handsigns with commands from American/English Sign language.

I have discovered two signs for sit, one for humans, and one for small animals. I've been using the latter for a few days but wasn't sure if it was correct. What sign would be most appropriate for telling a dog to sit?

The only caveat is that it still looks unique if only done with one hand. I know that might not be correct linguistically, but it's necessary to be able to issues orders with only one hand.
 
I am curious, if all of her other hand signals are made up, why worry about this one being correct?
Dogs are incredibly intelligent you can cue them for sticking yiur finger in your ear and they wilk figure out that it means to sit...
 
I just put my hand out flat palm up and say 'Sit' and when my dog sat I gave him a cookie right way. I had a hearing dog that was trained at NEADS and I took him out shopping with me. When I was checking out I would tell my dog to 'Sit' and people would look :shock: . I asked my daughter what does it does like when I say " Sit" and my daughter said " SH*T" . People thought I was telling my dog to take a poop in the store! :laugh2:
 
what is the sign for sit for small animals? The only ASL one I know is for humans. For pets/animals the more common I've seen is hand out palm down...thought that may be for 'lay down'...:hmm:

Edit: Ahh I see what you mean- found this-- "Note: A "small animal sitting" would not use the traditional "SIT" sign. Instead you would use a "bent-V" hand."

Edit 2: Ah.. Dog command for sit IS palm up. Not sure where I've seen the palm down (probably "home sign" so to speak lol).
http://www.dog-training-excellence.com/dog-training-hand-signals.html
 
Jezie said:
I am curious, if all of her other hand signals are made up, why worry about this one being correct?
Dogs are incredibly intelligent you can cue them for sticking yiur finger in your ear and they wilk figure out that it means to sit...
Click to expand...

Maybe my wording was confusing. Presently, all her handsigns are just made up nonsense, but I would like to replace them one by one with actual, functional signs. I'm using the 'bent-v' right now, but we've only just started replacing the signal so its not too late to switch.

All of her spoken word commands would fit naturally into a conversation. (As in, I don't tell her to go to the bathroom by shouting balloon, I tell her to go pee.) and I'd like the signs to the be same. It will add a level of comfort to using signs, and would help as a jumping off point and motiviational tool to learn more sign language.
 
DeafDucky said:
what is the sign for sit for small animals? The only ASL one I know is for humans. For pets/animals the more common I've seen is hand out palm down...thought that may be for 'lay down'...:hmm:

Edit: Ahh I see what you mean- found this-- "Note: A "small animal sitting" would not use the traditional "SIT" sign. Instead you would use a "bent-V" hand."

Edit 2: Ah.. Dog command for sit IS palm up. Not sure where I've seen the palm down (probably "home sign" so to speak lol).
http://www.dog-training-excellence.com/dog-training-hand-signals.html
Click to expand...


There are definitely standard hand signs professional trainers use for various reasons, but I am trying to use ASL.
 
Jman6076 said:
There are definitely standard hand signs professional trainers use for various reasons, but I am trying to use ASL.
Click to expand...

It really does not matter to the dog what kind of hand signal you use to have him sit. What is importance it to use one signal and stay with it , if you're using one that work I really see no point in trying to find one in ASL . The dog does not care , this seem to be more about you .
 
whatdidyousay! said:
It really does not matter to the dog what kind of hand signal you use to have him sit. What is importance it to use one signal and stay with it , if you're using one that work I really see no point in trying to find one in ASL . The dog does not care , this seem to be more about you .
Click to expand...

Yes. I know this. I am no stranger to training this dog. It's largely about me. I've said as much. I'm going to be taking up learning ASL soon, and using it in my daily life will help motivate that, and beyond that it's important for me to be able to use commands that fit into a broader structure or language the way I train this dog. This makes it easier for me, but it is also becomes important down the line for transferring more of her behavior cues to handsigns.

Communication goes beyond just commands. You can also provide context, make generalizations easier, and create context sensitive actions (Like, if I point at my keys, pick them up, or if I point right into open air, move to the right, if I point at a toy, play with) if you have a consistent simple language to draw from that already has rules and structure. Because I already do this with spoken English, there are lots of things I've never had to formally or actively teach. There are at least 100 words or phrases we can use for context sensitive actions, and I couldn't do that if I was just making up the words. I need them to fit into a larger structure to make into a 'simple language' to use with K9.
 
It really doesn't matter. I have two dogs and they each have their own set of commands request signs so they don't get confused with who I am asking to do what.
 
It rather does in our situation, and for my preferences, as I've said.

At any rate, I've used the sign for small animal sitting and have successfully integrated it into her vocabulary.
 
Sometimes visual learning work for dogs, so you have to act like a dog to sit down, your dog will learn that from you. :lol: I've seen some hearies use "raise hand up" "raise hand down" its a way to tell dog to stand, and sit.
 
:wave: Jman6076, I'm a trainer, hoh...not fluent in ASL... use both traditional visual cues from classic canine obedience <like whatdidyousay!'s visual cue for Sit> as well a few ASL signs. I've trained in <not competed> obedience, Rally, Agility...various other dog sports, currently starting to compete in Nosework. I also do training and behavior modification at animal shelter. I've also worked with children and adults with autism.

Dogs are by nature - as a group - better able to understand visual <body language> cues because that is -their - language. How they communicate with each other and with us. Spoken language has to be taught much more systematically to a dog through association and repetition. With young puppies in my home I get the behavior I want first - say, "Sit" - THEN add the visual cue when the dog is consistently offering the physical behavior, say 4 out of 5 times. Then I add the verbal, if I'm going to.

By the way...two things- Jman -do you think that ASL is a "consistent, simple language"? Because it's not simple....just as much a rich, complex language as anything spoken.

Other - in your first post, you wrote "American/English Sign Language"
Those are two -Different-things.

ASL is one thing on its own.
ESL sometimes refers to "English as a Second Language" - usually referring to people whose first spoken language is not English-

OR what I've learned also- ESL refers to a way of phrasing "signed English" in the context of a "sign system" based on or using structures or words from spoken English and combining with grammar or structures of a signed language. Not a true language.

ASL = one language

ESL = couple different meanings, one if which is a language <English>

aside..........yes, I know kinda old first post from June so don't know if OP will see or not. Oh well
 
dogmom said:
:wave: Jman6076, I'm a trainer, hoh...not fluent in ASL... use both traditional visual cues from classic canine obedience <like whatdidyousay!'s visual cue for Sit> as well a few ASL signs. I've trained in <not competed> obedience, Rally, Agility...various other dog sports, currently starting to compete in Nosework. I also do training and behavior modification at animal shelter. I've also worked with children and adults with autism.

Dogs are by nature - as a group - better able to understand visual <body language> cues because that is -their - language. How they communicate with each other and with us. Spoken language has to be taught much more systematically to a dog through association and repetition. With young puppies in my home I get the behavior I want first - say, "Sit" - THEN add the visual cue when the dog is consistently offering the physical behavior, say 4 out of 5 times. Then I add the verbal, if I'm going to.

By the way...two things- Jman -do you think that ASL is a "consistent, simple language"? Because it's not simple....just as much a rich, complex language as anything spoken.

Other - in your first post, you wrote "American/English Sign Language"
Those are two -Different-things.

ASL is one thing on its own.
ESL sometimes refers to "English as a Second Language" - usually referring to people whose first spoken language is not English-

OR what I've learned also- ESL refers to a way of phrasing "signed English" in the context of a "sign system" based on or using structures or words from spoken English and combining with grammar or structures of a signed language. Not a true language.

ASL = one language

ESL = couple different meanings, one if which is a language <English>

aside..........yes, I know kinda old first post from June so don't know if OP will see or not. Oh well
Click to expand...


" I'm a trainer, hoh...not fluent in ASL... use both traditional visual cues from classic canine obedience <like whatdidyousay!'s visual cue for Sit> as well a few ASL signs. " :wave:
 
I posted a video somewhere, sit for a dog is Palm up and just push your hand outwards a bit from the waist/hip area.
Down, you just flag your hand downwards.
Stay, you put your hand out to the dog as saying stop to someone.
If you want the dog to bark ( speak) its just like doing the human sign "no"
 
:wave:whatdidyousay!
:)

yes, very true, Sono-

the classic hand cue for Recall <Come> is like classifier B handshape, with elbow bent as you sweep your hand toward you, palm facing you.
I tend to make that a very broad and definitive motion as I do a lot of distance work and I want my dog really see that as a clear signal to her, not some random little hand flicking thing.
 
dogmom said:
:wave:whatdidyousay!
:)

yes, very true, Sono-

the classic hand cue for Recall <Come> is like classifier B handshape, with elbow bent as you sweep your hand toward you, palm facing you.
I tend to make that a very broad and definitive motion as I do a lot of distance work and I want my dog really see that as a clear signal to her, not some random little hand flicking thing.
Click to expand...
My wife is a certified dog trainer, and My boxer was well trained, she didnt take long to catch onto the silent hand signals. We just said the command as we did the signs, gave a treat, then did more signs with less treats till we did signs with no treats, she was obeying all connands silently within a weeks time. To this day she still follows them and we dont do them all that often, she has remembered all of the commands very well.
 
does your wife have her own business?
how old is your Boxer?

my girls are 5 and 8 <dogs>
 
Other - in your first post, you wrote "American/English Sign Language"
Those are two -Different-things.

ASL is one thing on its own.
ESL sometimes refers to "English as a Second Language" - usually referring to people whose first spoken language is not English-

OR what I've learned also- ESL refers to a way of phrasing "signed English" in the context of a "sign system" based on or using structures or words from spoken English and combining with grammar or structures of a signed language. Not a true language.

ASL = one language

ESL = couple different meanings, one if which is a language <English>
Click to expand...

I am thinking the OP was talking about either SEE or PSE. SEE is Signing Exact English and what you may be thinking of for ESL. PSE is Pidgen Signed English. I don't know if there is a better/newer term for that or not but that's what I learned way back when... PSE is somewhere between SEE and ASL- some people are PSE/SEE heavy with emphasis on English word order while others are PSE/ASL heavy with somewhat English order but not necessarily always.
 
DeafDucky, yeah I was thinking about the SEE's or PSE too but have also seen it occasionally referred to "English Sign Language", in reference to an English-based sign system.

I understand that PSE may sometimes be what's taught in college "sign language" classes < as opposed to American Sign Language 1 or whatever>; may also be used when a Deaf person interacts with newer/non-Deaf signer.
My first formal sign language class was more along the SEE/PSE continuum.

My understanding is also that the sign systems like that SEE etc were originally designed to teach deaf children English in a classroom setting.
 
dogmom said:
does your wife have her own business?
how old is your Boxer?

my girls are 5 and 8 <dogs>
Click to expand...
No, she joined a few clubs and became Certified as a trainer ( she had 3 Havaneese show dogs )
a couple people train service animals, and 2 clubs provide service animals that she has worked with.

My boxer is about 9 or 10 years old, she is a cancer survivor, but the owners didnt want her or pay the bills. My Aunt fostered her for awhile and I met Zena doing some work on my aunts place, so I adopted Zena the following week. Ive had her almost 2 years now.
 
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