Hand Signals

[BritChaser]

Do you use hand signals to manage your dogs afield? Maybe a better term is arm signals - an arm extended in the direction the dog should go. I use such signals in an effort to hunt in silence. With bird numbers down, they are jumpy. A Hill City old timer told me that when bird numbers are down they are spookier. My experience concurs.

I introduce hand signals to my dogs from day one. I extend my arm toward the food bowl, the crate, the vehicle, the outside, the inside, everywhere. The dogs pick it up quickly and look at your arm. One signal I use is my arm straight up - move toward me.

One time I let my dog loose when I was trout fishing on a western river. Great day fishing with friends. I was in the middle of the river when my friend alerted me that my dog was in the river and in danger of being swept downstream into rapids. I turned to look and sure enough my dog was paddling out to me but losing way to the current. I shouted his name and extended my arm toward the shore. He immediately turned and went ashore. Good dog!

 

[SDinWI]

I do not but if I cast my arm and step in a direction, my dog will go that direction most of the time. We hunt one-on-one most of the time, and she looks back at me when needed to see what direction we're headed.

I commend dog handlers that train this, though. I think it's great for helping the dog to locate birds or come as you taught.

Do you cast your hand signals only when your dog is looking back at you? Without a whistle to get their attention (assuming you don't use one), there might be times you want to get your dog's attention but they're not looking at you.

 

[BritChaser]

I do not but if I cast my arm and step in a direction, my dog will go that direction most of the time. We hunt one-on-one most of the time, and she looks back at me when needed to see what direction we're headed.

I commend dog handlers that train this, though. I think it's great for helping the dog to locate birds or come as you taught.

Do you cast your hand signals only when your dog is looking back at you? Without a whistle to get their attention (assuming you don't use one), there might be times you want to get your dog's attention but they're not looking at you.

My dog wears an e-collar. If i need it to look at me I vibrate a second. No whistles! lol

 

[SDinWI]

Ah perfect

 

[That1uncle1776]

I do, it helps be stealthy in certain hunting situations. Also I dont like verbally bossing Molly when there are people over so a hand gesture is nice to get her to heal and sit next to me.

 

[BritChaser]

I do not but if I cast my arm and step in a direction, my dog will go that direction most of the time. We hunt one-on-one most of the time, and she looks back at me when needed to see what direction we're headed.

I commend dog handlers that train this, though. I think it's great for helping the dog to locate birds or come as you taught.

Do you cast your hand signals only when your dog is looking back at you? Without a whistle to get their attention (assuming you don't use one), there might be times you want to get your dog's attention but they're not looking at you.

Great way to teach directional hand/arm signals: put your dog on a check lead. when the dog is at the end, walk to the left (or right) with your arm extended in that direction. The dog will parallel you. They catch on quick.

 

[Mosby]

I use three hand signals with my dogs. I flash the palm of my hand when I whoa them. I point when I am resending them on a retrieve and I give my Vizsla the middle finger when he is blowing me off during a hunt test.

 

[LC Smith]

I use hand and whistle signals. He also wears an ecollar with GPS if he is in the brush and I can't see him, etc.

 

[Powderhorn Jim]

I used to teach/use them extensively for the same reason - avoiding noise in the field. Over the years though, I've found hand signals not very useful in real life field situations, where the cover may be over my head, the dog can't see me for that or other reasons, the wounded bird went a different direction than I think it did. Though they are useful in some situations, particularly the dogs safety, I don't use them much in the field. I train my dogs to figure out problems and not to depend on me. I do not have the eye sight, nose or legs they have.

 

[wingsnfins]

As a lab guy that hunts waterfowl too, I have to be able to handle my dog, especially on blind retrieves and multiples, so yes I do.
I always have 2 good whistles on me, but I worked in the "vibrate" with whistle when he was young and got good on the whistle and casts.
So in the field, if I have to get his attention for direction, vibrate. In the marsh, whistle.
He's 9 now though, so he knows the playbook extremely well.

 

[AtTheMurph]

The dog in my photo worked exclusively with hand signals. He didn't want to hear anyone in the field. He'd glance back at me and if I wanted him to do something gave him a signal one way or another.

When we hunted with the yellers and screamers, he'd go back to the truck. Seriously.

 

[westksbowhunter]

Hand signals and getting a dog to take an over right or left, back, and stopping on a whistle is a long lengthy training process. Much different than motioning a dog one way or the other and the dog going that way part of the time. Handling the dog requires a whistle sit, looking the handler, and giving the dog a cast. Is this the type of handling and hand signals we are talking about?

 

[gim]

Lots of waterfowl hunters use hand signals to indicate where a fallen bird is.

 

[westksbowhunter]

Lots of waterfowl hunters use hand signals to indicate where a fallen bird is.

That's my point.

 

[GSP7]

Do you use hand signals to manage your dogs afield?

Yes

 

[Bob Peters]

I dont like verbally bossing Molly when there are people over so a hand gesture is nice to get her to heal and sit next to me.

Those girls you bring home from the shoe show aren't gonna care about a little verbal bossing, heck they probably like it that way.