Is There a Hand Signal for a Bark Command?

Getting your pooch to bark on command calls for a little training with a verbal cue first. After you teach your pup to bark consistently when you tell him to, you can transition into training him to sound off when he sees a hand signal. No set hand signal for the Speak command exists, which means you have freedom to create one of your own.

  1. No Specific Signal

    • A lot of commands have obvious hand signals. For instance, to issue the Stay command with a hand signal, you'd show your pup an open palm. For the Down command, you would turn an open palm toward the floor and lower your hand. No clear signal is associated with the Speak command, but it's important to devise one if you're training to hand signal. Some dogs become overstimulated when they hear you speak and react better to hand gestures. Canines whose ears don't work so well anymore won't have any idea what you want them to do unless you link a visual cue to their commands.

    Differentiate

    • You can create whatever kind of hand signal you want to go along with the speak command as long as you differentiate it from existing commands. Consider this: You may want your pal to speak his mind when you hold up a sideways fist. But when you issue the Sit command, you hold up a fist with your palm facing you. Your pup will have difficulty understanding the difference between the two cues -- they're too similar. For a unique speak cue, Joan Walker, author of "Training Your Boxer," suggests tapping your chin or moving your index finger up and down. Anything simple that isn't similar to an existing command will work fine.

    Verbal Command First

    • You'll deal with less fuss if you teach the speak command verbally first and then follow it up with a visual cue. Say, "Bark," "Speak" or something similar -- something you plan on saying each time -- and immediately do something that makes your pup sound off. For some canines, that means running around the room. Others start barking if you play keep-away with a toy, while others remain silent until you tap or knock on something, such as the door. When that first woof sneaks out of your pooch's mouth, offer him a treat and praise. Then repeat until he's barking on command. Say the command only once, just like training any other command. Doing so tells your pup that he needs to obey the first time he hears the command, not the second or third.

    The Hand Signal

    • Adding in the hand signal is the simplest step. With a few treats in your pocket, issue the unique gesture and say the verbal command. When your dog barks, give him a treat. After lots of repetitions -- the number varies greatly for each dog -- he'll start to see the link between the visual cue, his barking and the positive reinforcement, eventually cutting out the need for the verbal command. Always issue the hand signal before you say the verbal command, not during or after. As with the verbal command, issue the signal only once. Once he gets the hang of it, you can start asking him to bark multiple times by gesturing once, pausing, gesturing again and so forth.