Universal Commands

In Border Collie Rescue all verbal commands used are accompanied by hand signals which serve to emphasise and compliment the instruction.
This is of great benefit when training deaf dogs, but is also useful if a hearing dog is some distance away or conditions are such that the sound of verbal commands is drowned out by other background noises.
There is no mystery or weird science involved in training hand signals. Most dog owners will probably have unknowingly trained their dog to respond to sign simply because they use particular gestures or facial expressions with certain commands.

Even over some distance, a dog is able to differentiate small variations in signals, such as if the finger is extended or the palm of the hand facing up or down, the arm fully extended or the elbow bent.

Border Collies are known to be very intelligent, so it is important to be very consistent in the use of any command, verbal or sign.
Even a small deviation may cause the dog to think it is getting a different command from the one intended.

This is why the Border Collie is a satisfying breed to train and interact with if the handler is good and consistent, but difficult to train if the handler lacks discipline or is lazy in their approach to training.

The following commands are intended to convey a brief instruction to pet dogs. In Border Collie Rescue we use different commands for certain instructions to working sheepdogs. For example, with a Working Sheep Dog we do not use the word 'Come' for recall as it may be confused with 'Come Bye', a sheepdog command that means circle clockwise.

We use these signs and commands in Border Collie Rescue all the time. Every time one of our dogs interacts with one of our members we considered it to be part of learning and training. By combining these two methods of communication, visual and verbal, we are also helping to keep the dogs stimulated and focused.
However when using any training method or routine where direct eye contact, proximity and quick movements are involved, we take into consideration the state of mind and temperament of the dog.

With some dogs who are disturbed, temperamentally unsound or easily over-stimulated, some of these signs may be provoking. Dogs, like humans, have a sense of personal space and invasion of that space may be seen as a challenge.
Direct eye contact in canine body language is also a challenge. Pointing at a dog directly is an intimidating gesture. If the dog is inclined to dominance or is fearful it may react to these factors in a way we do not wish and a positive learning experience may become counter productive.

A dog is only going to learn if it can accept and absorb the information we are imparting.
If we put the dog into a stressful situation it will cease to be receptive. If we provoke a dog into any sort of adverse reaction it will cease to be receptive and we will lose control and may be in danger of being bitten.

Bearing these factors in mind we can apply sign and verbal command in a way that is acceptable to any dog by taking into consideration its individual idiosyncrasies and trigger points. As the dog learns to trust us we can increase the intensity of the process without causing adverse reactions.

As in many aspects of life, we have to learn when to push and when to back off to achieve the desired result. If a dog is responding badly to any aspect of handling it is best to end the session with a neutral reaction to the dogs behaviour and return to the program after the dog has had some time and space to recover it's composure.