Signs, signs
Everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery
Breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that
Can’t you read the sign?
About a million years ago (actually 1971 which is the same thing) the group Five Man Electrical Band put out a song called “Signs”. This less than immortal paean was written by band leader Les Emmerson who, while driving down Route 66 in California, became aware of the countless billboards and advertisements effectively blocking all views of the scenery.
That has nothing whatsoever to do with today’s post which is about hand signs for deaf dogs but, hey, I linked a YouTube version of the song just in case any of you remember it and want to wallow in the sounds of 1971 again. Bet you didn’t remember the group’s name, though.
Anyhoo…
Since discovering Reiko’s deafness, I have been diligently making up and using hand signs to communicate with her. At first I thought of adapting ASL hand signs, but I wanted all signs to be one-handed and that’s tricky with ASL, at least for me.
So I created my own. They’re pretty much intuitive. “Come” for example is the waving fingers open and closed with palm facing down (that’s actually the Japanese version – in the US we do that sign with palm up).
To alert her to pay attention to something in particular I point to it with my index finger or tap the ground with my index finger. “Stay” is the hand stop sign. palm out.
You get the idea.
Here’s the thing: Reiko has really taken to these signs and is starting to comply with them better than half the time. She will approach when I sign “come.” If I then sign with my index finger to my hand, she will come and take a treat. “Stay” is more dicey but she’s getting the hang of it.
For “very good girl” I hold my hand sideways in front at mid-chest and rapidly open and close my fist.
The handiest sign so far is one I use to alert her that I am coming around a corner or going to approach her. I make it by holding my hand out in front and opening and closing my fingers as if making a claw.
Because she is deaf, she is prone to jump scares if I appear suddenly or move directly at her. By letting my hand move first around corners and such, she is given a warning. It’s working great at reducing sudden scares.
Next, we’ll have to work on “go outside and pee/poo.” I’ve got some ideas of what movements should be involved but so far they are not fit for a family blog.
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