This may not have an impact on the thread but today I worked with a client dog (I've started pet training on the side for basic obedience and in-home manners) and I immediately noticed the dog understood the concept of 'down' but responded by throwing herself down if I used body language and a hand signal. The owner was complaining about the dog not being reliable, and when I showed her the hand signal and how the dog responded almost every single time, the light bulb went off. Their homework is to work on hand signals without words or sounds besides a marker and both dog and owner were really happy with the training session today.

Of course I thought of this thread

 Quote: SamanthaTopper

Their homework is to work on hand signals without words or sounds besides a marker

More along the lines of body language than hand signals, I have inadvertently taught my dog some silent markers. If I slap both thighs with my hands (sort of a like a play bow), she releases. If she's waiting for a mark and I show her the palm of my hand, it's almost like an IB, but if I bob my head or nod in her direction, she takes it as a "yes". I have always taken the latter as anticipation and have corrected, but having read this thread, I plan to incorporate these signals into a silent vocabulary.

Not exactly what I was looking for, but found this article, and it is along the lines of the thread so thought I'd post it.
http://thebark.com/content/dogs-what-we-do-more-important-what-we-say

New to this forum, so hopefully I provided a working link
And now that I looked at your original post, I guess the answer is "yes" 99 percent of the time I train a visual command, then link it to a verbal command

I am in the process of doing that for a trick I taught my girl. We do have hand signals for down, sit, come, wait, go. But now we are working on "wipe your paws". She knows the verbal cue, I am changing it to a physical cue. The physical cue is me wiping my feet. When she sees this she wipes her feet. I gave the new cue and then added the known cue. It has been working pretty well. I like trying different types of cues and Bindi seems to enjoy it as well.
Sharon and her pups bindi, cody terra

 Quote: Billy Shaw

Not exactly what I was looking for, but found this article, and it is along the lines of the thread so thought I'd post it.
http://thebark.com/content/dogs-what-we-do-more-important-what-we-say

Thanks for the good link and article.

Although the tests were conducted on a small number of subjects, my personal experience is similar to the test results.

I have found dogs to be particularly cognizant of the handlers shoulders. A dog working 100 meters in front of a handler can be directed left or right through rotation of the handlers shoulders. Dogs seem to be able to judge this angle very intuitively, and from a great distance. It is my theory (and completely unfounded) that when running as a pack, wolves read changes of direction by the leaders through angulation of their front shoulders. I theorize that this has stayed with our dogs through the generations.

Another interesting point in the article relates to mechanical or electronic production of commands, and their ineffectiveness. I can attest to this failure to respond when teaching dogs to respond to commands given through a radio. Fama seemed to not recognize the commands at all when given through a radio, so I chose to add a new command instead of dilute the original. I used a pattern of chirps over the radio to represent a command instead of the word. She picked up on this quickly when paired to hand signals, and the commands transferred to working out of sight of the handler very quickly.

Although this thread, and article, are primarily about non verbal commands, the subject of emotion in the command was touched on briefly. I find pitch, tone and inflection of verbal commands to be the single most important part of effective verbal communication. I use a very distinctive command tone, described by me as authoritative without emotion. This removes all doubt in the dog that it is receiving a command. I use a very playful, high pitched, silly tone for praise, and a gruff low tone for correction. This seems to remove some of the communication barrier and leads to better obedience through understanding.

Another time I utilize hand signals is when I'm very out of breath, and subsequently can not properly give commands in the proper tone, or with proper pronunciation.

Again, thanks for the article!

Interesting thoughts on the shoulders David, I will pay some attetion, off the top of my head I can see it though. When Zocha was very young and mostly untrained, I was trying to get her to "Seek" right for a ball, using my usual Hand Signal which of course she had not been taught, nothing, for whatever reason I turned to my right, and boom she was on it.
For mechanical sounds I have always trained with whistle/silent whistle, but with all the equipment available I was going to incorporate some electronic commands as well I'll keep you updated.
As for voice tone, another one of the ultimate debates I think. In general I start with the age old "speak like you are giving directions to a stranger", and then adjust accordingly to the temperament of the dog. I know many people who sound like Drill Sargents and their dogs work fine, and many Minnie Mouses, and the same, what I try and accomplish is sounding the same whether or not I am alone in my back yard or in the middle of the park on a Sunday Afternoon.