| Cue | Hand Signal Description | Visual Key | |------|------------------------|-------------| | | Arm bent at elbow, palm facing up, move hand upward like you’re offering a treat over the nose. | ✋🔼 | | Down | Flat palm, start at shoulder height, lower hand straight down to the floor (like pushing a lever). | ✋🔽 | | Stay | Open palm facing the dog’s face (like “stop” sign). Often held for 2–3 seconds initially. | 🖐️⏸️ | | Come | Arms open wide at sides, then bring both hands together to your chest (or one hand sweeping from hip to opposite shoulder). | 🙆♂️➡️🫂 | | Wait | Flat palm facing dog, but held at waist level (lower than Stay). | ✋⏳ | | Leave it | Make a fist, then open hand as if dropping something invisible. Some trainers use a sideways sweep. | ✊➡️✋ | | Drop it / Out | Point to the ground in front of dog, or make a “throwing away” gesture to the side. | 👇🗑️ | | Heel | Pat your left hip (or point down to your left side). | 🖐️🦵 | | Spin (left) | Point index finger in a circle clockwise (as seen from above dog). | ☝️🔄 | | Spin (right) | Point index finger in a circle counterclockwise. | ☝️🔄 | | Touch (target) | Extend two fingers (index + middle) toward dog’s nose like a target stick. | ☝️☝️ | | Roll over | Make a rolling motion with your hand sideways in the air. | ✋🌀 | | Shake / Paw | Open palm facing up, held near dog’s chest level. | 🖐️⬆️ | | High five | Open palm facing forward at shoulder height. | ✋🤚 | | Speak | Open and close your fingers like a mouth (pinching motion). | 🤏👄 | | Quiet | Index finger vertical over lips (hush signal). | 🤫 | | Go to bed / Place | Point to the bed/mat, then make a “scooping” gesture toward it. | 👉🛏️ | | Stand | Open palm, move hand from dog’s nose up and away horizontally. | ✋➡️ |
SIT 🖐️⬆️ (palm up, lift toward ceiling) DOWN 🖐️⬇️ (palm down, lower to floor) STAY ✋ (palm facing dog, hold) COME 🙆♂️➡️🫂 (arms open → chest) WAIT ✋⏳ (palm facing dog, waist level) LEAVE IT ✊➡️✋ (fist opens) DROP IT 👇 (point to ground) HEEL 🖐️🦵 (pat left hip) TOUCH ☝️☝️ (two fingers extended) ROLL OVER ✋🌀 (rolling motion) SPIN (L) ☝️🔄 (circle clockwise) SPIN (R) ☝️🔄 (circle counterclockwise) QUIET 🤫 (finger over lips) PLACE 👉🛏️ (point + scoop) STAND ✋➡️ (horizontal palm push away)
reached into the air, but the fog was too thick. Then, he remembered the "Flash." He pulled his small emergency flashlight from his pocket and clicked it twice—their improvised signal for "Look at me."
While vocal commands are essential, professional trainers and canine behaviorists agree:
| Cue | Hand Signal Description | Visual Key | |------|------------------------|-------------| | | Arm bent at elbow, palm facing up, move hand upward like you’re offering a treat over the nose. | ✋🔼 | | Down | Flat palm, start at shoulder height, lower hand straight down to the floor (like pushing a lever). | ✋🔽 | | Stay | Open palm facing the dog’s face (like “stop” sign). Often held for 2–3 seconds initially. | 🖐️⏸️ | | Come | Arms open wide at sides, then bring both hands together to your chest (or one hand sweeping from hip to opposite shoulder). | 🙆♂️➡️🫂 | | Wait | Flat palm facing dog, but held at waist level (lower than Stay). | ✋⏳ | | Leave it | Make a fist, then open hand as if dropping something invisible. Some trainers use a sideways sweep. | ✊➡️✋ | | Drop it / Out | Point to the ground in front of dog, or make a “throwing away” gesture to the side. | 👇🗑️ | | Heel | Pat your left hip (or point down to your left side). | 🖐️🦵 | | Spin (left) | Point index finger in a circle clockwise (as seen from above dog). | ☝️🔄 | | Spin (right) | Point index finger in a circle counterclockwise. | ☝️🔄 | | Touch (target) | Extend two fingers (index + middle) toward dog’s nose like a target stick. | ☝️☝️ | | Roll over | Make a rolling motion with your hand sideways in the air. | ✋🌀 | | Shake / Paw | Open palm facing up, held near dog’s chest level. | 🖐️⬆️ | | High five | Open palm facing forward at shoulder height. | ✋🤚 | | Speak | Open and close your fingers like a mouth (pinching motion). | 🤏👄 | | Quiet | Index finger vertical over lips (hush signal). | 🤫 | | Go to bed / Place | Point to the bed/mat, then make a “scooping” gesture toward it. | 👉🛏️ | | Stand | Open palm, move hand from dog’s nose up and away horizontally. | ✋➡️ |
SIT 🖐️⬆️ (palm up, lift toward ceiling) DOWN 🖐️⬇️ (palm down, lower to floor) STAY ✋ (palm facing dog, hold) COME 🙆♂️➡️🫂 (arms open → chest) WAIT ✋⏳ (palm facing dog, waist level) LEAVE IT ✊➡️✋ (fist opens) DROP IT 👇 (point to ground) HEEL 🖐️🦵 (pat left hip) TOUCH ☝️☝️ (two fingers extended) ROLL OVER ✋🌀 (rolling motion) SPIN (L) ☝️🔄 (circle clockwise) SPIN (R) ☝️🔄 (circle counterclockwise) QUIET 🤫 (finger over lips) PLACE 👉🛏️ (point + scoop) STAND ✋➡️ (horizontal palm push away)
reached into the air, but the fog was too thick. Then, he remembered the "Flash." He pulled his small emergency flashlight from his pocket and clicked it twice—their improvised signal for "Look at me."
While vocal commands are essential, professional trainers and canine behaviorists agree:
