The chart still hangs on the fridge today, though they no longer need to look at it. They realized long ago that while words are formed by breath, loyalty is written in the hands.
Hand signals often force the owner to be still and deliberate. Voice commands can sometimes be frantic ("sit! sit! sit!"), whereas a hand signal requires you to stand calm and assertive, which projects leadership energy to the dog. hand signals for dogs chart
: Signals allow you to guide your dog without interrupting a phone call or waking a sleeping baby. The chart still hangs on the fridge today,
skidded to a halt, eyes locked on the hand that spoke "wait." To Voice commands can sometimes be frantic ("sit
learned that once that circle appeared, he was free to sniff the pines and dig in the dirt. The Silent Bond
| 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. | ✋➡️ |