• • Get the Dog’s Attention – The dog must see you make the signal, so you must make sure that you have established eye contact.

• • Give the Signal – Show the dog the signal of the action you want him or her to perform. For instance, if you want the dog to sit, you would hold out your hand with the palm out and then bring the hand up, until it becomes parallel with the floor.
• • Follow Training Steps – Finally, follow the steps of training for the command that you are attempting to teach.

Here are some ways to avoid any trouble when training:

• Always train using hand signals alone. It can be quite confusing for dogs if you use hand signals and verbal commands. Instead, stick to one type of training and then the other, until the dog understands and can do both, without hesitating.
• When giving your dog a command, always use the hand signal, then the verbal command. Since dogs are so good with body language, they will catch on to this first. Then, teach the verbal command, if you wish.

Here are some of the most common hand signals for dogs:

• • Sit – To teach sit, start out by showing the dog a treat and then draw it back towards the ears, until he or she sits. Once the dog does this a couple of times, use the obedience sign for sit. This is holding the arm down, with the palm facing the dog – and then bringing your arm up to a 90-degree angle.

• • Down – To teach down, have the dog sit and then take a small treat and lower it from the dog’s nose to the floor. The dog should follow the treat and lay down. Once the dog does this on a regular basis, bring the hand signal in. To do this signal, hold your arm out towards the dog, with the palm facing down. Then simply lower the entire arm.

• • Stay – The command “stay” will teach the dog self-control. To teach this command, make the dog sit and then use the command. The “stay” command is simply holding your hand in front of the dog’s face. Give the dog a quick treat and then give the “stay” command again. Do this a couple of times. The next time you do this command, wait a bit of time between treats. When the dog begins to understand the command, place a couple of treats on the floor in front of it and give the hand signal again. Feed the dog one treat at a time, at a quick pace. Ask the dog to sit again and then replace the treats. Wait a bit longer this time, before giving the treats. As the dog learns this command, add in a distraction or two, such as tossing a toy, or jumping. Eventually, the dog will understand.