[header] How to teach a dog to read sign language [title] Try obedience signs first. [step] Using obedience hand signals first is good because other dog trainers will know these signals, even if they don't rely on them solely. For instance, a common hand sign for " down " is to hold your hand up at your shoulder with your elbow bent, then move your hand to the floor. 
[substeps] The main drawback to using only obedience signs is they may not cover everything you want to do with your dog. [title] Use american sign language (asl).