# hand signal for down command



## neupane00 (Apr 10, 2008)

what is the hand signal for down? i have been using palm facing down straight down to ground. Thats working well. Since i wanna enter my dog in competition and call a competition trainer yesterday. And she tells me that OFFICIAL hand signal for down in competition obedience and schutzhund etc is palm going straight up lil above your head. Is that true?

Where can i find list of all hand signal. ??


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

neupane00 said:


> what is the hand signal for down? i have been using palm facing down straight down to ground. Thats working well. Since i wanna enter my dog in competition and call a competition trainer yesterday. And she tells me that OFFICIAL hand signal for down in competition obedience and schutzhund etc is palm going straight up lil above your head. Is that true?
> 
> Where can i find list of all hand signal. ??


I think the "correct" hand signal for down is what you described. That's what I use. Picture a traffic cop 
A friend of mine taught her dog to bark when someone flipped the bird...hey, it was good for some laughs 
I've found training hand signals to be much, much easier than verbal cues. I don't think there is a list of "proper" hand signals, there are rules to what those hand signals can be consisted of though on the akc.org website.
I personally use my right hand, palm out, for down, and my left hand for sit (I cup my hand and "scoop" it towards my face). Stand is with my right hand as well, but it's at my waist level and "sideways".


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## neupane00 (Apr 10, 2008)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> I think the "correct" hand signal for down is what you described. That's what I use. Picture a traffic cop
> A friend of mine taught her dog to bark when someone flipped the bird...hey, it was good for some laughs
> I've found training hand signals to be much, much easier than verbal cues. I don't think there is a list of "proper" hand signals, there are rules to what those hand signals can be consisted of though on the akc.org website.
> I personally use my right hand, palm out, for down, and my left hand for sit (I cup my hand and "scoop" it towards my face). Stand is with my right hand as well, but it's at my waist level and "sideways".


wow.. its hard to picture the actual signal by just reading words. any website with video or pictures would help..


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

neupane00 said:


> wow.. its hard to picture the actual signal by just reading words. any website with video or pictures would help..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ab_qsL7rGg


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

neupane00 said:


> what is the hand signal for down? i have been using palm facing down straight down to ground. Thats working well. Since i wanna enter my dog in competition and call a competition trainer yesterday. And she tells me that OFFICIAL hand signal for down in competition obedience and schutzhund etc is palm going straight up lil above your head. Is that true?
> 
> Where can i find list of all hand signal. ??


There is no such thing as an "official" signal for any AKC obedience exercise or for any UKC obedience exercise. You can use _any_ signal so long as it meets the general rules. Essentially, a signal is a hand, or hand and arm, movement made as one gesture, with an immediate return to a natural position. That's it. 

The arm raised/palm extended signal that you described is one that is often used for the down portion of various exercises, but you are _not required_ to use it. Even in Utility, where you _must _signal, the signal itself can be whatever you want within the general rules. 

I'm not as familiar with VPG/Schutzhund, but as I recall it the _required _signaling is somewhat as you described, but not quite. Points *can* be deducted for handler errors even if the dog performs flawlessly.


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