How to sign “Dog” in ASL
BSL and ASL are different languages — this is the American sign. See the BSL sign for “Dog” instead
Step by step
- Hold your dominant hand up near your side, shaped like a modified D.
- Snap your middle finger against the base of your thumb, landing in a G-like shape.
- Repeat the snap a second time in the same spot.
- Keep your palm facing forward and make the snaps small and crisp.
- Some signers pat their thigh first — that version is fine, but the snap is the core.
Practice tip
Always snap with the middle finger, never the index — the sign is a lexicalized D-O-G.
Fingerspell “Dog”
Letter by letter — a handy backup if you forget the sign above. This is not the sign itself.
Text-based guide researched from established ASL references (Lifeprint, university and public-health materials) and rewritten in original words. Signer-created photos and videos are a planned future upgrade.