Concepts cat bird

Dog

To sign DOG, I recommend you just snap your fingers to spell the letters "DG."  This is sort of an abbreviation of the word "D-O-G."

Note:  There are many different "right" ways to do the sign for dog.

A popular sign for "dog" is made by slapping your right flat hand against your leg, then snapping your fingers. Or you can snap your fingers, then slap your leg. You can slap your leg twice and not snap your fingers at all.

Or you can just use "lexicalized fingerspelling."  To do this, you fingerspell the letters "D" and "G" very quickly and "snap" the middle finger on the base of the thumb as you change from the "D" to the "G." (That's how I do the sign).

 
Concepts cat bird
OPTIONAL READING / ADVANCED DISCUSSION:
There are five different opinions regarding the "right" sign for dog:
1. Those who pat their leg once and then snap their fingers once.
2.  Those who snap their fingers once and then pat their leg once.
3.  Those who pat their leg twice
4. Those who snap their fingers twice: D-G, D-G
5. Those who snap their fingers once: D-G
In general though it could be argued that it would be "non-standard" to both slap your leg twice and snap your fingers.  Or to snap your fingers twice and slap your leg. It would be "redundant" and a waste of movement.
I mention this because a venerable old deaf coworker of mine has a pet peeve regarding students (and instructors) who sign "DOG" in a redundant manner (using both the snap and the pat).
As an adult communicating with other skilled adults I generally just sign D-G (once). When communicating with a young child I sometimes switch to the double-leg pat.
One of my daughters, Sarah, has no joints in her fingers and thus can't really do fingerspelling.  Guess which version she uses?
-- Bill
In a message dated 1/14/2007 7:00:38 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, brittdun@gmail.com writes:
Good afternoon Bill,
 
My name is Brittany Dunlap. I am a hearing person who is dating a hearing impaired man named Roy. He went to school at the Ohio School for the Deaf. I have known him since May of 06, as friends, and we have been a couple since December. He is about 90% deaf and is progressively becoming more deaf as time passes. I am trying to learn ASL and he has promised to teach me (starting tomorrow) but I have been going through your lessons for the past few days now and have a question about the word "dog".
 
If you and a friend are sitting at a table signing, and you want to communicate the word "dog?" The leg slapping would be blocked by the table. Would you improvise and slap your abdomen? Or would your friend be totally confused by that? Or does that have a totally different meaning? Is there any way around that situation, other than fingerspelling dog?
 
Thank you for such a wonderfully put together website! I've learned a lot so far! I really appreciate the pages on Deaf culture.
 
Many thanks,
 
Brittany D.
Grove City, OH 43123-9084
brittdun@
Brittany,
The sign DOG actually has five variations.  Oh, sure, people will tell you THEIR version is right. Just smile sweetly and nod. Heh.  The main versions are:
1.  Slap your thigh twice.
2.  Snap your fingers once and then slap your thigh once.
3.  Slap your thigh once and then snap your fingers.
4.  Snap your fingers twice.
5.  Snap your fingers once.
But here's the cool thing I want to point out.  The snap is actually what we call "lexicalized" fingerspelling.  Start with a modified "D" handshape and snap your middle finger and end up in a "G" handshape.  (Lexicalization means "the process of becoming like a lexeme." The word "lexeme" means basic root words. So, what we are saying is that the fingerspelling no longer looks or functions like typical fingerspelling, it has changed to become like a sign.

So then, in your situation I recommending simply using the "snap" version of #DOG.
Cordially,
-- Bill