say your command (e.g., “stand”) followed by a hand signal three times in a row. then, on the fourth repetition you simply say “stand” and see if your dog responds to your verbal command. if your dog responds, then great! make sure that you celebrate with a treat and lots of praise.
however, if your dog does not respond, this usually means you need more conditioning with hand signals. also, you might want to record your training sessions to see if you project any subtle body language that your dog might be picking up instead of your verbal command.
for example, a common mistake people make when training their dog to lie 