Hope you feel better soon. My dog was taught “front” at dog training years ago. (Dog training really should be calledowner training.)
The owner hold his arm straight out to the side with a closed fist and brings the fst in quickly and sharply to his chest. while saying “Front!” (Closed fist has a delicious treat in it.) When dog comes, reward with treat. Pretty soon, you just have to go through the motion and not say anything. And gradually ear rugging replaces food as treat.
It works, and you an call in a dog from across the field that way without saying a word.
You’d be surprised at how fast they learn sign language. I had a 15 year old Golden Retriever who was stone deaf, and I didn’t even know it because she responded so well to my body language. My neighbor pointed it out to me that if she wasn’t looking at me, she didn’t hear me. She’s been gone 15 years now, and we still miss her.
That should say ear rubbing.
They know signs for their tricks(sit, stay, roll over) but not for the most basic commands like come and out. It’s a good time to teach it. Don’t we all have one of those dogs who just cannot be matched? I lost my favorite in April.