Dog training: Down

Add a comment to this page

Teaching your dog the 'down' command

With your puppydog sitting, say "Rover Down." Let it sniff another food treat, and then quickly lower the lure to the ground between the pup's forepaws. Most dogs assume a 'playbow' posture - forequarters lowered with sternum on the ground and hindquarters stuck up in the air as if they are mooning the moon. By slowly moving the treat: either a few inches forwards away from the pup's forepaws, or backwards between its forelegs towards the dog's chest, the rump will lower to the ground, and your pup will lie down. When the puppy lies down, give it the treat as a reward.

If your puppy stands up instead, just start over from the beginning. At this stage of training, reprimands would be utterly inappropriate, since the puppy has no idea what we are trying to teach, and so as yet, it is not doing anything wrong. Neither is it doing it right. So, back to square one and start over.

Teaching your dog 'down' from a standing position

With your pup standing, say "Rover Down." Lower a treat to the ground to a spot between the pup's forepaws, and once your pup lowers its head, slowly move the lure backwards between its forelegs, and the rump will collapse. If the pup backs up, perform the exercise in a corner. This is the hardest of all the body-position changes, and so be patient and persevere. Remember, the first time is always the hardest. Once the pup has done it just a couple of times, it will be as easy as falling off a log.

Training games: Sit-down-stand sequences

Vary the order of the sit, down, and stand commands at random, or by using the following, easy-to-remember test sequences:
1. sit-down-sit-stand-down-stand
2. sit-stand-sit-down-stand-down
3. down-sit-down-stand-sit-stand

Varying at least three different body positions increases the speed with which the pup learns verbal commands. If we alternated just two body positions, e.g., sit and down - 'doggy push-ups', the pup would quickly become bored with endless repetition, and it would anticipate each command rather than listen to the owner's instructions. For example, the pup quickly learns, if it is sitting, the next command must be "Down." Varying the order of instructions increases your puppy's attentiveness and concentration.

For the first sequence  [Continued]

Your name:

Your email:

Recipient's email: OK to enter multiple addresses
separated by commas

Message: Check out what I found on DogTime.com!

And, for spam prevention...

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Try another one | Try audio instead Try text instead | Help

Sending....please wait.