# instant down on send-away



## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

Hello,

I am at the point where we pretty much worked through the learning phase of the send-away. He understand pointing, I can queue him up that the send away is coming, he runs fast and in a straight line without seeing the target and he downs when I give the command. He's 2.5 years old.

Right now, my next goal would be to increase the speed of the down. He will down but as follows: I give the command, he'll quickly slow down to a stop and then down. I want an instant down. I have no preference whether he turns to me or lies facing away from me as long as its fast.

What do you use with your dogs to increase the speed of the down on send away? 

Thanks!


----------



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Did you try a placing mat or a platform?


----------



## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

How fast is his down while heeling?


----------



## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

pfitzpa1 said:


> How fast is his down while heeling?


Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier.

While heeling or from basic position the down is very fast but we spent a lot of time working on it. It almost looks like slowing into a stop is what takes him the longest time on the send-away.

I just wanted to know how other people teach the down on the send away - or how they teach it separately and then incorporate it into the send away - to get a faster down while he's running at full speed


----------



## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I totally teach the down separate from the send out and rarely ever do the two together as the down will slow it down. I teach the down in heel position first, then the moving down from heel position. 

After that I do downs when I'm playing with his ball. I throw the ball and wait for him to get almost all the way back to me before downing him. If he doesn't down, I mark it and take him back to the spot I told him, and correct him down. As he gets good at this, I down him further and further away from me. The closer to me, the easier it is. 

Once he will down after picking up his ball and turning towards me, I start downing him on the way to the ball, again downing him close to me and gradually working him further and further away. 

With the down on the way to the ball, if he downs, I mark it and immediately release him so he gets to run out and get the ball. This keeps him nice and straight. 

Once he's solid on this and he's downing quite a ways away, I will begin to walk up to him once he's down and release him after I'm in heel position for the ball. 

The next step is to heel him away and then release him for the ball.

I might put the send out and the down together once or twice just to make sure he will do it prior a trial, but that's about it.

I find this keeps his drive up and the incentive to down is high. Be sure to frequently toss the ball and let him just go and get it or he will start to slow down.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I did it differently with Nikon and have started the same thing with Pan. I build in the down from the beginning. I use a marker that has a toy inside, the dog can't get it. The funny thing is, they never get the toy that's inside. The marker is sort of like a giant tracking article, so they know when they see it/find it, to down on it. Then I walk up and as soon as my hand touches it, I flick a ball out of my pocket. They thing it's magic! Using this I get the speed *and* the fast down (to the dog the goal is to _get there and down_ as fast as possible). I use the marker like most other send out markers and toys...by increasing the distance and then downing the dog before the marker (and alternating between releasing to continue to the marker, or I walk up and flick the ball out).


----------



## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Elaine said:


> I totally teach the down separate from the send out and rarely ever do the two together as the down will slow it down. I teach the down in heel position first, then the moving down from heel position.
> 
> After that I do downs when I'm playing with his ball. I throw the ball and wait for him to get almost all the way back to me before downing him. If he doesn't down, I mark it and take him back to the spot I told him, and correct him down. As he gets good at this, I down him further and further away from me. The closer to me, the easier it is.
> 
> ...


Does this cause any hesitation issues with the dumbbell retrieve?


----------

