# teaching to stay down



## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

Hey guys, the training session are promising so far. I'm using the clicker and some treats. So far she learn sit, down, up, come, and focus. However, she doesn't lay down all the time. Sometime she will try to take the food then lay down. Other time she won't lay down at all unless I do the hand movement and have to get down on the floor. Its painstaking just to sit down everytime I want her to do the command down.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Patience and persistence. No treats until she is fully down for a couple seconds.
Then gradually extend the time up to 10 seconds.
Then very gradually phase out the treats and work on the down/stay.
(Add back treats for the stay part)


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

Don't forget a release word for her!!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

supaflyz said:


> However, she doesn't lay down all the time. Sometime she will try to take the food then lay down. Other time she won't lay down at all unless I do the hand movement and have to get down on the floor.


Can you describe exactly how you're training this and how long you've been working on it? Are you luring with a treat, or do you have the treat visible in your hand? Are you using the hand signal and the verbal cue at the same time? Did you teach one before introducing the other, and if so, how much time did you spend getting it solid first?


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

jakeandrenee said:


> Don't forget a release word for her!!


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## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> Can you describe exactly how you're training this and how long you've been working on it? Are you luring with a treat, or do you have the treat visible in your hand? Are you using the hand signal and the verbal cue at the same time? Did you teach one before introducing the other, and if so, how much time did you spend getting it solid first?


K I tell her down then I lure her with the food down to the floor. Then I click and give her a treat. I've been working on it for a week or so. She got the sit and up the first day. She get those two command everytime. She also know how come and focus. I use the food and move it between my eyes. I read that on another post on here I think. That method works. The down command only works after she gets tired after a hour or two of walking/jogging. Oh yeah, I do have the food visible in my hand. I let her see it at first to get her attention, then I close my hand into a fist to lure her down and prevent her from taking the treat.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

You shouldn't need to lure for a week. I usually only lure the first training session or two, and then I use an empty hand to make the same motion, and treat from the other hand. If you lure too long your dog may become dependent on the sight of food as an additional cue. 

I hold a treat in my hand and move it down to the floor. The second the dog hits the ground I click and give them the treat that I'm holding. If the dog doesn't do a down I don't release the treat to her. Once they've got the idea of following the food into position in order to get it you shouldn't need to use a lure. Your lure motion becomes your hand signal. And until she's laying down on cue (again, mark with the clicker at the exact second that she drops to the floor and then treat from the other hand) consistently, I wouldn't even worry about expecting her to do it on a verbal cue. I add that later by saying it, waiting a second or two, and then following up with the hand signal that she now knows. That will associate the word (which she doesn't know yet) with the hand signal (that she does know). Start waiting longer and longer after you've given the verbal command before reminding her what that means with the hand signal. Eventually she will respond to the word without being reminded what it means. Be patient. Give her some time to figure it out on her own, and when she does, make a big fuss over her and give her several treats in a row - jackpot!

For focus I don't hold the treat up between my eyes unless I absolutely need to, and then only for a couple of repetitions, if I just can't get them to even look at me otherwise. Instead I hold treats in my hands held down at my side and WAIT. However long it takes. Eventually the dog WILL stop trying to get the food out of my hand and look away from it and up at me to see what the heck is going on! And at that exact moment I mark it and deliver the treat. It does not take long for the dog to figure it out. Again, if you've been luring up to your face with the treat for awhile it's probably become part of the cue, so you need to fade it out now.


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