Help With The 'down'

[Tempest]

I've basically just taught Jess a down with using a treat as a lure and she's been fairly solid at training (although still won't go down without a lure). She's been staying in a down wait and I've been able to move around her with no problems at all

 

Just recently though as soon as she's had her treat (which I've used to lure her into the down) she's been getting straight back up - to the point where I've not been able to straighten up next to her without her getting up again I'm not quite sure the best way to tackle this one so any advice would be greatly received

 

I haven't introduced her to a clicker as yet and if she does stay in the down I've been praising her and offering her a treat really low to the ground to reinforce the down position

[gsdsian]

I would tackle this in 2 ways.

 

Firstly I would try and wean her off the treat in your hand. There are a couple of ways of doing it but perhaps the easiest to start with would be to lure her down but reward her from your other hand. So she never gets the treat you lure with. You can also lure several downs in quick succession but with for arguments sake the 10th down you don't have food in your lure hand and you reward from elsewhere. (Easiest way to do this is to start off with 9 treats in your hand)

 

When you've cracked this getting her to stay down will be easier. I like to place treats on the floor between the dogs feet so they are eating lying down. To start with as soon as they finish one you place the next one. (You'll feel like a jack in a box to start with) As she gets the idea and is steadier you can lengthen the time very slowly so she's waiting slightly longer for each treat. Eventually you'll be able to stand up properly and build things up from there.

 

The other way you could do it is go back to square one but teach it with the clicker. Rather than luring I would wait for her to lie down and then click.

[dlmckay]

Agree... wean off the treats.

 

Or you can delay giving the treat for longer and longer until you have a good 30 seconds in a down before treating. So, treat for a down, then for a down and hold for 5 seconds, then for a down and hold 10 seconds until you're able to get a down, you make a cup of tea and then reward.

 

Remember to release the dog too when you're done. The treat means she's finished, she's done her work, she's rewarded. The classic problem with dogs breaking is they don't understand when the exercise is finished. Use a word like "OK" to let the dog know it's ok to break the position they're holding for you.

[JoC]

that's the big problem with luring, if you do it for too long it becomes embedded in the behaviour and much, much harder to phase out.

 

I like gsdsians advice, I would switch from lure to hand signal and then verbal command because it's easier for the dog. I hide the treat for the lure either under my thumb or between fingers so the dog can smell it, but the 'cue' is more visual. Again don't use that reward. I like the idea of doing lots in succession and then one without the food.

 

There's also a trick of lining up 10 or so treats on the floor in front of the dog, and giving them one at a time if she stays down. The other thing you can do, once you've phased out hte lure, is ask your dog to lie down, then go to a table, get a treat and take it over. If the dog stands up you say 'oops too bad' and put the treat back in the pot. Start with something easier like a sit so she gets the concept first, and then move onto doing it with the down.