Do you want to get your dog to sit down when you call? It’s easy and doesn’t require pulling or pushing. Modern trainers encourage the dog to show good manners and reward her for it.
Lure-Shaping Down
Peaceable Paws’ most effective method of teaching “Down” is lure-shaping. Here’s how:
Place your dog in a kennel.
Hold a treat near your dog’s nose, and let it slide toward the ground. Boone’s dog can grab food from you, so give your dog a low-value treat like kibble. He will be more likely to follow your lead, but not get into your hands.
2. As she sits, place a sweet treat on her nose. Move it an inch toward the ground. If she lowers her nose in order to follow the treat, signal her by clicking a clicker, or verbally marking it with the word “Yes!”
As your dog follows the treat down, keep it moving in a series of repetitions. Don’t pull on the treat towards you. This could cause him to get out of the “down” position and force him to come closer to you. Instead, place your focus somewhere between his paws.
3. Repeat the process multiple times, moving your treat lower with each repetition. After she has completed the treat, lower her head and give her a treat. If she stands up when you lower the treat, it is likely that you have moved it too fast. Recover your balance and move slowly.
4. To reach ground level, her goal is to lower down the treat. You can help her to get out of trouble by lowering her head, but not bending her legs, and moving the treat to one side. This will shift her weight onto one paw, and encourage her to move the other forward. The Lure Under Method (See Sidebar) is an option if she seems stuck.
This trick will help if your dog isn’t able to follow the lure to the end. You can try this: Lay on your back, bent knees down, and get your dog to reach under your leg for the treat. You can also do this with a chair or coffee table.
5. Once she has lurched all the way to the bottom, it is time to add the cue. It doesn’t matter what word you use, but most people say “Down.” Start by giving the cue verbally, then pause and lure her to the ground as before. Treat and mark!
Introduce a cue when he starts to lay down. After he has gotten comfortable, say “Down” and wait for a few seconds. Then, lure him again as before. After a few repetitions, he will realize that he can get his reward quicker if he lies down after hearing the cue. He doesn’t need to wait for the lure to work.
6. You can “fade” the lure by dragging it behind you when she is almost down. Then let her go down on her own. Mark and treat her when her elbows touch the floor.
Sometimes, pause after using your verbal cues and before luring to see if he will lie down without you luring. Don’t rush! Some dogs are fast, while others need to take a moment to think it through. Mark your dog and reward him with a lot of treats if he lays down without using the lure. Woohoo! He is well on his way!
7. Sometimes, pause after using your verbal cue to check if she will lie down. If she does, mark her and give her a lot of treats. You can give multiple higher-value treats one after another to create a jackpot.
As you would do if you were standing, mark your dog and give him a treat for each repetition of a lower body position. Don’t wait for a complete “Down” the first time! If he gives you a Down, mark him and give him a jackpot!
8. Continue luring her until she offers Down.
The Lure Under Method for Teaching Down
Here’s another alternative to the lure-shaping technique. With your knees raised so that your dog can crawl underneath you, or a stool low enough to support your body on the ground, place your legs flat on the floor. You can hold your dog under your knee and encourage her to crawl towards the treat. Once she is able to do this, add your “Down,” cue and gradually fade your knee’s presence until she lies down on the verbal cue.
How to teach your dog to lie down on cue whole
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.topdogadvisor.com/find-out-the-signs-and-solutions-8/
