The down command is the next lesson to teach in your dog obedience training schedule. It should be taught as soon as you and your dog have mastered the sit command.
The down command is a fundamental ingredient of your overall dog obedience training program. It provides the foundation for many other advanced commands/skills and establishes you as the leader in the relationship you share with your dog. The reason for this is that the laying down position is a ********** and somewhat vulnerable position for your dog to be in, especially when you are standing tall over the top of your dog.
The down command is a very handy tool you will come to rely on in many situations. Popping your dog down into the lying down position is great for times when you need to go into a shop or for occasions when there are small children around. It can take a bit of practice to reach this level, but it is worth the effort.
Learning The Down Obedience Command
When you are in the learning phase of teaching the down command, start out by making it simple for your dog, then slowly turn up the difficulty level.
Move your training sessions to a public place. Increase the time you keep your dog in the down position. Bounce a ball around your dog when he is in the lying position, or scatter some food around him. The idea is that your “down” command will be so strong in your dogs mind, that none of these other distractions matter. He can only get up to chase the ball or eat the treats when you release him from the down command.
What you are trying to achieve with the down command is to have your dog quickly get down into the laying position, belly touching the ground and his front legs extended out in front.
In a familiar environment to your dog with no distractions, lets get started!
Down Command Technique 1 - Off Leash
Put your dog into a sitting position. Grab your dogs favorite tasty treat and hold it a couple of centimetres in front of his/her nose. Move your hand straight down to the ground. Your dog should follow it down (you can praise and encourage him down). As soon as his belly hits the ground, with his legs out in front, lavish him with praise and give the treat. Repeat this action over and over in short sharp training sessions. When your dog is “getting it” and going down right away, you can add the verbal part of the command. I use “down” other people use “lay” or “drop”, just choose the one you are comfortable with and stick to it (make it a one word command only). Add your command just before you start to move the treat towards the ground. This step is all about building an association in your dogs mind between the verbal “down” command and the act of him laying down. The idea is that eventually, after plenty of repetition and praise your dog will only require your verbal command, and not the treat in your hand to lure him down. Also, in time you will be able to start the command not only from the sitting position but from standing and in any situation you and your dog are in. When your dog is responding well to your verbal command, introduce some other variables which make the down command a little more challenging. Try the command as you go about your daily business, around other people or dogs and increase the duration of the command.
Down Command Technique 2 - On Leash
Put your preferred collar and leash on your dog - I just use a nice leather buckle collar when teaching the down command. Place your dog into the sitting position and stand or kneel right next to him. Basically you are trying to guide or coax your dog into the down position. How you do this depends on the size and co-operation level of your dog. Always say your “down” command first, then immediately guide your dog down into the lying position. Grab hold of the leash and gently pull your dogs head down, at the same time guide him down by pressing down between his shoulder blades with the palm of your hand. You can also lift up your dogs front legs and extend them out in front of him, find the method which works best for you. Praise and encourage your dog all the way down. Then of course as soon as he’s in the down position make it clear to him that you are happy with him and that he has done a good job. After lots of repetition your dog will respond to your verbal command only. Then try the command when your dog is in the standing position and in other settings. Make the command a little more challenging by adding some distractions and increasing the time he is required to stay in the down position.
Whichever method you choose to teach your dog the down command be consistent and keep at it.
When you are happy with your dog getting into the down position you will probably want to add a release command to it. This means that when you issue your down command, your dog goes straight down and is not permitted to get up until you issue another command. You can use “away” or “off you go” for this purpose.
Dog training command is to speed up training results from home. You have to teach your dog to do it the right way and it is the importance of drive and temperament. If you do it the right way then it is like having a whole new dog! But enough of his type of this highlighting. Lets take a look deeper into the training.
Training is about communicating with your dog. Train your pet to stay will help in numerous situations - often combined with the “sit” command that is shown in this article. Train your dog to obey commands is an important part of pet ownership. You have to take it seriously.You have to be the Boss of your dog like an alpha dog. You have to understand that a dog is an animal. The dog has to follow you not you the dog.
The dog training command you give your dog must be short, clear and defined, as well as well articulated avoiding words that end the same way which would end up just confusing the dog. And that is not what we want. The dog should understand what you want to tell him.
Here is an example for a dog training command in this point the command “Sit”. While facing the dog with either hand extended and palm faced upward, flip up the fingers with a quick wrist motion.This command tell your dog to be in sitting position. Sit and Stay are used in conjunction with many other commands.
Teaching these dog training command will help you to take control over the dog, although there must always be a cordial communication between you and your dog so that the “the best friend” does not feel afraid and turn into some type of “robot” that does not show or get affection. I think it is not very reachable to have an robot dog. A natural dog is much better and you have more fun with your dog. But anyway, the dog has to understand your commands.
Owners often make the mistake of showing their dog that it is acceptable not to come back to them if he is busy sniffing and exploring the environment. That is not acceptable. The dog will think that it is okay to leave home without you. It could be very dangerous for you, your dog and other people around. The dog could bie someone or get into an accident or something.
Dog training command is essential in taking charge of your dog and becoming the leader of the dog or even you have more than one dog. Enrolling your dog in a training class or train him at home is a vital part for your dog’s education. Training at home is very common, so you have to educate yourself too. Some more free Training for your dog tips here. You and your dog have to enjoy the training. Then you will have a lot of fun with him.
This command is a very useful command and is relatively easy to teach them. After learning the sit command, this command should be a breeze for you.
Getting it to be able to lie down and wait while you go into a shop or walk away is a very useful order and is also key to gaining trust and a good relationship with your dog.
This command should be firstly taught indoors or in a comfortable place he is used to learning and training for you, and then as time goes on and he gets better at achieving success with their newly learnt trick, you should take it into a public place with lots of interests and new smells to distract them. This should test the strength and commitment he has for the down command.
To start, make sure your it is in the mood for training and preferably in a hungry and wanting mood where they will be more than happy to please you if it means they get a treat, just before meal times is generally a good time for training and will help the progress of your dog.
When you are ready to begin and you have your treats to-hand, start by getting him to sit for you as instructed on www.dog-behavior-training.co.uk, followed by a reward. Then let it know you have another treat in your hand for him and slowly lower it in front of him, going lower and lower, as the treat gets lowered closer to the ground your dog will be forced into the down position with their belly firmly on the floor and paws ahead of them.
As soon as his belly touches the floor, the command ‘down’ should be said and you should reward them with praise, encouragement and the treat you used. This makes it associate the command with the action and the action with a reward to help your training process.
If your he steps out of line during the training exercise, gently punish them accordingly. After you have learnt this command and you now think you’re ready for the next step, try taking your dog into a distracting place or area, or playing with their ball around them. When you have your dog under control at all times using the down command it is time to move on to more advanced dog training and you have now got a new trick to show your friends and family.
Teaching your dog to come on command to you is as simple as:
1) Making it worth your dog’s time and effort to come to you
2) The understanding that if he/she does not come to you, there will be consequences
Analogy:
When you the parent tell your child to do something, 9 times out of 10, your child will obey you. Why is this? It is as simple as saying, that your child knows that by not doing what you the parent ask, they are more than likely heading for some sort of disciplinary act. The child by no means begrudgingly obeys you. Usually the child will be quite happy doing what you ask of him/her. The same can be said for your relationship with your dog. By not installing pack seniority with your dog, your dog will walk all over you, control you doing what he likes when he wants. Your dog understands pack seniority, he/she will obey you readily and happily knowing that only good things will happen. (praise, treating)
Being authoritative when dealing with your dog is not cruel or mistreatment, it is a case of you the dominant figure, conveying to your dog that if not obeyed, you the Alpha will react accordingly in order to attain the desired result. In the wild, when a pack member is out of line, the Alpha punishes the individual either by nipping, pinning down, etc. We as humans have taken the place of the wild Alpha and we must continue to implicate behavior that is already in the dog’s bloodline.
When you call your dog, make sure you are ready to react to what your dog’s actions are. At first your dog will not even know what the command is, so punishing him/her for not obeying is not an option!
Below are points to follow:
-When starting to teach the come command, have your dog on a leash.
- Utter the command and gently but firmly pull the dog to you.
- Praise and treat.
- Upon comprehension, continue these actions progressively lengthening the distance that your dog has to travel to reach you.
- If need be at first, you can show the treat to your dog to entice the desired result.
- Upon moderate success, you can throw in distractions to tempt your dog.
- If adding distractions that your dog is fooled by, your “gentle firm” pull should become firmer.
- To test the level of comprehention, give the command and wait for your dog to react. If the reaction is positive, then guiding with the leash is not necessary.
- Upon comprehension, your “gentle firm” pull can cease.
- Always, always reward good behavior.
The frequency of which you practice this exercise, will determine the speed at which your dog learns the command. Your intent is to convey to the dog that coming to you when you call him is the best thing in the world, and if done properly you will attain a crisp outcome sooner than later.
The understanding that if he/she does not come to you, there will be consequences
People are hooked on taking care of pets these days as they can be considered as one of the most valued possessions of a person. In choosing a pet, we have a variety of choices but dogs are more preferred. One reason for this is the ability of dogs to understand and follow commands from their owners. If given proper training, a dog can understand both verbal and sign commands. However, they tend to learn hand signals easier than words because dogs are very observant of body language.
Since we don’t have an official hand signals on dog obedience training we practice commonly used basic commands and these are the heel, sit, stay, down and come. Through hand signals, you can teach your dog to sit by starting with your arm at your side. You can then move your hands toward your chest, facing your palm upward. This is ideal if you’re inches away from your pet, otherwise try to grab your pet’s collar and gently push its rear into a sitting position.
Teach your dog to heel with your arms coming down in front of your dog with your palm extended forward. You can then command your pet to stay by slowly extending your arm and hand straight down with palm flat landing right next to your pet’s nose without contact. If your dog tries to sniff your hand, you can try to stop your dog in a gentle way. If you want your dog to lay down with its stomach on the floor and its feet in front, do this with your hand open flat, palm facing down and parallel to the floor, with arm bent at the elbow in a downward sweeping motion. Lastly, you can also teach your pet to come near you with your elbow bent and arms outstretched then move your arm to your chest.
It is advisable to combine verbal command with hand signals to enhance your pet’s knowledge about it. They will soon respond to either verbal or hand signal once they learn to relate your hand signal with the desired action. If that happens, it would be easy for the owner to command his or her pet in any way the pet understands. Bear in mind that if you want your pet to impress you then help them enjoy the dog obedience training by giving your pet a treat or some praise that will inspire him to do a good work. If your dog willfully disobeys you, physical punishment is a no-no as there are positive punishments available to increase your pet’s good behavior.
If your dog succeeds in doing these basic hand signals on dog obedience training then your pet is much ready for the advance one. You can try enrolling your pet to learn more of these, though you can also do this yourself for you to have a great bonding with your pet. Equip yourself with lots of information in training your dog by reading books, searching the web or seeking advice from experienced dog owners and trainers.
In this article, we’re going to go over a very basic dog training command known as “Off” or “Down”. If you have a Pit Bull that loves to jump up on company and doesn’t know the meaning of “Down”, this article is for you. “Off” or “Down” simply tells your dog “do not touch”.
The “Off” command is usually used to command your dog not to jump up on house guests or even yourself. Everyone has experienced the unruly dog who jumps up and makes a mess of your outfit when you try to pet him.
Situations like this are what you’re going to be teaching your dog not to do with the “Off” command. You may begin this dog behavior training practice by showing your dog a treat and then watching as he jumps up to grab it. At this point, you’ll simply give him the “Off” command in a firm voice. If your Pit doesn’t listen, simply lift one knee towards your chest and he’ll comply. The purpose of this isn’t to knee your Pit in the face, you simply want to bump him in the chest and it will drop him back down to all fours.
As soon as your Pit Bull has all fours on the ground again, praise him excitedly. Doing so will reward him and show him that his actions were appreciated. Using positive reinforcement for dog training is the most effective means available for teaching your dog right and wrong.
Now, that is the basic way that you’ll teach your Pit Bull terrier the “Off” or “Down” command, the key now is repetition. You need to practice this over and over and over again.
You can begin anticipating his jumping up as well. If you notice that he’s getting ready for liftoff, simply give him the “Off” command. There is no need to wait…
In time, your Pit Bull will restrain from ever jumping up on others and as you can see, the entire training process is really very simple. Enjoy!
The heel command is another very important and popular command for your dog along with many others, taking the time to teach your dog this command will save you hours of getting annoyed when your dog doesn’t behave on long or short walks around your local area.
The reason dogs are so ‘badly behaved’ when it comes to going for walks can be for many different reasons but the most common in many homes is the excitement of wondering the streets with all the new smells, tastes, and other local dogs to discover.
The best times to train your dog and get them to do exactly what you want without too much fuss is before feeding times, if your dog wants something they will give you a lot more attention than normal. Also puppy’s and younger dogs are better to train, even with them getting over excited over everything, puppies and young dogs will be much better behaved and easier to train when they get older.
The heel command, when performed well and properly is used to stop your dog or puppy in their tracks, drop everything and return to your left hand side. Any distractions should be left alone and your dog should carry on walking closely by your side.
To begin with you will need to go in a fairly open space with enough room to move around and walk around properly, and you will need to use a lead to gently correct your dog in this exercise or a different form of gentle punishment like the ones listed on www.dog-behavior-training.co.uk
Begin by tapping your thigh saying ‘heel’ to get your dogs attention and them to come towards you, when they are by your side wait a couple of seconds then start to stride forwards, at this point your unknowing dog or puppy will try to run off ahead. If this happens you should turn in the opposite direction letting the lead go slack for 5-10 feet, start to walk in the opposite direction and as soon as the slack goes in the lead your dog will realize you have gone in the opposite direction and run towards you again.
At this point repeat the first step of commanding heel to get your dog by your side. Continue doing this exercise for 10 – 15 minutes and about 2-3 times a day. Before long your dog will become used to coming to your side and obeying you whenever you command heel.
When your dog gets used to doing this command try going in circles, in figure of eight, and changing directions suddenly, if the command is still working then try your dog on short walks and then build your way up to longer walks as you progress.
Never use the lead to discipline and roughly tug on, if you feel yourself getting annoyed then you should stop and continue at a later date when you are calmer. Keep repeating the process and your dog will eventually come to respect you. Some dogs take longer than others to train so be prepared for this behavior.
Now that you’ve achieved a reliable “sit”, its time to start on the “down” command.
Clicker Training - “Down” Command
Now, this won’t be quite as easy as sit, but have patience it will come!
A good, solid “down” command is a really important thing for dogs to learn - think about when you’re out on a walk and he sees a cat something equally as enticing. Imagine if, when he started racing over to whatever it is, you shouted “DOWN”, and he actually stopped in his tracks and lay down. It really is one of the most important commands that we can teach. (It’s also the start move for lots of fun tricks that we can try later!!)
Put your dog in the sit position and crouch in front of him, leaving enough space between you for him to lie down. Let him know that you have a treat, put it in front of his nose and move it slowly towards the floor. If you move it too fast, he’ll stand up, so have patience! He may try to get the treat out of your hand, but don’t let him have it yet!!
As you move the treat down, he should follow it with his nose.
When the treat and his nose are on the floor, move it slowly (remember, slowly, or he’ll try to stand up!!) away from him, towards you.
Although he may not lie down at this stage, he should be clicked and treated for lowering his body, which should happen naturally when he follows the treat with his nose, whilst in the sit position.
As with the sit, we need to build this behaviour up. Become more selective with clicking and treating, waiting until his body is much closer to the floor, and eventually only clicking when he is lying down.
When he is lying down with reasonable regularity, we should introduce the command “down” *. As with the sit, we need to build up to only clicking and treating when he lies down on the verbal command.
*NOTE: I do not use my dog’s name before giving the “down” command. I give this command firmly and quickly and expect an instant response. Don’t use “lie down”, as this takes longer to say and can’t be said with the same urgency as “down”.
Continue to train the “down” command, whilst standing up instead of crouching, like we were at the beginning of the training.
When you first started training the “down” command, you were putting him in the “sit” position first. You should move on to practicing the command “down” without first asking him to sit. He may be confused at first because it is different to how he first learned, but persevere and he will work it out!
A good training exercise when he is lying down reliably, is to train him with the clicker, but only click when he lies down very quickly. This should reinforce a stronger, quicker down.
You both deserve a pat on the back when he understands and follows the “down” command, so well done!!