Teaching the down command can be a dawnting task if
you don't use the proper techniques. The method that
I've used to quickly train my dog involves three steps.
First you must make sure that your dog understands what
it must do when it is given the "down" command. Second,
you must be certain that you have practiced the down
command 3X a day for 5min. each time for a period of
1 week.. The last step is to use a technique I learned
from Winnifred Strickland to teach your dog the down
command by signal rather than by a verbal command.
Without further adieu, here's my three step plan.
First find a secluded location where there are no distractions.
Put your dog's joke collar and leash on and use a little
bit of kibble as enticement for the next three days.
Now, take one kibble in you hand, bring it up close
to your dogs mouth, move you hand down to the ground
as you dog tries to nibble at it and say the command
"down". You will need to repeat this process 3x/day
for 5min. for the next three days.
From day 4-7 repeat your training again in a secluded
area where there are no distractions for your dog. Except,
now, in step two, do not use food as an enticement.
This time take the right front paw of you dog and stretch
it forward. At the same time, grab the dog's choke collar
and gently push your dog over to its side as you say
the command "down".
Now, you're ready for the third phase of your training
session. As before, set up an environment where your
dog won't be distracted. Put the collar and leash back
on, stand next to your dog, and say the command "down"
and see if you dog will respond. If your dog responds,
then great, you're done. However, most dog's won't respond
to your command because the down command is putting
them in a submissive position and they prefer not to
be told what to do. At this point you know that your
dog understands what is expected of it and it is still
refusing to obey.
In order to complete the third phase of your dog's
training, stand in front of your dog with your leash
at hand and say the command "down". When your dog refuses
to obey, gently tap the tip of its nose with the palm
of your fingers as your point to the ground. You dog
must be able to see you point to the ground. ONLY repeat
this procedure once or twice per session because you
don't want to give your dog the impression that you're
hitting it. Repeat this procedure for the next 3 days.
On the 4th day, follow the same procedure except with
one variation. This time simply hold the palm of your
hand over your dog's head, look into its eyes, and see
if it obeys your command. If your dog does not respond,
again tap its nose gently with the palm of your fingers
and say the command "down". The key to the last technique
is to be GENTLE and not use a lot of force when tapping
the tip of your dog's nose. Within a matter of a few
days, your dog will respond to you command and "down"
with your signal rather than with your verbal command.
About the Author
Armen T. Ghazarians offers advice and articles for
all those interested in training their dogs like the
professionals. His website http://www.newdogtrainingsecrets.com
offers information regarding many aspects of professional
dog training for anyone who is not a professional dog
trainer.
