Talk About It
Francis Bacon once said, “Nature to be commanded, must be obeyed.” When it comes to training a dog, this saying is very wise indeed. Dogs, as a species, are accustomed to a hierarchy structure of command and leadership. That’s the way they naturally function and would continue to function if we had not domesticated them to be pets. So they are accustomed to a structure where everyone-or every dog-has his place in the pack-from the alpha leader to the bottom or omega dog. When you teach your dog the “down” technique, you are asserting your place as the alpha in the dog’s world.
Functionally, it is good for your dog to know and obey the down command. This can save your furniture from getting battered about and small children from getting knocked down. It’s also a good start for your dog to learn additional commands such as “crawl” or “roll over” or even tricks.
Training your dog to obey the down command is actually pretty straightforward. Your dog will naturally lie down when he is tired or relaxing. So the first thing to do is study your dog and learn to recognize when he is about to go from a sitting position to a down position.
When you see this take place you should give a clear-cut and exclusive verbal command and hand signal combination. Each behavior pattern should always be connected with an unique hand sign that is not used routinely throughout the day. It is also essential to use a clear, fixed word and tone.
Subsequent to the command and as soon as the point of accomplishment of the behavior is achieved, praise the dog lavishly. At first, the dog will not have a clear awareness of why it is getting praise. Really, this does not matter. With the repeating of these actions, the dog’s behavior will come from the command. Keep in mind, it is the productive behavior you are seeking.
At first your dog probably won’t obey as commanded because he’s not certain what you want. So you will need to be patient and consistent. The best way to teach a new behavior is to work with the dog alone, away from other people and voices and distractions.
Always encourage productive behavior through picking a treat or familiar toy and placing the dog in a sitting position at the same time placing the toy on the ground near to the front of the dog’s nose.
Upon using several repetitions with the toy or snack, utilize a ‘waving down’ hand movement, with your palm pointed towards the floor. Make sure to avoid rewarding any dog with praise or a treat unless the behavior is complete and totally correct. On the other hand, if things don’t go the way you want them to, be careful not to become upset with the dog.
Some dogs require complementary training with a leash and collar to assist. To do this, get a short leather or nylon leash-a maximum of 4 feet long. Place the dog in the sitting position and kneel so you are in front of the dog facing him.
Now make the command and unique hand gesture you will use for this command while also moving the toy or treat from a spot near the chin of the dog down to the ground. At the same time, calmly and slowly pull down on the leash to nudge the dog into the downward position you desire. Do not jerk on the leash or punish the dog or give any negative feedback. Again, follow up with praise when the dog completes the desired behavior.
In those rare cases where your dog seems to have difficulty learning, try this. Face the dog at a bit of an angle and, while you are kneeling down, slip the loop of the leash under one or your feet and also slide the loop under the knee of the dog’s opposite leg. Now try issuing the command again, only this time, gently pull the leash loop with your foot and pull both of the dog’s front legs toward you gently, so he slides down into the down position.
After the dog is correctly positioned, give him lots of praise. It doesn’t matter that you initiated this movement and helped put the dog into the position. You want to give your dog that praise so he has good feelings about getting into this position-regardless of how he does it-and he knows you are pleased with him for doing it.
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Posted in Dogs · November 9th, 2009 · Comments (0)
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