Teaching The Down Method

The down exercise is another control exercise, but even more so. It is, in the mind of the dog, an act of total submission. You will want to practice this a lot in your spare time. This exercise helps you to get control of your dog a lot faster. It is also an excellent emergency stop if you need it. Now remember to make a big deal out of the hand signal, this is to teach your dog threw body language what you want along with using your voice.

There are three methods you can use to teach your dog this.

1. Food Method

   Stand in front of your dog, with him in a sit position. Let your dog know that you have a treat in your right hand, then raise your right hand above your head in a salute position. Say "Down!" in a strong voice. Next, move your right arm down to the ground, slicing the air just in front of the dogs face, showing the treat. The dog will move to a down position in order to get to the treat. When the dog is totally in a down position, give it the treat, along with lots of praise. Make the hand signal very elaborate, and very showy. You want to do a down slice from above your head in a big slicing motion toward the ground.

2. Pull-Leg Method

   Stand in front of your dog, with him in a sit position. Raise your right hand and arm above your head as described in the Food Method. Say "Down!" in a strong voice. Move your right hand and arm down to the ground, slicing the air just in front of the dogs face. Then, go to your knees and grab the dogs front legs, pulling them towards you, (don't pull harshly, but do pull firmly and authoritatively) making him go to a down position. Praise the dog and give him treats once he's in the down position.

3. Leash Method

   The dog should be on a leash and at your left side, in a heel/sit position. Hold the leash in your right hand, You will want to tighten up on the leash and bring your right hand down farther along the leash closer to the dog. Say "Down!" in a strong voice and arm movement as in Methods #1 and #2. Place your left foot on the leash closes to the collar you will have to tighten up the leash and press down to the ground. Using your foot as a pulley, pull on the leash with your right hand forcing the dog into the down position. If you have to, you may use your left hand to push down on the dogs shoulders to help as you pull on the leash to get him into the down. Once again, give the dog lots of praise and a treat for doing what you told him to do.

I like to use both methods #1 and #3. I initially teach the dog with method #1, using it until the dog knows what to do at the command. I then use #3 as a correction and proofing method if he doesn't want to down as he's supposed to do or fast enough. . I say "No, Down!" in a strong voice, and then step on the leash as soon as I say down. It actually is all one movement, I say down at the same time stepping on the leash. A lot of time dogs will go into the down on command in a slow, pouting type manner. So by stepping on the leash to get them to down right then, not when they feel like it. This really works especially if YOU MUST get them to down in the emergency down for their own sake or in the CDX in the down recall. As usual I give tons of praise and treats, with lots of good boy pats, and petting.

As with the sitting exercise, practice this before feeding your dog and before you leave a room he is in. I will practice this one a lot in the home, such as go Place, (to down in a certain spot) or when I want to leave a room or am letting one of several dogs outside.

The one great thing about the down is it is a Great replacement for bad behavior. As I have said before when you give a NO command you must always follow it up with what you want! So If you have a bad behaving dog, or aggressive replace it with the down or sit. When ever I have someone come over to my house. It can be if allowed a scary thing, for both the person visiting or me. I have nine dogs that live in my home eight are Shepherds and one very large Border Collie. If the dogs could have their way they would all rush the new person barking and being obnoxious. So we here at ExclaiburK9 Shepherds we give the command of Down or Plazt! This drops all the dogs to a nice down and then release them one by one by voice command. So the new person is over whelmed or not scared out of their mind, and I can and do control the situation.

On all my young dogs I teach them a down from the stand position. The reason for this is I want them to down in a back ward motion. In the drop recall in the CDX trials, one of the commands is for your dog to drop in one body length on a full run. If your dog is a fast in coming one, like mine are, this will save you on your length distance so you will not go over the allotted space for your dog to drop. So what I do is teach them to drop or down going backwards onto their haunches. It is actually very easy to teach. Your dog is standing up, and your facing your dog, you then place your hand on their forehead, you then tell your dog to down while pushing them into a down position on to their rear. And when you say down you have to make sure they only down going backwards. Pretty soon that is all they will do when given the command. It will save the dogs life in a inches matter situation or in the drop recall command. I also will use food that goes with them in that position so as soon as they are in the desired position they are treated. REMEMBER TO ALWAYS expect your dog to do it correctly, if they move or do not down correctly they will think they can down or not down the way they want. Also once they are in the down position push them or roll them over onto their hip a dog is a lot less likely to get up from a down if they are on their hip rather a straight forward down position. Remember to always praise, and give treats after the exercise is over but do not go over board or get the dog over excited to be uncontrollable in your obedience routines. Always work with a soothing calm aura about your self, stay focused and with a goal in mind. If you do not keep focused your dog will break and will think he does not have to down. When you give the down command you must be sure of your self that your dog will do this, and stay there. If your hesitant in your commands your dog then will think you don’t mean it or he really does not have to down. Be firm, but fare in giving your commands never ask, always tell your dog what you want from him. My dogs when given the down command will drop like a rock while even chasing a ball or cat. So the more you do this exercise the more you dog can do! I will even practice the down while heeling my dogs, as the same with the heel sit, heel sit exercise. I will do the heel down, heel down, this is to teach my dog to down every time I say down or plazt! If they do not react within seconds of the command I put my foot on the leash closest to the collar for a form of correction saying NO Plazt or down. As with all commands that are given make sure you say Good down, good sit, good stay. Saying a well deserve good boy, good sit, so forth and so on is JUST AS IMPORTANT AS SAYING NO!

MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE LIKE A GSD.