Reply With Quotebarry581 (09-17-2016)
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Aye Mates,
As trainers, most all of us address RECALL, SIT, HEEL, and STAY within the context of basic and foundational obedience training. Many trainers stop at basic obedience and others go on to train the K9's they work with to perform a number of additional behaviors, meself amongst the latter grouping.
Amongst other behaviors I elect to train is the "DOWN" command as I find it highly useful for a number of applications whilst working me Labs afield.
LEXIE, REV, and TRAD demonstrate the "DOWN" position upon verbal command.
I train the retrievers I work with to assume the "DOWN" position when commanded verbally to do so. Additionally, I train K9's to take a gestural cue for performance of the "DOWN" action / behavior. In training for this useful behavior. I start within close proximity to meself as the trainer and continue to extend to greater and greater distances as success is solidified at shorter distances. Retrievers trained by meself are conditioned and expected take the DOWN" command verbally and by gestural cue remotely out to distances of 200 yards and further. Conversely, I use the verbal command "UP" when I want the K9 to rise to a "SIT" and also train the dogs to do so on a gestural cue. The silent communication of the gestural cue is useful in a vast number of scenarios whilst hunting. The "DOWN" position is one of submission and can be used soley or as a chained behavior (often I use it with SIT or PLACE) as an attention getter when a dog is less than focussed or in potential danger. The "DOWN" command is useful in keeping a dog "low profile whilst hunting or when underway in a canoe or small boat.
Consider adding "DOWN" to the behaviors you train for beyond basic obedience and you will be glad that ye did so.
Grand training to ye and enjoy ye retrievers.
Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER
Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER
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barry581 (09-17-2016)
I've been working with my puppy on"down" but he will often roll over onto his back as I guide him into the proper position. Do you have any experience with this behavior and how did you remedy it?
We use DOWN and make it part of our basic obedience training. It's useful for the honor in Senior and Master tests. I don't know why more people don't do the honor on a down, since the rules only stipulate that the dog must be able to see the birds go down.
However, my dog creeps/crawls on her belly like a snake. It's like she has parsed the command DOWN and figures it does not include DOWN-IN-ONE-PLACE-AND-STAY-THERE. I think as we just keep working on line manners and getting the creeping on the line stopped, the crawling around on the honor behavior will disappear.
I think having a good DOWN and PLACE commands is very useful at home and everywhere you take your dog.
I most often start the pup whilst he / she is atop of the training table and I make use of an edible reward to guide the pup into place and I sumultaneously deliver both the verbal command and food reward for the correct response. If the response is incorrect, no edible or other form of reward is delivered. Just a low frequency of trials and expected proper response is sought initially. As performance level increases in frequency of desired response, I increase the frequency of trials and randomly increase the amount of time the pup must remain in position prior to getting the reward (I will use a lead or check cord to control the behavior of rebelious or "roller" type pups as you have described).Originally Posted by tims229
As pups become more proficient, I chain in the gestural cue (usually quite early on in instructional phase and delivered along with the verbal command initially). Also, as proficiency increases, I gradually increase the distances at which the command is given and randomly vary betwixed the verbal command and silent cue. The edible reward is eventually delivered on a random / intermittent schedule and then phased out entirely as verbal praise and positive physical contact or a retrieve becomes the high value reward.
I also add the command "FLAT" and a secondary gestural cue for the K9 to assume a more flattened posture with his or her head low and tight to the ground level. An adult dog that will do this nearly disappears in relatively low cover, a real plue with the approach of geese whilst hunting grass fields.
These behaviors take time and patience to teach, but are well worth such expended efforts given the value of the well conditioned behavior.
Good luck with it.
Cheers,
Irishwhistler
Last edited by IRISHWISTLER; 09-14-2016 at 07:14 AM.
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tims229 (09-14-2016)
The only command I had a tough time with for Dan was "down". I was doing it from a sitting position. When I switched to having him do it from a stand, he got it right away. I don't know if this will help you or not but figured I'd put it out here.
Meanwhile....Holy Tongue, Batman...the first dog in the trio has a very impressive tongue.
tims229 (09-14-2016)
Properly trained and conditioned, a K9 should easily be able to perform the "DOWN" behavior from the standing and sitting position (unless they have a particular orthopedic condition that may prohibit doing so, etc.).
Cheers,
TEAM TRAD
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
Mocha is very solid on "down".
We are working with our wee lass Latte on sit, off, come and shake. She is 8 weeks old so the training sessions are short and we train one command at a time.
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Mocha:Born 7/13/14 Gottcha 9/13/14 Latte: Born 7/15/16 Gottcha 9/9/16
Labs- "Hearts of gold, heads of stone, cast iron stomachs"
I can understand why the command down is important in the field where guns are involved and a low flying bird. I also think it is a very important command for a pet. It's not an easy one for Archie, especially holding that position as I move away. In fact, any holding type position as I move away is hard for Archie and we continue to work on them. His preference is to be right beside me and he's hard headed about it. When he breaks a sit or down, coming up to me and leaning into me, I'm afraid I let him get away with it too often. Need to toughen up, me that is.
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Kissing Bandit
It is tough to discipline a pup that just wants to be by you. That's why we gave up on trying to keep Leo of the couch. He just wants to sit with us (his pack). He has been learning "stay" quite well as long as I'm still in view. Holds very steady, even after I release him sometimes. Life with puppies is so rewarding!
True.
I'm 95% certain it's just one of preference for my pooch. His x-rays show perfection but he does tend to dislike walking fast (although loves to run and play rough with his mama)...unless he's the only dog being walked, then his speed improves. No limping, licking, etc. His mama has a sore spot on her spine (x-rays perfect) and for the entire 7 1/2 years that we've had her, she's had phases of not wanting to walk uphill too quickly (which was what my Hershey started showing when his spinal stenosis kicked in). Two vets have both agreed with me that both dogs seem a bit long and perhaps have some spinal soreness associated with that. Both dogs also tend to have both hind legs to one side when they lie down....not always but a significant amount of time, and Sunnie prefers to lie over sitting. Dan is a frog dog when chewing on something for any length of time.
Anyway....for me, "down" is about daily requirements, not competition, agility or hunting. If you're a dog in my house, you're expected to lie down immediately upon entering the house from outside. I don't care how you get there. When I approach you with a washcloth/towel in my hand, you are expected to "over" (roll on to your side). That's also the drill for nail filing and nipple checking. That's it. They hear "sit" a lot, but not "down".
Dan's preference "getting there" is to circle once or twice and then lower himself. If he's already sitting when I want him down, he'll get up and do the circle thing...doesn't just lower himself.
Works for me.
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