How Does Your Club Teach The Drop / Down?

[huski]

LOL that's so funny... last friday night on our second training session Buffy saw a toad hopping away. Training session was over right then and there... there was something to chase lol silly puppies

LOL - we have been at this club for about eight months now. And of those eight months, about five have been spent in the class we are in now

I should spend more time on day to day training but training a beagle can be so frustrating - when you make progress however the rewards feel huge!

[JeffnCel]

Sorry that was badly worded... new diet makes my head not work... we've been at our club for about 2 months, but it was our second session on that night... knew i'd spit it out eventually lol

We bought a doberman thinking they'd be easy to train, really attentive, active listeners, and eager to please

HAHAHAHA what a joke!! LOL In a good way, they are soooo aloof until they're at least three I've been told now, up until then they're just crazy bunnies that like to muck around and test your patience. Owning a doberman has helped me in my parenting BIG time

[huski]

Sorry that was badly worded... new diet makes my head not work... we've been at our club for about 2 months, but it was our second session on that night... knew i'd spit it out eventually lol

We bought a doberman thinking they'd be easy to train, really attentive, active listeners, and eager to please

HAHAHAHA what a joke!! LOL In a good way, they are soooo aloof until they're at least three I've been told now, up until then they're just crazy bunnies that like to muck around and test your patience. Owning a doberman has helped me in my parenting BIG time

Awww!!! My next dog will be a dobe Hopefully it will be an improvement on a beagle, I'm not so sure now

[Kelpie-i]

We teach lure from stand as a preferred method. We do the"touch" exercises separately as I feel these are very important, especially for young pups.

For more difficult dogs and those who refuse to offer a drop, we use the lure with successive approximation approach...works every time!

[stumped]

l start the day l get my puppy home.

l take it for a walk, then l stand still , the pup notices you have stopped

returns to you , after a short time it lies down , at which point l say down.

l give it a little rest , say OK , then walk off. Takes about 3 outings and the association

is linked. regards Tony

[SkySoaringMagpie]

At the club, luring from a sit first and then a stand - with advice about fading the lure. At home, I try and catch my dogs doing it and mark/reward, and I have also used deliberate shaping with success.

I don't suggest physical pressure in classes. I've seen people try it with some breeds (terriers for example) and what you get is your classic "push back" from the dog which makes the whole thing more difficult than it needs to be.

I've seen very experienced people use physical pressure with their dogs, but my guess is they have some sort of tai chi style "push hands" feel to their physical pressure, which avoids the issue of the dog pushing back.

[huski]

WOOHOO!!!!!!!

First training session with Daisy since I made that post and I taught her to "down" with voice command only. Yay! Only thing now is if she is unsure what I want her to do she will do a down But progress - woohoo!

[MrsD]

With puppies, a combination of guide/ show/ place and luring. With adult dogs it varies but more often than not a guide.

I do it the same as Cosmolo.

Club uses just luring - heaps of dogs never get out of class 1 because the handlers can't do it properly.

[Kelpie-i]

Club uses just luring - heaps of dogs never get out of class 1 because the handlers can't do it properly

MrsD, I believe the reason for this happening is probably due to incorrect application and/or lack of, or insufficient instruction regarding progressing to the next step.

[MrsD]

Club uses just luring - heaps of dogs never get out of class 1 because the handlers can't do it properly

MrsD, I believe the reason for this happening is probably due to incorrect application and/or lack of, or insufficient instruction regarding progressing to the next step.

Probably true for a fairly large proportion of people Kelpie-i.

[Seita]

I usually use luring for this but have used a more manual approach to training this in the past. With my current girl I taught her drop on the move first and then moved over to doing it from stationary.

[Cala]

Always on the move, using a piece of food to guide the dog down into the correct position. Get a good straight 'pancake' drop this way. Don't usually have to use the check chain, dog is usually keen to respond to the food.

With bigger dogs we recommend sliding the hand down to the collar/check chain and putting the dog down into position. I don't use the sit and then into the down unless it is a great dane or saint bernard, who seem to have difficulty with the exercise

[4leggedvariety]

I am now teaching my newly acquired 52kg Mastiff X Dane to Down. This is how I plan to do it.

Start lure from sit, no verbal command yet. Once down, mark, treat, and a few more treats while he maintains down, then release & treat.

Then repeat same procedure putting my other hand on collar to exert a little downward pressure while luring. I found this necessary to prepare the dog for later when I phase out the lure to remind him is a downward motion I want. This in not a jerk.

Then repeat the same from standing.

Once proficient, then add verbal "Drop" before any hand & body motions. Still same reward schedule, treat while downing and also treat after release.

Then phase out lure. If dog needs help, then a small downward pressure on collar. Reward as before.

Then start to reward less while in the down position ( always use verbal praise), but always rewards after release to teach him he has to maintain that position until released, then he will get his reward.

Then every now & then, test to see if he understands the verbal alone. For that to happen, the verbal & hand signal has to be clearly separated, verbal before signal, otherwise very hard for dog to learn verbal alone.

[JulesP]

Kelpie - could you explain this method pretty please -

"For more difficult dogs and those who refuse to offer a drop, we use the lure with successive approximation approach...works every time!"