The 'Down' Command
Prerequisites: Leadership, Foundation , Heel, Sit, Stay, Stand
1. Have your dog heel and sit a few times as a warm-up.
2. Place your dog in the sit position.
3. Kneel next your dog on your left knee.
4. Place your left arm across the top of the dog's back (with your arm bent at the elbow) and grasp the dog's collar at
the back of his neck.
5. Give the 'down' command, and reach across your body with your right arm and gently sweep the dog's front legs
forward as you apply gentle leaning pressure into your left arm.
6. As soon as the dog is down, praise warmly, but calmly. You may need to give the stay command.
7. Heel the dog forward a few steps, and repeat.
8. Repeat 10 times per day.
Alternate method:
1. Have your dog heel and sit a few times as a warm-up.
2. Place your dog in the sit position.
3. Facing forward from the heel position, drop your leash until the 'bend' in the line is about 6 inches from the ground.
4. Lift your left foot and step into the bend in the leash - IN SLOW MOTION, apply gentle, steady, forward/downward
pressure as you step. Once your foot is on the ground, stand on the leash until the dog goes down.
5. Praise and repeat.
SNEAK PEEK:
Your next session will be your exam for Level I. No need for test anxiety! You can take the test as many times as you
need to pass. (The first 2 tests are free. Further tests are $45/test.)
If you pass your test and choose to move on to Level 2, you will learn how to master the 'motionless down' - give the
down command with absolutely no movement on your part, and your dog will drop like a stone. This can be very
handy in emergency situations.
You will also learn how to teach the down-stay. The down-stay allows you to increase the time and distance of your
stays dramatically - imagine your dog being able to do a down-stay for 30 minutes or more while you're eating dinner,
watching a fire-works show, etc!