Teaching the "down" Command

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity Teaching the “down” Command Published by Alpha Dog Training https://alpha-dog-training-slc.com (801) 910-1700 The “down” command is often one of the first behaviors I teach a new puppy. I find that it’s one of the simplest behaviors to capture and one of the most useful household manners for a dog to know. I’m always amazed at how much trouble people go to in order to teach their dog this simple behavior. There are as many methods for teaching “down” as there are trainers to teach it. If you’re working harder than your dog is to teach him something new, you’re doing something wrong. I prefer lazy training, which is why I like the “down” command. Here’s the thing: every dog has to lie down eventually. I just wait for the dog to lie down on his own, then reward him for doing so. At some point in the training process, usually after the first 10-20 rewards, there’s a lightbulb moment. This moment is one that most trainers live for, and it never fails to give me goosebumps. Suddenly, the dog realizes that his behavior is controlling my behavior. Lying down turns me into a human Pez dispenser, making delicious treats rain down like manna from heaven. Once the dog’s figured out the game, I can quickly put his down behavior on cue so that he’ll do it when I ask. Of course, just because a dog will lie down on cue at home office doesn’t mean he’ll be able to do so in the backyard, or the pet store. We’ll need to practice the behavior in each of these locations separately, but once we’ve got the behavior on cue we’re well on our way to having a solid down in any location.