Down Stay
command
Set your dog up in the down position, as we
taught, by getting him to lie down either verbally or manually.
With his lead on, stand on the lead close enough to the dog so
he cannot sit up.
Firmly say the ’stay’
command
Now you are going to use the clicker, and
give him a little treat every 15-20 seconds he stays there
without fuss, so he begins to understand the
command.
Make sure you don’t treat so he is coaxed out
of the down position, get him to remain as he is. Give the
treat to your dog by either dropping them in the dog’s front
paws or leaning down quickly, in order to place them on the
ground between his front legs. Here we want to avoid letting
him move to take the treat!
He‘ll try no doubt to rise up and take the
treat, stop him by firmly standing on the lead. If he does
break free and stand up, place him back on the ground with the
‘down‘ command and start again.
Try your best to not stand there if the dog
gets up. This could startle him, and the other worry is that if
your training a large breed, he could pull the lead from under
you feet! Big dogs are very strong customers-confused strong
dogs are even harder work! Try and show your dog that a) it is
impossible (and uncomfortable) to get up, and b) he gets a nice
reward for staying down (the treat).
After a successful 2 or 3 minutes, or till
the treats wear off, lift your foot off the lead and let him
sit up. Be sure to say ‘okay’ before you step away from the
lead. Remain calm as your step of the line, ensuring the fun
part for the dog should be while he lies
down.
As you repeat the exercise, make it last for
longer. See if you can add a full minute each time you do it.
After about a week of daily sessions, experiment by adding
small distractions. Praise, clicker and treat when the dog
deals with a distraction and doesn’t try to get up. He’s doing
really well by this stage!
Some ideal starter
distractions:
Throw your keys a few feet away from the dog.
Clap hands a little. Whistle sharply. Shake your leg. Pat him
softly. Try get a buddy to walk past as your do
it.
Advanced
distractions for the 2nd week:
Drop a treat on the ground a few feet from
the dog. Have people walk past him. Toss a magazine on the
ground. Do stays with children playing nearby. Have someone
honk a car horn. Have someone walk another dog past him. Swing
your arms around in circles.
Really tough
advanced distractions (weeks 3 and
4):
Have someone try to entice your dog out of
position, first using inviting voice commands, then trying to
lure him with treats. Get a buddy to wander up with his dog and
have it stay a few feet from yours, if the dogs are compatible!
Throw your dog’s favourite play thing or toy. Have children and
adults pet him. Kids running past are a top notch
distraction.
Practice in popular areas, near a mall, a
shop or a playground. Over time increase the distractions and
length of the time until your dog stays down, as keeps
attention for 5-10 minutes, if he can! At this level, your
ready to move your foot off and let him try it without the
lead.
Go to a quiet area with no distractions and
practice with your feet on the leash for a few minutes. Now’s
when you can put the dog in a down position, and try it all
without standing on the lead. This might be daunting for your
dog at first, as the lead has been an integral part till now.
Step out in front and stand just a couple of feet away from
him. Praise him frequently for staying put and make sure you
deliver those titbits and clicks right between his front paws
so he doesn’t come forward and reach for
them.
If he tries to get up, tell him off with a
sharp ‘NO’ & lead him right back down. When you feel that
the dog will stay where he is, try further away, perhaps 5
feet. At this point you’ll need to click and step toward him to
deliver the titbit.
Its best to always clicker, then walk the
treat into the dog. We want the dog to associate the click with
the treat, and reward him for staying where he is, without
moving.
Try a couple of feet further away with each
training session repetition. Remember, if your dog moves up or
from his position, use the sharp ‘NO‘, lead him back to where
he was supposed to be staying and get him in the down position.
Now repeat the process again. If he always breaks the stay, you
might have come to far to soon. Retract to an earlier stage
until he’s awesome at staying put. Reward good behaviour, and
‘NO’ bad behaviour.
When your dog stays, with you standing at a
distance of 10-20 feet or 3-6 meters, gradually reintroduce
distractions and lengthen the stay time.
Dont forget the amazing conclusion from
my dog training trial! Be sure to read and check it
out...
| The Conclusion...? |
|
Well, after much work
and discussion with my 12
trialists, the conclusion is this: If
you want the quickest, most user friendly and
best value way to craft your pet dog into a
fabulous additon to your life, you need Sit
Stay Fetch.
Don't get me wrong,
the 'Easy DIY dog
training' works, and most users were
happy with it. From a overall point of
view, I think that much of the good
result was due to the fact that I, as a
personal trainer, pushed my clients to go
for and use Easy DIY dog
training to try it out. They
had a helping hand through me, you may
not have someone to motivate you
along and may find it more challenging
perhaps...
Overall,
'Sit Stay Fetch'
was
a standout product, in fact,
the
clear
best in
terms of actual results and user responses, of
the 18 products we trialled. It was clear there
was just no competiton that stood up to the
overall Sit Stay Fetch
package.
Read more about and buy Sit Stay
Fetch - Click here
|
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