# The "down" command



## Ollywebb1 (Feb 6, 2013)

For those that remember my previous post about how Radley was the example to the puppy class of what not to do, I thought you'd like to know the trainer has changed her comments of "Radley, you're so much trouble" to "ooh Radley you're such a little star!" Ha I knew he'd prove them wrong.

Anyway, whilst training is going well, I'm getting really frustrated, and so is Radley. He simply will not lie down outside. I know V's can be fussy and a bit princess-like but my intentions are to work Radley when he's a bit older. And on that basis I'm sure I will need him to be able to lie down in the grass whatever the weather.

I can't find any other info on the forum about this so hopefully someone will have the answer to the question:

How on gods green earth do you train to lie down outside?

Thanks


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Does he down on command inside?


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## Ollywebb1 (Feb 6, 2013)

Yes, he does down 100% if I've got a treat in my hand, but he will nearly always do it with just hand signal and voice command even with out a treat. At the moment he will only do it from the sit. I haven't tried going straight into down yet.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

You might have to just completely re-train the "down" while you're outside. There were some tricks Jasper could transpose from inside to outside, some he wasn't able to easily, and others he just refused to because he was a prissy pants that didn't want to get dirty. So I'd probably start completely from scratch outside, like he's never learned down in his life.

I had to lure Jasper into downs. I would sit with him on one side of me. I'd tuck one leg under me, then bend the other so that it made a triangle with the ground. This is really hard to explain! But I'd put the lure (stinky, stinky, yummy treat) on the opposite side of my triangle leg from Jasper. In order for him to get the treat, he had to go under my leg, and it was low enough that it forced him into a down automatically. This worked better for me than applying pressure to the shoulder blades, and much better than just waiting for him to down before giving him the treat, since he could stand with his front half down and his butt in the air all day long if he wanted.

Oh, and as far as going straight into downs goes, here's some advice from an old trainer. Her dog originally knew sit, then down. But a lot of the obedience stuff required straight into a down, I think. So she trained that, and her dog could do it, but he'd vary in whether he rocked down and back into a down, or if he'd sit and then scoot his front paws forward to lay down. The former is the desired motion, so when he did that, she'd "jackpot" his treats--give him seven or eight treats, one after the other. If he did a sit-down, he'd get a treat and some praise, but not nearly as much as before. Like, one treat and a "good boy!" Dogs are pretty good at understanding jackpots, and her dog picked up on the preferred method of laying down very quickly. Worked with Jasper as well. Just some random advice for when you start training a straight-to-down.


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## marathonman (Jan 15, 2013)

Our boy Jasper had a brief reluctance with grass. Our trainer said its often a problem with short coated breeds. Start with a towel outside for him to lie down on. As he gets used to it, start folding the towel smaller and smaller and repeating. It may take a few sessions but he should get used to it and be able to do it without the towel. You'll know you've gone too fast if he doesn't want to. Just back up a step or to and give it another shot.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

He is young so stay calm and it will happen.
Take a high value treat. In the house have him sit and then down. Give the treat after he has downed. Then walk him outside in a area that dosent have lots of distractions.
Make sure he knows you have the same wonderful treat. Have him sit and then give a treat. Ask him to down and treat if he does. It not back to sit and hold treat by feet and side it towards you to see if he downs by following treat.

Mine start out with treats for every command followed and then we move to only treat sometimes. It keeps them guessing.


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## Ollywebb1 (Feb 6, 2013)

Thanks all, i will give those suggestions a try and see how he gets on 8)


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Treats again 

I DON'T FORCE DOWN OR SIT OUTSIDE PERIOD*

Wiseman  once said.... "Pointers stand, retrievers sit". 

*the only time I down or sit the boy outside, if I first put a carpet down for him... Or the ground is dry and clean... Royal dog, Haha
Sit is a little different I will ask but not on concrete... Fresh grass only. 


Ps.. Down is really easy with prongs...5 minutes. 
Need not wasting trainer's time with proper use of a prong collar! Trainer is busy and should not be bothered with difficult dogs. 

Whoa and heel are a lot more valuable, just a thought.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

V stands for versatile.
Vizsla is a versatile breed. Not just a pointer, but a retriever too.. To duck and goose hunt they need to know sit and down. Cash will sit in a pond if I ask him to, and lay in a wet field. He would rather hunt than be treated like royalty. Yours maybe clean but mine like to get down and dirty.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Datacan
She is working with a puppy, not a dog.
If your to hard on a pup he will sit and down on command , but will most likely have his tail tucked. You've lost far more than you've gained.
Yes my puppies are trained with treats and praise.
Even outside, as I do it where there are no other dogs.
Later after they have matured we step up the training.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Cash is a real Country boy :-*

Sam is clean... I wish mud is not the issue for Sam... commands given willy-nilly are. 

It is funny to see him sit on snow, he will check what reward I hold in my hand and if it's not up there with dried fish, he may wine and squat sit.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I think marathonman's reply #4 is a pretty good solution, IMO.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

I USE BEGGING STRIPS LOL IF THIS HELPS SOME

LOADED WITH FLAX AND GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROTIONS WITH HER

I WANT HER TO HAVE GREAT KNEES ;D IF THIS HELPS SOME FUN''

I CHANGE THINGS  :-*


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