Francis Bacon is reputed to have said that we must obey nature if we want to command it. This statement is especially true when it comes to training your dog. As pack animals dogs naturally adhere to hierarchies with the alpha or leader at the top and the omega at the bottom. Using the ‘down’ command is an effective means of enforcing your alpha status.
The ‘down’ command also has practical benefits because if a dog is in the down position it is less likely to be banging into the furniture or a small child. This command is a natural beginning for teaching other commands such as ‘crawl’ ‘roll over’ and more.
Providing it is done properly it is not hard to train your dog to behave appropriately. It is even easier when the trainer learns to take advantage of the dog’s spontaneous behavior – it allows you to observe the dog and wait for it to move either to sit down or stand up.
As soon as you observe such behavior you should use the unique voice command and accompanying hand gesture. Any behavior that you are trying to teach your dog should be associated with a hand gesture that you only use when training along with a clear and precise word and tone.
Once you have issued the command and the behavior is complete you should give your dog lavish praise. To begin with the dog will not know why it is being praised; this is not a problem – repetition will eventually follow the command and give you the results you’re looking for.
You need patience and consistency when training as most dogs will not display the appropriate behavior on command the first few times. As with all training sessions you should minimize noise and any other distractions as far as possible. Take the dog out of earshot of other voices while you are training. When the dog obeys reinforce the behavior by taking a treat or favored toy, putting the dog in the sit position with the treat or toy on the ground and just in front of the dog’s nose.
Once you have repeated the gesture with the treat or toy a number of times, try using a ‘waving down’ hand movement with the palm towards the ground. Do not reward your dog with either praise or a treat until he has completed the desired behavior correctly. Don’t get angry and frustrated if this takes the dog some time.
Some dogs are either more assertive or slower to learn then others, in which case you may need to supplement training with a collar and leash. The lead should be a short leather or nylon one between two and four feet long, put the dog into the sit position and then kneel down facing him. Issue the voice command along with the hand gesture and move the treat or toy to the ground at the same time as you pull gently on the leash. Remember the goal is not to punish but to encourage your dog.
If your dog is difficult to train or slow to learn then when you kneel down put the loop of the leash under one foot and under the knee of the opposite leg, facing the dog at a slight angle. Then pull the loop of the leash with your foot, sliding it over your leg; at the same time take hold of the dog’s forelegs gently and then pull towards you while issuing the voice command.
Once you have the dog in position, praise him lavishly even though you enabled the movement rather than the dog – the aim is that the dog should associate the position with good feelings. Considerable patience, along with a commitment to regular training sessions is crucial if you want your dog to display the appropriate behavior. Most of these tips have been directed at people who keep their dog as a pet, some dogs, for example service dogs, require specialized training.
