This post was written by guest blogger John Dancy.
Obedience Lesson Eight
The “down.” Now, I learned the real-world use of those liver treats Gene had told me about in our first lesson. Candy had learned to love the treats. To introduce the “down,” Gene had me walk with her on my left, stop, and say “down, “ at the same time I held a liver treat in front of her nose, where she could not miss the smell, then lowered the treat to the ground and swept my hand out in front of her, on the ground. Candy naturally followed the treat down and forward. Voila! She was “down.” I gave her the treat. After a half dozen or so repeats, Gene had me do it without the treat. By now, it was instinctive for Candy to follow my hand, so she lay down, even without the treat as a reward.
Now, we combined the “down” with a “stay.” Candy quickly learned to lie down, and stay. Practicing in the backyard, I would put her in a down-stay, for fifteen minutes or more. At the start of the stay, she would watch me intently, waiting for me to release her. Eventually, when I didn’t, she would roll over on her back and wiggle, to scratch her back. Sometimes, she would doze off. No matter, she was learning to stay where she was placed. Little by little, we increased the time of a down-stay…a very useful command out in the real world, or at home when you have company.