Level 1 Trainer Level 7 Dog: DOWN

Down Level 1 Step 1:  The dog lies down with the leash off
Training Concepts:

This is an ideal behaviour to CAPTURE.

• Click when she lies down and toss the treat slightly off to one side so she has to get up to get it
• This puts her in a perfect position to offer you another down to get another treat
• (Even the most active dog lies down a billion times a day.)
• MJ taught Lily to lie down by CAPTURING Lily lying down.  She clicked and tossed a treat (to reposition her to offer another Down.)
• MJ continued watching the TV while watching Lily periforally.  Lily began offering behaviors in order to earn another click and treat.  Eventually she lay down again.  C/T.  And again.  C/T.
• MJ soon discovered that CAPTURING the Down soon turned in to SHAPING the down.

How to LURE a Down.

• From a sit, hold a treat in your hand
• Put it right up to her nose so she can nibble it a bit
• Think "magnet" between the treat and the nose
• Think a very strong magnet
• Then very slowly move it down, down, down and then forward

Problem Solving

• If she rises forward out of the sit, you moved your treat too far forward and not enough down....or too fast.
• NOTE:  You're aiming for a spot on the floor slightly in front of her front paws before you start forward.
• If she rises backwards out of the sit, you moved your treat too far backwards and not enough down....or too fast

We don't have video of MJ teaching this behavior to Lily.  She successfully achieved Step 1 by CAPTURING the behavior.  We later used LURING to explain the behavior.