Beginners obedience

roguskie

roguskie

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We have just finished our 5th week of beginners obedience and Pippi is doing really well with everything. But We are just struggling with down. She will only lie if I point my finger to the floor. Any tips on getting past this?
She is nearly 6 months old.
 
Is down a new command for her? It took us a couple of weeks to get Cruz to do this command with us standing up. Just lots of repitition - say your command while doing your hand signal while sitting on the floor with her. As she gets better you can slowly start to do it higher up from the ground (ie. while kneeling, crouching, then standing). She's smart, she'll get it!
 
Down can be hard for smaller or less-confident dogs, because it puts them in a vulnerable position.

How is Pippi's down at home? My Betty will hit the deck FAST with only a verbal cue at home, but in class, with other dogs and people around, she sometimes needs a hand signal added. But the more relaxed and confident she feels, the better her in-public downs are.

It could be that Pippi just needs some confidence, maturity, and experience. At less than six months old, she is still a little kid, mentally and socially. It sounds like she is already off to a great start!
 
Birch had a hard time with down. He was wired for sound as a puppy and down was a very impulse controlled position and hard for Mr On the Go.
 
We seem to be getting there. She is currently waiting a while before following command so maybe she is just unsure. She has picked up "shake" in one night :)
 
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