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One more thing.....Down Stay

The Service and Therapy Dog forum is for all service and therapy dogs regardless of whether or not their status is legally defined by federal or state law, how they are trained, or whether or not they are "certified." Posts questioning or disputing a person's need for a service or therapy dog, the validity of a person's service or therapy dog, or the dog's ability to do the work of a service or therapy dog are not permitted in this forum. Please keep discussions fun, friendly, and helpful at all times.

  


Member Since
02/17/2013		 
 
Barked: Thu Mar 14, '13 2:42pm PST 
Hey all, I'm wondering something. I never taught my dog downstay, because he has a bit of a hard time getting up due to his rather large head (he pitches forward if he gets up too fast, it's actually pretty hilarious) However, I've recently started going back to school, and many of my classes are 3 horus a time. He does great in a sit/stay, which is what I trained him in. However, it just seems plain out cruel to leave him in that position for 3 hours, so I've lately just given him the cue to stay close, and he'll sit until he gets tired and then lie down. I want to help get him to a point where I can give him a command to lie down and stay - any suggestion on how to do this? I've literally never done it with him, ever. I need him to be able to jump up quickly when we're out and about, but in class I don't think I"ll need that so much. And now I regret teaching him sitstay without also teaching down/stay. He loves to learn, but I'm not sure where to start, because he's very reluctant to lie down while working due to his training. I think I'm going to need to break down some training and build it back up, not quite sure where that would be though. Thanks!

Edited by author Fri Mar 15, '13 4:40pm PST

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Zoey

SDit		 
 
Barked: Thu Mar 14, '13 9:53pm PST 
just teach him the down-stay just like you trained the sit-stay (he just will be in a down, he should pick up on in very quickly) as for as him getting up quickly, you can't really 'train' that, in my opinion. i would use the down-stay when you know you will be in one place for a long time, and just contusion the use of the sit-stay when you know you won't. hope that helps, and sorry for any miss spelling laugh out loud
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Member Since
02/17/2013		 
 
Barked: Thu Mar 14, '13 11:16pm PST 
only problem is, he won't lay down.......at all. I've trained him against it to the point that he just won't do it. At home we don't have a problem. Anywhere else......not so successful. And I don't even know where to begin with him. He's following his previous training well, but it's hindering his ability to learn the command 'down' is an OK thing to do. I carry around treats everywhere so that ANY time he does it in the appropriate setting he gets a treat, it's just hard to figure out how to make him understand that it is OK outside of the house. :p
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Maddox

Captain Three- Legs		 
 
Barked: Fri Mar 15, '13 1:31pm PST 
If your dog has such an abnormally large head that it is legitimately difficult to get up from a down I'd be very wary about using him as a SDIT to begin with. A SD downs many dozens of times a day. If he has trouble getting up each time imagine the wear that puts on him.
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Member Since
02/17/2013		 
 
Barked: Fri Mar 15, '13 4:38pm PST 
He doesn't have that much trouble getting up, only when he's pushing up on his hind legs too much. It pitches his whole body forward and then he'll have a hard time righting himself. But like I said, it happens sometimes. Not all the time. And has been dramatically decreasing in the last few months as his body starts to get bigger and his head stays the same. Within the next year he'll be fully grown and most likely perfectly proportionate. So no, I am not wary about using him as an SD, and I have never put him in a downstay yet - I move around too much, I'm very paranoid about being in the same place for more than about 3 minutes, which really isn't worth putting him into a down stay, a sit/stay is way easier. And with losing my vision, I prefer to have things where I can touch them, including my SD. To each his or her own in what they are/aren't OK with in a service dog, and to each their own on whether or not they put them into a down/stay all the time.
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Isaac

1278829		 
 
Barked: Sat Mar 16, '13 8:37am PST 
Use a favorite treat to coax him into a down position. Hold it in front of him, then move it forward and down, such that he has to lie down to reach it. Say the command (Down or whatever), tell him good boy, and let him have the treat. Then give your command for stay.
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Nova

1184372		 
 
Barked: Tue Mar 19, '13 6:32pm PST 
We teach our guide dogs a "settle" command which just means "hey we're chilling here for a while. Lay down and take a load off." Useful for dogs who, when you do a down-stay, won't relax because they're waiting for the next command. All you really need to teach is "down" because after you say down your dog shouldn't be changing position until you say something anyway.
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