Does anyone know how to make a dog drop on command? Mine are very food orientated but if i get the treats out they will just sit drooling waiting for one, how do i teach them to move away and then drop? it must be complicated??

Are you talking about doing a down or dropping a toy?

doing a down- like if shes chasing a jogger! how to stop her!!

the way i did it (presuming they know the command all ready)
is to put a treat far away from me and attach my dog to a long line.
i show them the treat and walk with them a fair way away from it. i then let them go and they go off to get the treat but i stop them in time so they can't get it.
i then say down in a fairly loud voice ( so they get used to a shout if outside) and wait until they do it. i then click and make them come to me for the treat.
N.B never let them get the treat that you are using as the lure as otherwise you will get a dog that lies down and then runs off again to get what ever they wanted before.
once this is successful in the house take it outside.
HTH
anna
edited to say: i then move onto a ball or something being thrown for them to chase and calling a down in the middle (still on a long line to make sure of absolute accuracy.)
then the next stage is asking friends to ride their bikes past with them on a long line and continue with as many distractions as possible.
don't use the command off lead unless you are absolutely certain that they will do it or they wil learn to ignore it.

Can your dog do a down next to you?  If not, you need to work on that first.

Once your dog can do that on a verbal cue only (no body language or hand signal), then you can move on to trying it at a distance.

A clicker is very useful because it can precisely mark the right behaviour at a distance.  If you are just using treats and not the clicker, it is near impossible to reward the dog at the precise moment it went down (because you have to get to it).

if your dog understands the word down close by. he should understand it far away. throw a treat out a small way from you.so the dog runs out, once hes ate it say down. If he drops praise & keep using the "down" word whilst you go up to him "ie "what a good DOWN, brilliant down" when you get there make sure he stays in position,run your hand down hisa back, "oh good down" then take a titbit out of your pocket & feed whilst hes in the down. then realease. continue the game gradually throwing the titbit further away each time!
good luck it could save your dogs life one day!

Michelle,

Can this be done with a sit too - or does this distance control need to work differently to the down.

My old Irish gal can still do stand sit and down from a distance but I can't for the life remember how I taught it to her - would love to teach the young boys to do it.

She used to creep forward in the stand and I remember to stop that we used to throw her toy behind as the reward but the rest - so many years ago now!!

Thanks,

Rachel

To teach anything at a distance and/or on the move, you must first establish the behaviour in the static position.

Ie get the dog to sit/down whilst it is standing still, once you have that on cue, and only then, you can move the dog away from you  by say throwing food and as soon as it stops eating it, give the cue again. Continue until the dog will take up the cue position to your left/right, in front of you and behind you.

Once this is established start to generalise it in different areas of the house, garden and outside.

Then you can start to introduce movement, again whilst the dog is beside you and then gradually increasing the distance.

Each variable needs to be taught in isolation, position, distance, relation to you and speed.

Then you will be able to drop a dog on command when it is going away from you or coming towards you and/or perfect distance control and/or positions on the move.

Be aware that not all breeds will "drop" naturally, some will naturally sit or stand.  Also speeds differ! :D

HTH

Fab thanks - they all can do from sit (not all can down - yet) from static but I just couldn't figure out how to move to the next stage!

This is excellent though - thank you very much Tohme.

Don't forget to only give the command once.  If they are not dropping on one command go back a stage or two and build it up again. 

Another tip, don't call the dog out of the down, always go to it.  This will make the dog much more stable in the down should an emergency arise.

Thanks Sandra - yep we were taught both those in our training classes and I have followed this and you are right it gives a much more stable down stay etc. and can see that in an emergency command would help there.

Thank you :)

Dont see why not!Give it a go!
However this is not how id teach DC,but then id be teaching it in a very precise way (probaley more precise than you would ever ever want to!!!!)

it all depends "what" you want out of DC. if you just want your dog to be able to stop at a distance (in any position taught) then that would be fine,however if you need competition DC,(6 clean changes of position with minimal movement..ie under a body length,-in any direction) then no!

(ummm clear as mud that!!)

No worries Michelle - not for competition obedience - with my setters don't think so!!  Just for fun in the park really!

although my old Irish girl was pretty good in her day!

Thank you

if you want to do DC,try luring them into position(s) close to you.then gradually go back.It is a good "party piece" to have! it is great fun to teach to.

when im messing around i ask them for a position, eg "what can you do?"......"oh a SIT,thats a very good sit"(go to dog & feed) "now can you do.......a DOWN?" ......"wow brilliant what a good down"(go to dog & feed) "oh do you want another sweetie?you wait there then,what a good wait, can you do a WALK BACK?"..."wow brilliant walk back" go to dog/feed etc i talk to them all the time in training, though in competition all i can say is one word!!!

will have lots of fun now!  they enjoy it so much don't they anything to please - and a treat!

Will try the walk back too!

Can't imagine not having a good chat though - I do have great admiration for obedience dogs and their trainers - such discipline!  And the relationship is amazing between dog and handler isn't it!

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!

Will start off in the house then garden then build up to the park.  Although all going to be fighting for my attention.

Really pleased with myself this week have taught the youngest to bring his toy back to me!  So going to try with the other boys so they can all have fun chasing ball but instead of running off into the sunset with each other bring it back to me for a game!  If Max get's it he just runs off saying look I've got the ball chase me now!!!  Hamish looks as if to say that's not right take it back to mum!

It's so great having fun rather than just walking along - keeps Hamish's attention on me rather than all the distractions around - wish I had done this more with Charlie but with some work think I can get there with him too.

My girl has excellent DC!  She had a very good immediate DOWN to begin with though.  Many dogs when taught the down will be taught directly in front of the owner so if you ask for it when there is distance in between the dog will still be inclined to want to walk up to you to do it ;)  I clicker train my hound and throw a treat out, off she goes to get it, she turns to come back and I command DOWN.  Like I said at first they may want to start walking back to you, if the down is not immediately done, go to the dog - MAKE UP THE DISTANCE! - and lure down with your treat, then throw out another treat to move the dog out of position and start again.  Suddenly *Click* the dog gets it :D and will be downing at a distance before you know it :D.  My hound is also learnt the chase recall by going the other way!!  For this I used a toy and a human 'fielder' - throw the toy, send your dog, command down half way out - If obeyed, click and allow to go the rest of the way for toy reward.  If ignored - your fielder can pick up the toy and there is no reward.......Great training :)
Sarah