Teaching "Down"
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Down on Command
Begin this lesson with the dog sitting on a smooth surface. Quickly move a piece
of food downward from in front of its nose to the floor directly next to its
front paws. As the front end of your pet slides down to the floor, say “Down”
and give the food. You must make sure that you keep the food on the floor close
to the pet’s paws. Otherwise it is likely to stand up and walk toward the food
lure. Eventually, a downward sweep of your hand by itself will cause the dog to
go into the down position. This command may take a little more patience and time
than the first two. Only use the word “Down” when you are teaching this command.
If you use the same word to tell the pet to stop jumping on people or to get
down off counters and furniture, it may be confused about its meaning.