When Pigs Fly_ Training Success With Impossible Dogs - Jane Killion [50]
Frequent but short sessions. Like, sit, down is easy to work on throughout the day. After an initial training session or two, you can give your dog a “pop quiz” throughout the day on “down.”
Energize your dog’s behavior with hot reinforcers. The hotter the reinforcer, the better. If your dog gets pinwheel eyes over a ball or anything else, nothing is more useful than teaching him to assume the down position before getting his treasured object. Not only will he learn to love lying down, he will learn an important lesson about self control—he has to do a calm behavior in order to earn an exciting one. Just as with the sit, be certain that your dog is lying down and you have clicked it before you offer the hot reinforcer.
Take it on the road very gradually. There are some special considerations about “down” that you should keep in mind when planning how to take it on the road. Many dogs are reluctant to lie down in a strange place. This is natural and, from an evolutionary standpoint, probably a good strategy; a wild dog that casually lies down anywhere without checking out the area thoroughly first is putting himself at risk for all kinds of potential harm. One of the first warning signals for me that my dogs are stressed is when they don’t lie down or sit when asked. Lying down is a vulnerable position, and a dog has to feel comfortable and safe to want to do it. Or, (sigh, yes, here it comes), you have to own a breed of dog that has “down” as a default behavior. That would be most of the herding group. Herding dogs have to lie down in an instant on the shepherd’s command. That is the way the shepherd controls the dog that is moving the flock. You will notice that many herding dogs flop themselves down frequently of their own accord. On the contrary, “down” is not in a terrier’s vocabulary—what does “down” have to do with killing badgers? Again, it appears that more “working in cooperation” type dogs have been bred to be willing to “assume the position,” even in circumstances where it is not natural for a dog to do so.
Then be sensible and don’t ask for a down if your dog is obviously very excited and unlikely to respond properly. Wait until he has his brain engaged and is paying attention to you before you ask for a down.
Yield on your requirements when you change something. If your dog lies down like a pro at home, but he suddenly won’t lie somewhere new, here are some troubleshooting tips. Give him a little more time to check out his surroundings and feel comfortable. That may or may not be all you have to do, depending on where your dog is in his training divided by how overwhelming the place is. Go back to behaviors he will do under the circumstances and repeat them lots of times. Maybe a nice, centering, hand touch (which you will learn how to teach in this chapter), maybe a fun trick that he likes, such as shake, maybe some loose leash walking with attention. Go as far down the behavior hierarchy as you have to. If all that your dog can do is stand there and look at you, click that attention. These “solid ground” behaviors will help settle your dog and get his brain working again. Once he is back in a thinking mode, you will most likely find that he will sit and down easily in the new place.
If you have a very large dog, it might be helpful to sit on a stool when luring her into a down. Click and treat as soon as her elbows begin to bend. Then give a big jackpot here to reinforce that idea that “down” is a great position to be in.
Something for Nothing
Stay
“Stay” is the ultimate management tool and an indispensable behavior. Your life will be inconvenient if your dog does not have a stay. You will find yourself constantly shoving, jostling, and diving to get things before your dog latches on to them. If your dog is possessive about toys or food, or has any other resource guarding issues, you need to be able to control any situation by putting him in a stay. Going