Teaching a lie down

[poiuytrewq]

We can’t do it!

Any tips please?

I was told from a sit bring a treat down and back so the dog naturally rocks back and lies. Then mark and reward.
However! Bertie can get himself into all manner of weird positions including things a dog surely shouldn’t or must be harder than just lying
A common one is to lean back almost fold himself in half and try to get the treat by reaching under a front leg
It’s as if someone has told him you can do anything, get into any position but DO NOT LIE

Is it necessary? He sits and knows “bed”
If we are out and he’s being ignored a bit (eg we are chatting to friends in the pub) he lies and sleeps anyway.

 

[whirlwind]

I teach by sitting on the floor with them with legs out stretched but slightly off the floor then asking them to get a treat from under your knee if that makes sense. So they have to lie down to fit!

 

[Chucho]

I was going to suggest what @whirlwind said. Also to start with make sure the surface you want them to lie on isn't cold and hard.

I reward when they lie down spontaneously too.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I train all formal positions in an oblong so that they never learn to flop over or come forwards, lure with hand up and touch arse for sit, out in front and touch withers for down, nose on chest and touch flank for stand. You can do it this way without the oblong but it just makes sure the dog holds itself properly and it becomes muscle memory. I have a different command for an informal/social 'lie on the floor in whatever shape you like' which was backchained, the dog does it anyway so put a name on it when they do it and mark it.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

We had a similar challenge with Ivy if I remember correctly (Greyhound!) Sit wasn't happening and I can't remember what she did instead of down but it sounds similar to what your Bertie is doing. In the end I think we just waited for her to lie down of her own accord and started rewarding that and pairing it with 'down' until she got enough of an idea for us to train it. It's still patchy if the surface isn't comfy enough for her!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I taught my jrt by having her sit. Then with a treat in my closed hand on the floor I asked for down. As soon as she did she got the treat and repeat. Think it took about 30 mins to teach her!!

 

[TGM]

I clicker trained a lie down with my whippet. I waited until I had plenty of time to kill, made sure she was on a very soft comfy surface and sat there patiently waiting for her to lie down, then clicked and treated. Once she caught onto that I added a command to it. Interestingly it is now her default behaviour if she wants my attention for any reason!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I taught my jrt by having her sit. Then with a treat in my closed hand on the floor I asked for down. As soon as she did she got the treat and repeat. Think it took about 30 mins to teach her!!

Yep, you’d think but he just snakes round in any and every direction!



Ok, thank you! We will have another try at this one.

 

[JBM]

I ask for sit then put my hand flat on the floor with the treat under my hand. They usually bring their nose down to sniff and end up laying down eventually
Then reward

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I clicker trained a lie down with my whippet. I waited until I had plenty of time to kill, made sure she was on a very soft comfy surface and sat there patiently waiting for her to lie down, then clicked and treated. Once she caught onto that I added a command to it. Interestingly it is now her default behaviour if she wants my attention for any reason!

Ivy does this too! She will lay down and be A Very Good Dog with an intent look on her face. Trying to teach her other things was fun because she'd just revert to lying down again

 

[poiuytrewq]

I train all formal positions in an oblong so that they never learn to flop over or come forwards, lure with hand up and touch arse for sit, out in front and touch withers for down, nose on chest and touch flank for stand. You can do it this way without the oblong but it just makes sure the dog holds itself properly and it becomes muscle memory. I have a different command for an informal/social 'lie on the floor in whatever shape you like' which was backchained, the dog does it anyway so put a name on it when they do it and mark it.

That’s interesting, I guess it’s just different people different ways but the sit you say, treat up and touch bum is how I got Bertie and all my dogs to sit, yet when I took Berts to lessons they wanted me to lure up and pull up on a lead. This seemed completely pointless to me as he already sat to command and much of the time I don’t have a lead and don’t want to depend on that to sit!
I’m glad you said that, they said I should start over and use the lead, I didn’t!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I ask for sit then put my hand flat on the floor with the treat under my hand. They usually bring their nose down to sniff and end up laying down eventually
Then reward

I did that with Cecil. He just frantically digs your hand for the treat. Great game

 

[CorvusCorax]

That’s interesting, I guess it’s just different people different ways but the sit you say, treat up and touch bum is how I got Bertie and all my dogs to sit, yet when I took Berts to lessons they wanted me to lure up and pull up on a lead. This seemed completely pointless to me as he already sat to command and much of the time I don’t have a lead and don’t want to depend on that to sit!
I’m glad you said that, they said I should start over and use the lead, I didn’t!

They might be trying to apply pressure on until the dog is in position then pressure off and reward, but it's not the way I would do it.

 

[poiuytrewq]

They might be trying to apply pressure on until the dog is in position then pressure off and reward, but it's not the way I would do it.

Maybe yes. It just seemed a bit pointless to me, like a step backwards. He sits perfectly if I put my hand out.

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve never bothered to teach lie down with this lot. It’s not needed for their work, they are steady at sit (or even stand in Red’s case) so I didn’t worry . So unless you feel strongly that he should I’d not bother!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve never bothered to teach lie down with this lot. It’s not needed for their work, they are steady at sit (or even stand in Red’s case) so I didn’t worry . So unless you feel strongly that he should I’d not bother!

Well I don’t really. It’s just one of those things that everyone does!
I can see it’s handy if you are out and about and want them to lie still and chill out but it’s his go to thing anyway.
We go to the pub or for lunch and he sleeps under the table.
So I’d kind of like to master it but I don’t feel like it’s the end of the world

 

[poiuytrewq]

I just had a nasty thought! The sitting thing and me going “he doesn’t need a lead tug to sit”
Is that me ignoring things again
When I say he often doesn’t have a lead, for example we go poo pick the horses field- just me and him and work on sit, stay come between poo’s!
He does it well. The air and come all but perfect. Stay is a bit scruffier.
Should he still be on a lead when he’s out all the time?!
I believe thinking back the tug up was so if you are stood still you don’t even have to look down or anything just a tug up tells the dog to sit quietly until your ready to move off.
Now he will do that but by me saying sit.
Should I change that?!

 

[Clodagh]

I think you are possibly overthinking this.

 

[DabDab]

I taught my jrt by having her sit. Then with a treat in my closed hand on the floor I asked for down. As soon as she did she got the treat and repeat. Think it took about 30 mins to teach her!!

Ditto this with all mine

 

[poiuytrewq]

I think you are possibly overthinking this.

Me and Cecelia will have an amazing dog of our own one day though

 

[CorvusCorax]

You can use mechanical help in the beginning but you have to link it to a command over many repetitions before you fade it out. I prefer my own dogs to respond to verbal commands and not physical help or body language. But my way is quite prescriptive. I do always have a line on in training as it's there if you need it, better looking at it, than for it. One self-fulfilling dicking off for a run can undo weeks of work.

 

[Mightymax]

Many moons ago, an old shepherd friend told me that he taught his dogs to lie down by asking them to go UNDER something, eg. a wooden chair so they had to lie down to get under the obstacle! Not sure how scientific that would be in this day and age... But maybe worth a try!