First week of training: Place your dog in the sittin position and step two or three feet away in front of him. While saying “Down”, quickly raise your right hand, palm open, slightly higher than your head; pause for only a moment and bring your hand down sharply. If your dog does not obey, use your left hand to jerk downward on the training collar. After he has been down for a short time, give him the command “Sit”. You may need to give a jerk upward with the leash. Your dog should go down when your hand goes up. Holding your hand up for a moment the first few days of training may help him learn the signal, but it should soon be a quick up and down motion. Vary your method of changing your dog from the down to the sitting position. Sometimes command him to sit when you are directly in front of him; other times go back to the heel position, pause a moment and then command him to sit. After it appears that he understands the hand signal, occasionally leave off the verbal command. Gradually move to the end of the six-foot leash and give the signal and command, “Down”. Hold your hands together at your waist when doing the recall. Your dog may be tempted to nose them if you let them hang.

When teaching the down, insist on an immediate drop, not a slow sinking to the ground. Do not forget the praise. This is most important. When your dog seems to understand and obeys your command when you are standing at the end of the leash, you may then remove it and drop him at short distances, gradually moving to 40 feet away. If he does not obey when off leash or at a distance of 40 feet, place him back on leash and repeat the training. For more control at a distance, you may attacha 40-foot lightweight cord, If he does not work well off leash, you will usually make faster progress by placing him back on the six-foot leash.

Third week: The next procedure is teaching your dog to go down from the standing position. Follow the same steps for teaching him the down from the sitting position: Leave him in the standing position, step two or three feet away in front of him and give the hand signal and command, “Down”.

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