Settle 103: Getting to Down

STEPS:

• Get your mat out and put it on the floor in front of your dog.
• Click and treat a few times for paws on the mat or sit.
• Because you’ve worked sit, your dog should eventually sit (unprompted) on the mat.
• Click and treat sit three times by placing on treat between your dog’s toes on the mat.
• The fourth time when your dog sits wait. He will likely look down between his toes for the treat.
• Click when your dog is looking down and place a treat between his feet.
• Do this three times and then hold off on click and treat again. We want your dog to exaggerate what he just did by lowering his head even more.
• Once he’s lowering his head to the floor, pause clicking and see if he won’t slide into a down.  If you work with your dog when he/she is tired, you’re more likely to get a down. 
• When you get a down, click and place three treats between your dog’s toes.  If your dog’s feet are off the mat place the treats in the center of the mat.

HOMEWORK:

• PUPPIES: Work for about 3 minutes and quit. Do this a few times a day.
• DOGS: Work for about 5 minutes, three or more times a day.

AT THE END OF THIS STEP:
Your dog should approach the mat and lie down unprompted.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

My dog won’t approach the mat.

• Try a less distracting environment.
• Take him for a walk or play an active game to get out any pent-up energy, then try again.
• Back up and work more on making the mat reinforcing. Feed and treat on the mat when you can, and come back to this step later.
• Consider what you are using to reward him. When first acquiring a behavior, your dog will only work for you if you pay him with something he likes.

My dog won’t lie down on the mat.

• Wait until your dog is tired and lying down on his own. Click and treat when he/she lies down. Do this a few times and bring out the mat. .
  If all else fails, try luring the down. Click here for instructions.