Ever wonder why your dog either a) automatically goes into a “Down” when you pull out a treat or b) goes into a “Down” when you say “Sit”?
This often leaves dog parents puzzled, resulting in them usually just rolling with it because their dog is performing something, and something has to be better than nothing, right?
If you want to be clear with your dog on what you’re requesting them to do, keep reading:
Your Teaching Method May Need Tweaking
Most often than not when we experience dog parents teaching a “Down” command to their dog, they are pulling out a treat first, and then saying “Sit”, and then “Down”, and luring their dog to the ground and then giving them the treat.
Here’s the thing: Your dog is going to eventually beat you to the punch.
In other words, they’re going to memorize the sequence that you’re using to teach them, and they are going to jump the gun to get their reward more quickly.
This results in a dog hearing “Sit” and immediately going into a “Down” without even waiting for you to lure them to the ground.
Why?
They’ve figured out that when you say “Sit”, you’re going to lure them to the ground and give them a treat.
This devalues your “Sit” command and gives it an entirely different meaning than what it should have to your dog.
Instead, Try This:
For your dog to effectively differentiate between their “Sit” and “Down” commands, they must be two entirely different exercises.
Therefore, when you are teaching your dog a “Down” command, avoid saying “Sit”. Instead, you can certainly lure your dog into a sit position (by simply taking a treat and bringing it up to their nose and slowly luring upwards), and then once they’re in position, you can proceed to say your “Down” command, and then lure them into a downward position.
With that being said, over time, you’re going to want your dog to learn how to “Down” regardless of if they’re in a sit position or not. We would recommend weaning them off of this by simply saying “Down”, and luring them downwards with a treat. Example here!
Try to avoid repeating your “Down” command, and let them figure it out through troubleshooting on their own. If they want the treat badly enough, believe us, they will.
By avoiding saying “Sit” when you’re teaching your dog a “Down” command, you will mitigate them skipping over it entirely when you actually need them to enter into a seated position in the future.
In Closing
It’s no secret that dogs learn by habit and predictable patterns. It’s usually our habits that they pick up on and eventually respond to in a manner that they understand.
If your dog is ever doing something that puzzles you, think about how they could have learned that behavior, and what patterns may have led to that, similar to the example we’ve provided above.
If your dog is not responding satisfactorily, there’s usually a pattern that is occurring that is leading to that behavior, and it’s our duty as dog parents to figure out what that pattern is so that they can be their best selves.
Happy Training! 🐕✨
Nicolas Angione is the founder and head dog trainer at Hope Gables Canine, based in Fairfield County, CT. Inspired by his own dog's reactive journey and rehabilitation, he left his career behind to become a dog trainer. After years of shadowing other dog trainers in the industry, he started his own practice, which has successfully helped hundreds of dog owners, both domestic and abroad, regain peace and harmony with their dogs. Many of these success stories, dog training tips, and more can be found on their Instagram and YouTube pages.
