INDY LEARNED DOWN!!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[elizavixen]

I am just SO proud of him. It only took 2 1/2 yrs! I can't actually say I've been working on it for 2 1/2 yrs but still! He wouldn't do it as a puppy so I gave up. Wouldn't do it as a teenager so I gave up. But now, as a pseudo-adult (and with Mrs. Distraction, aka Maggie, being gone for a bit) I decided I was going to teach him. It took a couple days, and some good looooooonnnnnnnngggggggg blank looks, but yesterday he did it immediately, the first time I asked, w/out me having to push him down!!!!! I was thrilled. I think it really clicked in his head b/c he didn't just do it automatically - he waited until I said the word (he learned to just sit automatically - I learned that he never really understood the word "sit" - he'd just do it). But I made him sit, gave him a treat, and then said "down" and he did!!!!

Ya'll probably think I'm nuts but if you knew Indy you would understand this feat of mine.

Now if I can get him to do it without me standing there with a treat.........

[Dukesdad]

Congratulations. Down is one of the more difficult commands to teach. My fist Lab, Jake, was a hoot at obedience class. When given the DOWN command he would start barking at me while pushing his front legs out a bit then stopping. I would say MORE and he would lower a bit more but not to the ground. When I finally thought he was in the down position the trainer got down on her knees and, putting her face close to the ground, said "I can still see daylight.". The whole class erupted in laughter. How that dog could hold that almost prone position and still not let his tummy hit the ground I'll never know.

[MyPetTherapyDog]

Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

Have you ever thought of enrolling him into group basic obedience classes? It probably would be a lot of fun for the both of you.

He could gradually work on distractions too.

Sue

[Samsintentions]

thats Great!

Kabuki learned it right away. Precious... she's fixing to be two, and wil ONLY do it if she KNOWS you have a treat! LOL

[elizavixen]

lol. Yeah, he's been through two obedience classes (both were 9 wks long!). They weren't the best classes though - the instructor had favorites and sort of just ignored us. Indy looked at it as sort of a 'dog social' rather than an obedience class. I guess I did too - I mainly took him as socialization. But he would never do down unless I pushed him down.

I was thinking of enrolling him in classes I took with Maggie. The instructor was very, very nice but the room was real small. And they only lasted 5 wks, but still managed to cost $80! I am going to eventually but now money is tight (thanks to Maggie and her foot!).

[Dukesdad]

That reminds me of a cartoon I once saw.
Two dogs were leaving obedience school and one said to the other "The only problem with this school is they don't teach you anything you can use in real life."

[honeybears]

that is great, Jake never did learn that one as much as I tried, I finally gave up