Teaching Down/Stay to a Strong Doggie

fureverywhere

beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
Location
Northern NJ, USA
I'm sure I can find it in books and videos but with the weather warming up I'd like to work with Callie on being a bit more mellow in public. He's improved 100% from when we first adopted him. Then he would give the full chest growl to any stranger. Now he's quiet and just marches on his happy way. Well men approaching in the dark still make him grumpy. He doesn't do it walking with my kids so think he's protecting me personally...Oh mighty food giver person.

But when he sees people sometimes I think he just naturally wants to greet them like most dogs do. If he was a beagle strangers would smile and come to pet him. Given his serious appearance people don't automatically think "Awww that dog wants some lovin'"...they don't see the smile and wagging stump. They see a dog who wants to eat them. I have to teach him not to try to jump up though. He thinks he's being playful but with his muscles jumping up hurts. Time to get back to the dog park again.
 

Choke chain collar and a strong leash (not an extendable one).

I read something ages ago about giving the Down command and then encouraging the dog with your foot on the leash to back it up and encourage him to stay down. That was a long time ago: I'd have to look it up to refresh my memory.

Some people think 6' leashes and choke chain collars are cruel but they're really best if you're teaching obedience and they're a lot better than a dog gagging and coughing pulling against a leather/nylon collar or harness.

If he knows Heel that comes in handy too. :)
 
I suggest a Sit/Stay instead of a down. Making a dominant dog lie down in a public makes him feel very vulnerable. A sitting position is just as effective for the command. I've trained Standard Schnauzers over the years, they're very dominant and can be strong although not too large. My last male who passed last August was close to 70 pounds.

I always taught them the sit stay at home, then I took it outdoors. With no distractions at home or in the yard, I'd give them the sit command. Once sitting, I'd put the palm of my hand near their face and firmly and calmly tell them "stay". I'd walk away across the room or yard still facing them, and if they broke the sit, we'd start again from the beginning until it was successful.

I'd always have some tiny treats handy in a pocket for immediate reward like bits of American cheese or beef hot dog. If I could walk away from the dog facing him and he stayed in a sitting position, I'd slowly walk back to him give treat and calm praise, 'good boy'. Lessons were always short, maybe just twice....but done again once or twice during that day to make it stick and have it be easy for them with no special thought or stress.

When I could walk away facing them reliably, I'd put them in a sit/stay and walk away from them with my back turned. When I stopped, turned and looked at them, if they still held the position, I'd walk back to them with treat reward and calm praise.

When they had it down pat, I'd take them to a park with people and other dogs around. I'd keep them on a 6' leash, alongside of a walkway, and put them in the sit/stay. I'd hold the leash loosely, and watch from the corner of my eye as people passed. If the dog started to break the stay, I'd immediately correct, saying "no, you sit....stay", using the palm of my hand as a stay signal. If people passed and the dog stayed, after they passed I would reward with treat and calm praise. Moving to another location for another lesson.

I once took one of my male dogs to an obedience class in a school auditorium environment. The lesson was we all put our dogs in a sit/stay, there were probably around 30 owners there with me. then when they were all sitting, we'd give the final stay, with hand signal command and walk completely out of the building. After waiting a couple of minutes outside, we all came in to return to our dogs and release them from the stay.

Some dogs were wandering around and didn't stay, but many dogs were waiting for their owners to release them. My boy did me proud in those classes, and waited for mom to come back, tell him okay, give him a treat and a big hug.

Just walking them out in public as pups, I'd always make them sit even before someone petted them, then there's less chance of them jumping up and hurting people.
 

I like your thinking on the sit/stay vs. the down command. That makes a lot of sense. And if a dog is already feeling uncertain and behaving aggressively because of it, then making him stay in a more vulnerable position would only exaggerate his uncertainty. Seems pretty air-tight as a training philosophy!
 
Your right Debby, especially if another dominant dog is approaching, especially one who isn't well behaved or neutered, it can be very stressful for the dog in the submissive lying position.
 
.Also he does not eat food outside our house. Even then after a thorough sniffing. The bangers teach them that, because who knows where there might be poison? Tushy rubs and lots of positive loving works with him. He never does submissive belly up except in our upstairs bedroom...Mami and Daddy and he's totally safe.
 


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