I'd be really grateful if anyone can offer some advice on teaching Winnie to lie down. I've tried luring but she just sits and looks at me. I just can't get her to go into the down position. The only thing I can think of is to capture the down when she does it naturally, although I'm not sure how easy that will be. Any tips would be gratefully appreciated, Winnie learns really quickly I just need to know how to get her started. Clearly I'm the stumbling block not her! Thank you in advance!
I really struggled with this with my two. I thought Willow was tough, then Shadow came along and he was even worse I've seen some people luring under an obstacle - a chair or even your bent leg. This didn't do anything for me, but you could try if you have a strong lure - it may work. With mine, it was simply patience. A piece of something smelly between finger and thumb, in a straight line from nose to floor. Then keep it there on the floor. If it's pinched between finger and thumb, they won't be able to get the treat (I used cheese) but will be able to almost get their tongue to it. I found by waiting (and waiting and waiting) while they were trying to get it, they eventually laid down and I could click and reward. Once they'd done this a couple of times the lightbulb went on. I would say that, in order for this to have worked, it helps to have a dog who will still "mug" your hand for something really smelly. If you've really trained "no mugging" well, they may not be persistent enough with trying to get the treat - in which case, you could try something even more smelly. Otherwise, I think you'd have to rely on a dog that's done enough clicker training that she throws behaviours at you when trying to work something out. If she stops trying to get the treat after a few seconds, make the luring move again, again from right under her nose to the floor. She'll get there eventually.
Have you tried luring with something really high value initially? For us it was treat in front of the nose, treat to the floor, cover treat with hand. But I've seen people capture a down by getting the dog to kind of crawl under their legs (like you're genuflecting), using a lure. Edit - can't believe I used the word "genuflect" in real life. Catholic school had some uses apparently.
Quinn did not like the 'down' command...the traditional lure from her nose to the ground didn't work and I had tried for weeks. Like @snowbunny and @Xena Dog Princess mentioned, I found a video online of sitting against something with your legs bent and luring the treat through your legs so that they have to go down to reach it (under legs)....not sure how old/small Winnie is? It was like a light went off and she got it... I only had to do this for a short time before going back to the usual lure method then removing lure to a hand motion/voice command.
When you lure from nose to floor, be sure not to move the lure away - ie forward, go straight down with something super-desirable. It's a good one to do with a clicker if you do clicker training, and if you don't..them maybe introduce it? Coco learns really fast with the clicker.
We just used the treat in front of her nose straight down to the floor. She finally picked it up. Now she drops down very quickly with a big 'thud'.
@QuinnM15 Winnie is nearly 7 months. I've been luring nose to floor and she just looks at me. Some of the problem I will be responsible for as she has been taught not to take food from your hand until you give permission. I have tried using my other arm as a barrier to go under but she won't do that, so I'll try the through the leg technique! As I'm clicker training I know she'll only need to do it a couple of times before she gets the idea!
If Winnie likes balls or toys, you could use one of those as your lure instead of food. That might do the trick. Using food as a lure could still be OK if you are clicker training - if the click is the indication that Winnie can then take the treat from your hand? Good luck - she will get it!
