Teaching down command

[Didodogs]

I've been trying to teach my 11 week old puppy for a week now and she's still not getting it!

I'm trying to clicker train her. I started with luring her into the down position and clicking and treating when she hits floor. She does that fine, so I then started saying "down" at the same time. However she doesn't seem to be making any connection between the word "down" and hitting the floor. We've been practicing about four times a day in short bursts, but she's still not getting it!

Should I move onto something else? I'm confused myself as I read so many methods for doing things. For example Karen Pryor gives one method for teaching down on her book and a different one on her website Then Ive read things saying teach down from sit (she knows sit) and others saying don't do it that way. Also worried pup will end up obese with all these endless treats!

Any advice please?

I stopped trying to train with a clicker quite early on as I found I couldn't seem to get the timing right and my dog didn't seem to connect it with anything to do with her.

I found it easiest to teach down from a sitting position, but I'm far from an expert as she's my first dog. But she seemed more able to get the idea of it if she was already sitting. Now she can 'down' perfectly well from standing and at a distance, albeit a short distance, but it is a distance and it's immediate.

Sometimes you just have to work out what works best for you and your puppy, rather than sticking too rigidly to what other say is the absolute right way to teach something.

You might find it takes a while for your dog to 'get' things, she a very young baby at 11 weeks. I've tried for years to teach my dog to roll over and she's never got it, although, she can roll over perfectly when she rolls in something in the park or wants her tummy rubbed.

I haven't used a clicker but found it easiest to teach 'down' from a 'sit'. Get them focused on the treat then guide them down with it. Try different surfaces - they may dislike doing it on a cold tiled floor but be happy to lie down on carpet, for example.

Teaching anything to your dog is a four step process.

1. Use a lure to get wanted movement/position. Repeat a gazillion times.
2. Add a word while you lure. Repeat a gazillion times.
3. Very slowly move lure away/reward for small steps towards the correct movement . always reward when they do the movement/position. Repeat a gazillion times.
4. Proofing. Practice in lots of different environments, with different distractions. Start with easy quiet environments and slowly build up to more distracting environments.

Your dog sound like he is getting it, you just have to go slightly slower at this stage and it's totally normal to have to go back a step occasionally and absolutely normal to go back a step or two in new environments.

So you probably still need to do a lure with the word 'down' lots and lots of times before you move on to saying the command first.

Zac George on YouTube is great for short training videos - very American and promotes products but imho he is ridiculously knowledgeable and explains things so clearly.
Good luck!