When should I teach the Stand? - Page 3

Thanks mudwick.  I have been doing it slowly at a walking pace but my dog still take a few seconds too slow on the drop-down position and with the stand, she makes a few steps forward before the halt-stand.

I guess I will need to restart the training on a much slower pace with emphasis :)

Thanks again.

Poseidon ... the sit down & stand in movement -- the prerequisite to doing those  exercise to know that 1. you have trained them correctly statically . by that i mean [ thinking you are discussing a competition take ] that each exercise is reliably executed statically precisely all the time .. not by my criteria 98% i mean  100%. by precisely i mean,  for example by the  you finish saying down , the dogs underside is already touching the ground [ or close to it within reason]. as i posted a sphinx down is backward movement so that helps negate forward movement. as i wrote in other posts ... in teaching an exercise , better to communicate exactly what you want the dog to understand in executing. you are not concerned with speed . [ most often i teach down in motion [ as we fuss ] without a collar /leash . so think this through . the only element you added to a previous taught down is the walking . you want to tell your dog that when you say down , all motion is to cease and i desire the down to be the only thought in it's head to perform ... then set your dog up for that !! walk  slowly , dog in correct heel . heeling is not just about walking .. in competition it is about pacing and rhythm . 1&2&3&4, 1&2&3&4.1&2&3&4. you must know how to use your feet !!  to cue your dog . So now the down in motion : 1&2&3 on the three count immediately , like lightening turn right in front of your dog , such that the dog's nose is  blocked by your chest in like lightening  with roast beef in your hand at the dog's nose  guide the roast beef downwards and backwards such that he folds into a /down platz. the speed here is your positioning yourself so that the dog never gets in the 4 count. after a few repetitions you can later communicate to the dog to fold immediately into a platz because this should have been part of the static down , he just needs the reps to generalize it with motion .. the purpose is to have the dog foremost understand as you move and say down/platz he immediately stops the motion forward but that motion is generated to a backwards down/platz. turning immediately in front prevents/blocks the dog waking / fussing forward . he can't . speed can be increased , you also can use a leash to enforce yourself or give feedback for a faster down in motion . there re other tricks to polish performance as in the sit and the stand in motion .. but i thought i would give you a basic understanding since you have not club to train at.

Hey Alphapup, that's brilliant.  I also do not use the leash very much in teaching all these excercises.  As a matter of fact, the judge commented when we did the BH was that my dog seem to have better healing and listening to me off-leash than the first part where the dog was on leash.

I will certainly try your suggestion.  Thank you.

posieden .. a correction for you  . regarding using your feet.... read my posts concearning which foot to use.  after you have taught your dog to stop instantly by abruptly turning it and downing your dog .. i assumed you realize that you phase out the turning in front to stop dog's motion   as the dog drops to the down . but teach continuing in your heel with adog staying in platz   in increments . instead 3/4 trun and have the dog platz , you go back to heel . progress to  to a 1/2 turn - you are teaching the dog the paramaters of the exerice are changing . you are preparing the dog to accept/expect that you will be in time continuing the heel as it is to stay in the down position . [ again this is why i teach position ... down is down , absolute no matter what , even if i fall on my face , see how foundation translates to other endeavors ??]. .progress the down /fuss untill  you don't turn ,  but your fuss only continues 1 or 1/2  foot past the dog .. over time go 2 steps , then 3 steps 4 steps etc etc.. I always return to the dog .. [ again in foundation , as stated in other posts , there is no stay , i implanted in the dog's mind i always return , there is no motivation given to the dog to ever think about moving- it is just another extension of me leaving a dog in a position wlike  it is static , i guess people's sit/stay ]. ... remember , always aid the dog , help it be correct , exact in execution . [ there are a number of ways to do that too, just problem solve]. you can help the dog by taking to it , let it know what you want and when done that it is doing right . talk to your dog , you can if you taught " dwon' stay " and then later phase out the "stay" word .. just hlep yopur dog and give it the support i needs .. this is not about asserting will , right now ,,, it is about teaching/communicating ..  don't keep walking in heel upon the down , until 1000 x 1000 times the dog immediately downs in motion 1/2 trun or 1/2 step away correctly. . ..??? why go 1 foot continued heeling from the dog if you do not have down pat the dog downing on 1 inch away in your continued heeling if you cannot get the dog to dwon immdeitately and lock up[stay]. 1000  feet is no different than the dog downing in motion 1 foot away in essence. and don't accidently cue the dog to follow you when you are leaving.throw food in between the paws to stabliize the dog in the learning phase if you have to .. or when you return feed , feed , feed the dog .. or give it a ball after a few seconds of returning[ don't teach the dog to anticipate a reward though , or give it motivation to seek a reward and follow you .. weatch what you teach and what the dog does !! BTW some people may need as leash to guide the dog and / or  later to , discipline their dog , pending other variables. last word .. in using your feet , or other upper body you can sublimally cue the dog that you are going to give the request for the dog to dwon in motion , that is 1,2,3,slight slowing , a slight slowing with an accompaning tilt of the upper body , slight , will cue the dog that a dwon in motion request is imminent !! again Sch is pattern training - nothing wrong in that respect. so i teach also for the dog at a certain pace to expect/anticipate the down request . not cheating .. it's just the nature of the sport .. it is 100% time  exactly the same. every single routine , step for step !! trun for turn ..so use that to your adavantage and help the dog along ..

Thanks again AP.  I like the ideas for subtle cues in the sch. routine.  Don't know many myself apart from saying "good boy" with a wink of an eye.  I will practice the quick turn into the dog for the motion exercises.  R