Speaking Dog: The "Lie Down" Command

Among the most basic commands to teach your dog (sit, stay, lie down, come, leave it), the title for Most Essential has long been a point of contention among behaviorists, owners, and trainers. Personally, I believe "lie down" is most important. This post will discuss the significance of this particular command and include a general guideline for training your dog to execute it. Hope it helps! :)

But before we start, for those wondering why teaching Fido basic commands is important, the simple answer is this: Training him to understand and listen to commands is necessary in promoting not only obedience, but also good behavior. Moreover, it will guarantee his future safety. The process of learning these commands is also such a fun means of mental stimulation for your dog. This in turn translates into some awesome bonding time! Trust me--it's the best feeling when Leo learns something new. We both get so excited and happy when he figures out what he's supposed to do!! I've never seen Leo wag his tail so fast as when he learns a new trick.

"Lie Down" - It's Natural!

What makes "lie down" a basic command is the fact that the position itself occurs naturally and often for dogs, whether they're resting, napping, playing, or chewing on something like a rawhide. To me, "down" is most important because this is the position dogs assume when they submit to canines and humans alike. Having your dog obey this command in any environment or circumstance when you give it demonstrates and reinforces the pecking order you've established in your household (where you are the alpha and your dog, the beta). "Lie down" is particularly useful if, for some reason, your dog misbehaves in an environment outside of your home. Say he runs off to meet another dog he sees at the park despite your command to stay. After you catch up with him, tell him "NO" very firmly and rap him on the head once or twice. Then tell him to lie down. Once he does so, he is essentially submitting to you and thus reinforcing your place as head of the pack. These consistent little reminders regarding his subordinate position relative to yours will continue bolstering good behavior and obedience in the long run.

Think I'm cute? Check me out (more!) on my blog, Hints of Basil!

Bosom Buddies

Posin' Pretty

GESTURE AND ORAL COMMAND: Point to the ground and say "down."

**Note** It's best to attempt this command after your dog has had his daily amount of exercise. Excess energy can make this training session unproductive and frustrating.

$6/6oz at local petstores (not Petco or Petsmart)

To start, invest in some wet or stinky treats. The smell and taste of them will make your dog work harder to earn them. Zuke's Mini Naturals are pretty good, but a little pricey. Try food rolls for a better value.

1. Cup the treat in your palm while pointing down towards the ground. Hold your hand in front of your dog's nose so that he can smell the treat and slowly move your hand toward the floor.
2. His head will likely bend down, but his body won't hit the floor. Once this happens, gradually move your hand away from him and toward your body so that he has to reach. 
3. Once his elbows and belly touch the ground, say "down." And PRAISE! Smile, use a higher pitched tone of voice, and give a good rub. And as ridiculous as it sounds, try not to praise him so much that it overexcites him, as this can lead to loss in concentration.  
4. Don't be discouraged if you are initially unsuccessful. That's to be expected (it took Leo a while to get the hang of it). Keep a low and calm tone of voice, and repeat the initial steps. Try to keep frustration and disappointment out of your voice. Your puppy will only get confused, and you'll most likely have to deal with his heartbreakingly sad puppy eyes. If, after 10 minutes he still isn't getting it, take a break and try again after an hour or so.
5. Practice this until your puppy can execute "down" three times in a row. Then it's recess and playtime! Forcing him to practice a command over and over after he's gotten it three times without mistake is unfair and comparable to exhaustive mental drilling. Don't overwork him.
6. Practice daily!

Having trouble? If you find that your dog still does not understand what you are asking of him, try catching him while he's in his lie down position and say "down" while pointing to the ground. If he remains in that position, reward him with tons of praise and a treat. Do this a couple of times and after a while, he'll associate his position with your command. Then try steps 1-7 again!

Good luck, and have fun!! :)

Oh No You Didn't!

...take a pee on my carpet and poo in my kitchen!

Potty training is perhaps the most daunting/frustrating/rewarding task that any new owner is going to face. Personally, most intimidating for me was the fact that housebreaking was to be my first exercise of discipline--and it's so hard to discipline a sweet little puppy without feeling guilty. But keep in mind that dogs, as pack animals, are most content when they know their place in the pecking order, and what seems harsh is merely a step toward establishing your place as alpha in your household.

1. Always be sure to clean up any accidents including getting rid of the odor. After dogs go to the bathroom, wiping up their mess isn't enough. They can sniff out the same spot where they peed and recognize it as their "toilet" area. When I brought Leo home from the shelter, he did not know how to pee outside. It was the most frustrating thing, baking outside in the sun for half an hour with no success before walking inside to the A/C (finally!)...only to have him take a leak right when he hits the kitchen. If your puppy doesn't understand the concept, keep a paper towel used to clean up any of his accidents inside, and bring it outside with you the next time you take him to potty. Set it on the ground next to him. He'll take a whiff, recognize it as his bathroom, and hopefully pop a squat!

$9/bottle. Nature's Miracle is definitely the best odor and stain remover for housebreaking. There are other brands out there, but in my experience they're a lot less effective. The price isn't too steep, and neither Leo or Charlie (the other puppy he grew up with) pottied in the same place more than once after using this stuff! Photo Source: Drs. Foster Smith

2. Discipline, discipline, discipline. There are numerous ways to housebreak your puppy. This isn't the only way, but I preferred using positive and negative reinforcement. Using time-out was very effective for Leo. If he had an accident, I would push his head down toward his mess and say "No" firmly before saying "Time out!" and putting him in the bathroom and closing the door for 20 seconds. NEVER put your puppy's nose in his accident as it can cause an infection. He just needs to be able to smell it and associate it with something he has done wrong. Puppies' short term memories are very short (up to 20 seconds). If you leave him in time out for too long, he will forget why he is being isolated. After a while, he'll be able to associate the word "time-out" with a disciplinary action. Even today, Leo understands that when I say "time-out", he needs to haul ass to the bathroom.

While many people say that you need to catch your dog in the act to discipline him, that isn't always necessarily true. Though he may not remember peeing in the house, as long as he is forced to smell it and recognize that it isn't supposed to be on the carpet or anywhere inside the house, he can and should be disciplined. Puppies' long term memories are still developing at this point, but they will quickly grasp the concept of not pottying inside with consistent reinforcement and training from you!

3. Always bring treats with you outside when your puppy goes to potty! Never walk out of the house with him without some type of treat to reward him for pottying outside. It's all about continual positive (and negative) reinforcement. Once he's outside, you can say something like "go potty." If he starts going to the bathroom, wait for him to finish, give him a treat, and drown him in praise! I've found that puppies tend to work harder for the "stinkier" treats, i.e., wetter treats that aren't biscuits. Those can be a little expensive, but food rolls are a great value that are just as tasty. All you have to do is cut up the rolls into small pieces (saves on the calories, too), toss them in a sandwich bag, and refrigerate them. Most popular are:

Natural Balance (find it at Petco
or local petstores)
$4/roll
Photo source: Amazon.com

Pet Botanics (find it at Petsmart)
$3/roll
Photo source: Petworldshop

Speaking Dog: The Basics Pt. 2

Dogs are smarter than we think! They are able to detect microexpressions in our faces and the smallest changes in our body language to discern what it is we are trying to communicate to them. Sometimes what we mean by our words can completely contradict what dogs perceive our bodies are saying. For instance, bending forward to face Leo and telling him to "Come!" goes against what he as a dog thinks "come" means. Instead, to Leo and the rest of the canine world, the direction my feet point indicate where I want Leo to go. You never see a dog signal "come follow me" by bending low and facing you. If anything, that's a signal to play. Instead, his body moves in the direction he wants to go and he turns his head to indicate he wants me to follow. So to tell Leo to come (at least before he learned the come command), I turned my body in the direction I wanted him to follow, clapped my hands, and called his name. Once your dog understands what it was you want him to do, it's up to him to decide if he wants to listen or not. If you've earned his respect, he will follow your instructions (so long as he isn't rebelling)!