Drop is a great command that will help get your dog settled on the ground. It is simple but useful.
In Preparation:
- Choose a verbal command that you intend to use such as ‘Drop’ or ‘Down’
- Choose a visual cue such as pointing to the ground
- Prepare some rewards such as food or toys and make a place to put them such as a treat pouch that will free your hands
- Teaching your pooch the command ‘sit’ beforehand makes this command much simpler
Training Method:
- Get your dog to sit
- Now which treats in your hand, lure your dog to the ground
- If they do this then reward them immediately and give lots of praise
- If your dog does not follow then try holding the treat down on the ground, persuading your dog to lie down to grab it
- Repeat this a few times, continuously giving rewards and praise for the new command
Tips:
- As your dog starts to learn this command well, do not reward with treats every single time but make sure praise is given every time they repeat the command.
- As always in dog training, remember to keep training sessions short because dogs don’t have a long attention span