Dog Training - Practicing Down and Stay

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Last updated: Sunday, May 18, 2008

Dachshund Training

Next training session up is the "Down and Stay" command. The dog must stay for 2 minutes in order to pass the final "test" and during our training we do this together with the other dogs in the training class. As a result of this one or two of the dogs usually runs off and makes it very hard for the rest of the dogs to keep staying. I must admit that my little Dachshund often is one of the "runaways"! She is just too curious to see what's going on in the surroundings, so I have to work hard to keep her attention on me.

This time she was just amazingly obedient...a little slow to get down, I had to repeat the command a few times, but once she was down she did really well!

When we started practicing this command the biggest challenge was actually to get her to lie down. It was winter, it was cold and wet and there was no way to get my little Princess to lie on the ground! So, we cheated a little and started with "Sit and Stay" instead (like most Dachshund owners I don't worry too much if the dog is sitting or laying down). At that point it was more important to practice the "Stay" part of the exercise, this had of course to be done step by step, starting with short periods and only moving a few steps away from the dog. The "Down" command we practiced in the living room at home! Once the weather got better outside, we could work more on the "Down" command. Now it usually works, unless it is raining...