Tricks - Leave It and Lay Down


HilyBee

New Member
We've been working on tricks/obedience with Yosuke, our 7 month old dachshund. He's doing really well with sit, stay and get down; however, leave it and lay down are just not working. I think I'm just doing it wrong.

For lay down - I first have him sit (treat); then put my hand all the way to the floor flat. He just looks at me and tilts his head. So I took his front paws and helped him lay down. He got very anxious and didn't like it. JUMPED up and ran away. Now I'm confused. lol We tried again with the same reaction.

For leave it - (Is he simply too food motivated or young?) I put a piece a Cherrio (our training treat) on the floor in front of him. Sit. Stay. Leave it. (all hand signs that are completely different). He sits and then goes right for it. I wonder if he thinks its a treat for sitting? We've been able to string sit-stay together without giving a treat between and he does well.

How do you teach these two tricks? I know sometimes dachshunds are just stubborn. He really hasn't been stubborn with any training until this. That is why I'm convinced I'm doing it wrong.
 

DeafDogs

Alberta Region Moderator
Ok. So for down you need to lure him down
I don't believe in training using physical manipulation. Let him do it himself. Hold the food right in front of his nose then move it straight down to the floor then back towards his feet

for leave it: have 2 different foods one low value, one high. Ask for a sit the put the low value treat on the floor away from the dog say leave-it, then immediately give him the good treat. Gradually lengthen the time before you give the food. Then slowly move it closer. Eventually you will want him looking at you instead of the food on the floor
 
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HilyBee

New Member
Thank you! :D I'll try it out and see how that goes. I don't like "helping" him lay down either. I tried luring him down before helping him and he didn't seem to understand. I think I'll try with a higher value treat.
 

Peanut

New Member
These are two I'm struggling with too, for my 7 month old. Lay down? Forget it. I tried helping him out physically, and that made it even worse. I can get him to sit and "sit pretty" all day long, but I try putting a treat in front of his nose for "lay" while moving it towards the floor, and he does the same thing you mentioned!! Looks at me, then the treat, then tilts his head and will just "sit".. Drives me crazy, so our sessions are very short, because I can't go too long or I get impatient, which doesn't help either.

Peanut, the 9 month old, she has it all down. Sit, lay, leave it, roll over, sit pretty, and then she started standing still and "Look at me"..

i've done nothing different between the two, but Peanut was just sooo easily trainable. Nemo, on the other hand, is the most stubborn dachshund I've EVER had.
 

HilyBee

New Member
LOL! Sounds like Peanut and Yosuke are similar. Nemo sounds just like my first dachshund. We barely taught him sit, stay and watch me - let alone anything else! I think Peanut and Yosuke will get it eventually... just gotta keep trying. I never have more than 15 min training sessions with Yosuke because he gets anxious, too worried about the treats or bored.
 

DeafDogs

Alberta Region Moderator
I taught Mouse and Boo to lay down by holding my hand about 5" and parallel from the floor then luring them underneath. Maybe that'll help
 

HilyBee

New Member
Updates!
Leave it - We are up to 30 seconds before he goes for the treat. All I did was put the treat on the floor, hold up my hand and say "wait". Then say "okay" and give him the treat when it's okay to have it. We'll keep going of course. He's getting it though! yay! Decided the two words "leave it" just didn't work for him.

Lay Down - I think I'll try holding my hand parallel to the floor next. He finally laid down, but once he was down he didn't want to get back up! Of course I gave him a treat and praised him like crazy for getting it once. I think he's just being stubborn. I have noticed though he doesn't lay on his stomach much at all, so this could be a strange position to him.

We are still doing well with sit, stay, down and look at me. :D
 

DeafDogs

Alberta Region Moderator
You're not teaching him to leave it if you allow him to eat the treat you've told him to leave
you should be giving him a different treat and picking up the obe you told him to leave.
 

DeafDogs

Alberta Region Moderator
Ok so I did a quick vid with Mouse to show you what I'm talking about... except I'm having issues figuring out my phone... give me some time to figure out how to post a link on my phone lol
 
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sherlock

New Member
It took Watson FOR. EVER. to get lay down. I would just keep moving the treat from his nose to the ground until finally he got it. But it still took a while for it to actually "click" in his head.
 
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