This is a valuable exercise for teaching a dog to settle and relax. The originator of the article this is based on was an obedience instructor and competitor. The exercise is very valuable for our working retrievers as well. It reinforces self-control which is vital for building a dog that can focus on instruction during a lesson or drill and eventually to a quiet and steady dog in the blind. If you have a dog who demonstrates frustration behaviours like creeping, whining, or barking during training, this will be a valuable lesson! And it is one that is best done before any of these undesirable behaviours gain a foothold.
Before you go on to read the instructions you need to know these FACTS:
Students seem to find this a very difficult exercise.
People who hear about it, almost NEVER get it right.
People who read about it, seldom get it right.
Everyone wants to either add or take away some part of it.
More than 50% of those who hear about it or read about it don't believe it will work simply because it is TOO EASY.
When it is done EXACTLY as explained, it is 100% successful.
There is a major difference between a down-stays and the place command, and the long down. The down-stay can only be taught after the dog has learned to down on command. It is handler direction to the dog as to the position to take and hold. Place is also a command–seek this location when I tell you to do so and remain there.
The long down exercise is very different. It has a totally different focus. It is at least 30 minutes in duration. The dog is wearing a collar that it can’t back out of and a 6’ leather leash is then attached to that collar. The leash is then run, from left to right over the seat of a solid chair that does not have wheels. The owner then sits on the chair and the leash. The leash is adjusted so that when the dog decides to lie down there will be gentle tension on the collar. At no time does the owner touch, look at or talk to the dog. The dog must be wearing a collar and leash when doing this exercise.
The owner must have something else to do during the long down period. Read a book. Play a computer game. Write out all your complaints about having to do this stupid exercise. Talk to a friend. Eat a meal. Pay some bills. Do some homework. It really doesn’t matter as long as you are doing something. The only time you would acknowledge the dog is to push it away if it tries to climb into your lap or tries to eat the leg off the chair you are sitting in or some other behavior that is equally unacceptable. When this happens, you must take whatever physical means necessary to cause the dog to stop the behavior at once and not resume it at a latter date.
This is an exercise in both leadership and self-regulation. You are supposed to be the leader. As such, you are the one who decides where the two of you will be and for how long and it is not a voting matter. This is an exercise in patience which every dog must learn if it is to be a good family companion, and for our purposes, a good hunting companion. There is no maximum time length for this exercise. However, the minimum time is 30 minutes. The exercise should be practiced twice per day, every day. The dog must be wearing a collar and leash when doing this exercise.
Once you get through the first few sessions, this is a very calming and soothing exercise for both parties. Persevere through the first couple of days! A really determined dog will go through the most amazing series of behaviors. Not only that, they will repeat the series in the same sequence over and over. When none of the behaviors win them freedom or activity, they will literally throw themselves down, give a very loud humph and refuse to look at you. After this period has passed it is all smooth sailing and happy tail wags.
Again, the long down has nothing in common with a down-stay other than the physical position of the dog. You can NOT leave a dog that is doing a long down because you are a major part of the picture. You do leave a dog that is doing a down/stay. You can NOT tell the dog or show the dog how to do the long down. You must give the dog the chance to figure out what the most comfortable position is going to be.
Why is this so valuable to a working retriever? No matter how hard an owner works, no matter how clever a trainer happens to be, the dog will learn nothing of value unless it is paying full attention to the lesson. That means the full focus of the dog's mind must be on the lesson and this is a thing that will never happen until the dog is given a chance to find that calm center point. The same is true for the human. There really isn't much of anything useful to be gained by trying to teach or learn when the mind is in a scattered and unfocused condition.
Once your dog can master this exercise you will find that they will be ready to learn whatever else you want to teach!