BallerMelon

Teaching Down - Troubleshooting & Solutions

8 min read

Troubleshooting - Common Problems & Solutions

Phase 1-2: Introduce Lure & Build Speed

Problem: She Won’t Lie Down with the Lure

Solutions:

  1. Make sure lure goes ALL THE WAY to the ground

    • Not hovering above it
    • Right on the surface she’s on (carpet, grass, tile)

  2. Pull it slightly back toward her chest/under her

    • Don’t just go straight down
    • The L-shape motion (down, then back) is critical

  3. Try when she’s already sitting

    • Easier to down from a sit than from standing
    • Build confidence this way

  4. Use higher value treats

    • What gets her excited?
    • Use the good stuff for learning the behavior

  5. Practice on a soft surface

    • Carpet, grass, or yoga mat
    • Some dogs don’t like hard floors (tile, concrete)

  6. Be patient

    • First attempts can take 30+ seconds
    • Don’t rush her
    • Let her figure it out

Problem: She Stands Up and Walks Around the Lure

Solutions:

  1. Lure more slowly

    • Don’t rush
    • Give her time to process

  2. Start with her in a sit

    • Easier to prevent backing up from a sit

  3. Practice with her back to a wall

    • Can’t back up or walk around
    • Limits her options

  4. Make sure treat is on the ground, not hovering

    • Right on the surface
    • Not in the air

Phase 3-4: Fade Lure & Add Verbal Cue

Problem: She Gets Stuck in Phase 3 (Won’t Down with Empty Hand)

Solutions:

  1. Go back to Phase 2 for 1-2 more days

    • Build more reps with full lure
    • Create stronger muscle memory

  2. Make sure your empty-hand motion is EXACTLY the same as your lure motion

    • Mirror image
    • Same speed, same distance
    • Record yourself to compare

  3. Start with intermittent mixing

    • Do 3 reps with treat in hand
    • Do 1 rep with empty hand
    • Back to 3 reps with treat
    • Repeat cycle

  4. Be patient

    • This is the hardest phase
    • Some dogs need 10-14 days here
    • That’s completely normal

Problem: She Only Responds to Hand Signal, Ignores Verbal Cue

Solutions:

  1. Make sure you’re saying “down” BEFORE the hand signal

    • Not at the same time
    • Not after
    • Verbal first, then hand signal 0.5 seconds later

  2. Increase the delay between verbal and hand signal

    • Start with 0.5 seconds
    • Gradually increase to 1-2 seconds
    • This forces her to start responding to the word

  3. Do more reps in Phase 4 before moving to Phase 5

    • Don’t rush the pairing
    • She needs 30+ reps of hearing “down” paired with hand signal

  4. When testing verbal only, wait a full 3 seconds

    • Before giving hand signal backup
    • Give her time to process

Phase 5: Verbal Cue Only

Problem: She’s Not Responding to Verbal Cue Reliably

Solutions:

  1. Make sure she got enough practice pairing the cues in Phase 4

    • Go back to Phase 4 for another week if needed
    • More reps = stronger association

  2. Increase the value of rewards for verbal-only success

    • When she does it on the word alone, jackpot
    • Make it worth more than hand-signal tries

  3. Make sure you’re waiting long enough

    • Wait a full 3 seconds after saying “down”
    • Before giving hand signal backup

  4. Increase percentage of verbal-only trials more gradually

    • Stick at 50% for a few extra days
    • Don’t jump to 70% if she’s only at 50% success

Phase 6: Adding Duration

Problem: She Breaks Position Constantly

Solutions:

  1. You’re progressing too fast

    • Go back to shorter durations
    • 2-4 seconds if she’s breaking at 5 seconds

  2. Feed treats MORE often

    • Every 3 seconds instead of 5-7
    • Keeps her engaged and in position

  3. Make sure you’re using “GOOD” not “YES”

    • “YES” makes her want to get up
    • “GOOD” tells her to keep staying

  4. Check that you’re feeding treats IN position

    • Between her paws, not making her move
    • She should barely move to get the treat

  5. Make sure the behavior itself is solid

    • If she’s not responding reliably to “down,” duration will be hard
    • Go back to Phase 5 if needed

Problem: She’s Anxious/Stressed During Duration Work

Signs of stress:

  • Yawning, lip licking, whale eye
  • Panting excessively
  • Trying to leave position repeatedly
  • Whining or barking

Solutions:

  1. Shorten duration significantly

    • Back to 5-10 seconds
    • Way below where she’s comfortable

  2. Increase treat frequency

    • Feed every 3 seconds (or even more often)
    • More frequent reward = less stress

  3. Remove all distractions

    • Quiet room
    • Just you and her
    • Calm environment

  4. Practice in a place she’s very comfortable

    • Her favorite room
    • Familiar spot
    • Safe feeling

  5. Build confidence with easier exercises first

    • Make sure the down position itself is comfortable
    • Some dogs find holding down stressful (pain, anxiety, posture)
    • Consult a trainer or vet if stress persists

Problem: She Anticipates the Release

What it looks like:

  • She pops up at exactly 20 seconds every time (because that’s when you always release her)
  • She starts shifting/preparing to get up before you release

Solutions:

  1. Variable duration

    • Sometimes 10 sec, sometimes 30 sec, sometimes 45 sec
    • No predictable pattern

  2. Don’t always go to max duration

    • Mix short and long holds
    • Keeps her guessing

  3. Occasionally ask for very short durations mixed with long ones

    • Just when she expects a long one

  4. Release is random, unpredictable

    • She has to wait for your cue
    • Not clock-watching

Problem: She’ll Hold It For You But Not For Others

Solutions:

  1. Have other people practice with her

    • Start with you nearby
    • Other person cues the behavior

  2. Other person cues behavior, you stand close and support

    • Gradually fade your presence
    • She learns it applies to everyone

  3. Use the same hand signal and cue word

    • Consistency across people

  4. She needs to learn “duration applies to everyone, not just dad”

    • Takes more reps with multiple people
    • But it will generalize

Phase 7: Distance & Distractions

Problem: She Breaks When You Step Away

Solutions:

  1. You’re going too far too fast

    • Go back to 1 step away for another week
    • Build from there

  2. Make sure you’re returning to reward her

    • Don’t toss treats from far away
    • Return and give her treats
    • Builds confidence that you’re coming back

  3. Increase treat value

    • More exciting rewards = more motivation to stay

  4. Start with her already in down

    • Rather than cueing from standing
    • One less variable

Problem: She Anticipates Your Return

What it looks like:

  • She gets up right before you come back
  • Has a predictable pattern

Solutions:

  1. Vary the time you’re away

    • Sometimes 5 sec, sometimes 15, sometimes 30
    • No predictable pattern

  2. Don’t always return from the same direction

    • Sometimes come back left, sometimes right
    • Mix it up

  3. Don’t have a predictable routine

    • Sometimes return immediately, sometimes wait longer
    • Sometimes make noise, sometimes be quiet

Problem: She Can’t Handle Real-World Distractions

Solutions:

  1. You’re in too challenging an environment

    • Start in quieter locations
    • Build up gradually

  2. Start in quieter locations

    • Your living room
    • Backyard
    • Quiet park
    • Then gradually busier places

  3. Gradually expose her to busier environments

    • One step up at a time
    • Don’t jump from quiet room to busy cafe

  4. Keep sessions short in challenging locations

    • 5-10 minutes max
    • Don’t overwhelm her

  5. Increase treat value

    • Make it worth her while
    • High-value treats for hard environments

Problem: She’s Stressed During Distance/Distraction Work

Signs: Panting, yawning, lip licking, whining

Solutions:

  1. Reduce difficulty significantly

    • Go back 2-3 levels
    • Build from there

  2. Increase treat frequency

    • More rewards = more confidence

  3. Practice in calmer environments

    • Familiar, quiet spaces
    • Build skills there first

  4. Make sure the behavior itself is fully solid

    • Can she do 60-second down with you right next to her?
    • If not, don’t add distance/distractions yet

General Troubleshooting

She’s Regressing (Was Good, Now Not)

Possible causes:

  1. You’ve progressed too fast

    • Back up one phase
    • Rebuild from there

  2. Life circumstances changed

    • Travel, new family member, moved homes
    • Revert to practicing in familiar environment

  3. She’s having a bad day

    • Could be tired, distracted, or just off
    • Try again tomorrow

  4. Pain or discomfort

    • Down is uncomfortable for some dogs
    • Consult a vet

She’s Inconsistent (Sometimes Works, Sometimes Doesn’t)

Solutions:

  1. Inconsistency = not solid yet

    • Not ready to progress
    • Do more reps at current level

  2. Increase reps

    • 20-30+ reps per day
    • Build more repetitions

  3. Simplify the context

    • Remove any extra challenges
    • Just the behavior you’re working on

  4. Only progress when she’s 8-9/10 successful

    • Don’t move forward too early

You’re Not Sure Which Phase to Go Back To

Rule of thumb:

Go back to the last phase where she was consistently successful 8-9/10 times, then rebuild from there.

When to Seek Help

Consider working with a professional trainer if:

  • She’s showing signs of fear or anxiety during training
  • You’re stuck for more than 2 weeks at a phase
  • The behavior is regressing significantly
  • You’re frustrated or unsure about what to do next
  • There’s any pain or physical discomfort involved

Back to the Hub

← Teaching Down - Complete Guide

Graph View

Backlinks