How to Teach Your Dog an Emergency Down

Dog trainers have long prescribed an emergency recall as a safety measure for a dog that may bolt on an off-leash hike. However, an emergency down may be just as valuable and easier to teach. While a recall requires a dog to turn and run away from the object it wants to chase, an emergency down allows it to continue watching the object while in a controlled position. Once your dog is in the emergency down, you can either go get it or release it to come back to you.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog treats
  • 30-foot line
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Instructions

    • 1

      Teach your dog to lie down on command. Before your dog can perform an emergency down, it must know a simple down. To teach a down from a stand, move a treat between your dog's front legs backward toward its back legs. As it follows the treat, your dog begins to drop into a down. Use your hands to help it along if necessary.

    • 2

      Phase out the blatant use of a treat lure quickly so you don't become reliant upon it. After using the lure three or four times, use your hand to signal without the treat. Reward the dog with a treat from your pocket or other hidden location once it downs.

    • 3

      Phase out the lure completely so that you can simply point at the floor for your dog to down. Take a step from your dog and tell it to down. Once your dog can do that without receiving a treat, increase the distance. Increase the distance until you can down it from across the room.

    • 4

      Begin practicing outside. Start in the yard to reduce distraction and then move to more distracting locations. Your dog should be able to perform the down from the end of a 30-foot line surrounded by many distractions.

    • 5

      Practice a moving down by cuing your dog to down when it is in midstride, such as while on a walk. Give your dog the cue to down and praise it for doing so. Your dog is unable to do this until it is solid at the previous steps. If your dog can't do it, you're moving too fast.