Drop Without Touching The Ground

[saram]

OK pups have got drop and have been pretty relaible for a few weeks now but will only "drop" if I touch the ground. How do I get around this?

Thanks in advance

[The Spotted Devil]

Have you got a hand signal that you want to use? Use the hand signal, tap the ground, pup drops, reward. Pretty soon the pups will start dropping when you use the hand signal and you can leave out the ground tapping. Goodness I don't envy you with two of the little rascals

[VJB]

I also used a hand signal. Had a treat in my hand and used the hand signal while saying "drop" It's a bit hard to explain, but I moved the treat from her nose, down her chest and then forward.

It only took a few goes, til she knew the hand signal, and within a few days, she understood the word without the hand signal....... hope that makes some sense

[tramissa]

I feel your pain. I too do a sweeping hand signal (started with treat, now graduated to without treat but can't get any further) from nose to chest to ground. He will follow the hand signal, but if I try and modify it (say, start at my hip level and not go to the ground, or do a smaller version of it) he looks at me like I'm mad and speaking Chinese. When he was consistently doing it with the big signal, I started adding the word drop, but the word hasn't clicked on this particular command, or he is unsure and I don't know how to get him to put it together. He will still do it consistently with the nose to ground version.

He has no problems with any other command he's been taught. Picked up things like weaving, over (jump), sit, here, tunnel etc etc, but drop is really just not doing it for us.

I will be watching this thread with interest as I have no idea where to go from here!! Hopefully the obedience lessons we're starting in a fortnight will help!

[poochmad]

I trained Henschke with the treat lowered to the floor too. First did it without saying anything. After a couple of goes, introduced the word, 'drop'. Next just said the word. He dropped.

Lastly, I said the word drop and with my palm flat and parallel, I said drop and at the same time moved my hand in one motion, but keeping the palm parallel.

After doing that a number of times, you can then move to removing the word altogether and just do the hand movement.

Just to keep him on his toes, I swap between the hand signal and the verbal command - drop.

[Jibba]

I train the drop by the usual methods of lowering the hand with food to the ground, once dog is on the ground i throw food in between the front legs, so in order to get food the dog must be on the ground, they orient themselves to the ground cause that is where the food is, not in my hand. Simple. You should be able to stand straight up once the dog realise the food is on the ground.

[swazzie]

I had the same poblem with Bru, he would only drop if i bent down and tounched the ground.

Then we started back at the second lot of puppy training and the trainer said that all the pups had to drop without their owners putting bums in the air the following week

Oh and we were not allowed lure them with food to drop it had to be hand signal or command only.

We did do a run through in class that week, but most of the puppy owners were in the beginner class and were more confused that the pups..

At home I started by pointing at the floor while standing and using a clicker when he got it right

After a few goes he got the message as he would do anything for a treat this dog.

I then added the command "drop" and changed to the flat hand as it's the preferred method appartently.

I found at first becuase he was really good a touch target, by using the flat hand up and down i was confusing him and he was trying to jump and touch my hand

He will drop now on command either by hand signal or the word "drop" although if there is another pup around i have to work with him a bit harder :rolleyes:

Edited January 24, 2009 by swazzie

[Evolving]

I think I started of teaching Bob to drop with food to get him down starting from a sit. It progressed to me being able to put my hands down to his level and using one finger make a sweeping motion towards the ground and he dropped from a walk.

Now I can be standing and just move my arm from waist height to the ground with no command and he knows what to do.

I think what helped him was when he was a little puppy I used to play a game with him where I would point to the ground and tell him to go there and kept at it until he touched my finger with his nose while laying down and then making a fuss of him. I would move my finger and get him to move to it and he sort of put pointing to the ground and laying down together in his head.

I Bob is just an easy dog to train who I think had the perception at school that if he did not do what he was told I would not love him/leave him there, not that I ever made him feel that way but he is a little clingy.

Edited January 24, 2009 by Evolving

[Kavik]

If you want them to drop on a voice command (I assume that is what you are asking?), it is pretty much the same as adding a hand signal as explained by The Spotted Devil. You can give the command, then tap the ground -> your pup drops -> reward. They will then learn that command = tap on ground and will anticipate the tap and you can fade the tap as they will drop on command.

[saram]

Thank you so much for all the ideas! It's good to know I'm not the only one with this struggle :-) Looks like I have my focus for the week - get puppies to drop on hand signal and voice command alone. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as we practice. Again help much appreciated