Down Stay

[Tiggy]

I assumed the down in the down stay was the same 'sphinx' down that you do in heel work but in the book I'm reading it says to have a different cue for the long down with the dog rolled onto one hip . This was in the competition down section. Is that right?

[luvsablue]

I assumed the down in the down stay was the same 'sphinx' down that you do in heel work but in the book I'm reading it says to have a different cue for the long down with the dog rolled onto one hip . This was in the competition down section. Is that right?

Hi, yes it sounds right. I used to leave her in a straight down and wondered why she used to roll onto one hip or the other during the stays. Then I twigged how uncomfortable it must be lying dead straight for 5 or 10 minutes (open or UD). So I used to say "lie down", not "drop" and she worked out this meant to find her most comfortable position and stay in it. Because if they roll onto their hip during the stays and show daylight under them they fail, always a shame if they are on a pass.

From

Luvsablue

[luvsdogs]

Never thought of that b4, something worth trying.

[shoemonster]

Can be helpful to get the dog more comfortable but you dont have to do it, plenty of dogs are comfortable in the sphinx drop for their downs, or Molly for instance who prefers to frog her stays

[Tiggy]

Can be helpful to get the dog more comfortable but you dont have to do it, plenty of dogs are comfortable in the sphinx drop for their downs, or Molly for instance who prefers to frog her stays

at Molly. Banjo only does a half frog.

[luvsablue]

Hi all,

I found the frog style not good, she used to crawl forward, I think they like doing it because it makes people laugh,

[shoemonster]

Yeah I wouldnt suggest teaching them to do it that way! But Molls tends to do it when shes hot, some how she does it without moving forward at all, so she must have learnt to be sneaky about it!

[dogdude]

Yes, can be a problem in hot weather. I don't cue anything. I just roll them onto their hip. They normally stay that way.

[luvsablue]

Yeah Dogdude,

Thats good but if you mean physically roll them onto a hip, that's fine but not in a trial, because if under some or maybe most judges, you physically handle your dog,

they'll take off behaviour points or ask you to "please leave the ring" It's in the rule book. But if it is just for training the down that's different. If you want to do "hip

rolls" in trials better add a cue word.

luvsablue

[dogdude]

Edited November 18, 2009 by dogdude

[luvsdogs]

Can be helpful to get the dog more comfortable but you dont have to do it, plenty of dogs are comfortable in the sphinx drop for their downs, or Molly for instance who prefers to frog her stays

at Molly. Banjo only does a half frog.

So does Tilba. My son thought she had something wrong with her leg.

[luvsdogs]

Yeah I wouldnt suggest teaching them to do it that way! But Molls tends to do it when shes hot, some how she does it without moving forward at all, so she must have learnt to be sneaky about it!

Must be a staffy thing, we have a couple at my obedience club that do it all the time.

[Sayreovi]

I've also been told that dogs that are in the rolled hip stay generally have better stays then the Sphinx drop because it's more of an effort for them to get up. Don't know how true it is, but that aside it would be more comfortable.