Down — Day 3 with your dog

Days 1–2 recap

Day 1: lure-to-down chain, empty-hand arc, verbal cue added. Day 2: new room, behavior intact across contexts. your dog can go into a down from the hand signal in at least 2 different locations.

Day 3 adds duration. Until now every down has been "hit the floor and get the treat immediately." Today you hold the treat, let ${label} stay in the down, and reward the hold.

Your Day 3 protocol

Reps 1–3: Down → 3-second hold

Cue the down — wait 3 full seconds before marking

Ask for a down. Once your dog is on the floor: wait 3 seconds in silence. If they hold: mark and treat. If they get up at 2 seconds: no mark, no treat — reset and ask again, but next time mark at 1.5 seconds. Always mark before they break, not after. Duration is built by succeeding, not by extending until failure.

Reps 4–5: 7-second hold

Hold the down before marking — count silently

Only increase if 3-second holds are clean. Now hold 7 seconds before marking. You can move slightly during this — shift your weight, look around, but stay within 3 feet. your dog needs to learn the down holds even when you're not frozen in the "training stance." Stillness on your part cues the dog to stay still; movement teaches the behavior to be robust.

Reps 6–8: 10-second hold + mild movement

Stand up straight, shift weight, count to 10

Cue the down. Stand normally — not in a crouch or training stance. Move your hands naturally. If your dog holds for 10 seconds: mark and jackpot. If they break at 8: no drama — reset. Your goal is 3 clean 10-second holds. Once that's solid, Day 4 will add distance to the duration.

Bonus: One rep with mild distraction

Toss a treat across the room, ask for a down as it lands

Cue the down while something interesting happens nearby. This is the beginning of "down holds under mild arousal." Start easy: a treat toss, a gentle sound. If your dog holds: huge jackpot. If not: that's fine — this is a preview of Day 4, not a requirement today.

If your dog can't hold even 3 seconds without getting up: you need more reps of "mark-while-in-down" before adding duration. Go back to marking the moment the elbows land for 5 reps, then try the 3-second hold again. If your dog holds the down but starts to creep forward toward you: you might be leaning toward them. Stand tall, keep your weight neutral. Creeping is the precursor to a break — mark before it happens and reduce duration by 1–2 seconds.

Why duration changes everything

A down that only lasts until the treat appears is a trick. A down that holds until you release it is a behavior. Duration is the difference. The 10-second hold you're building today is the foundation of "down-stay while guests arrive," "down at the cafe table," "down in the vet waiting room."

Duration is built in 2-second increments, not in one bold session. Every time you mark before your dog breaks, you're teaching them that staying in position is what produces the reward. Every time you wait until after they break, you're teaching them nothing — or worse, that getting up doesn't cost anything. Mark timing is everything here.

Day 3 — go add some distance.

5 minutes. Push the envelope slightly. Mark every success.

✅ Day 3 logged.

Three days of deliberate practice. That's the behavior moving from new to familiar. Keep the momentum — the progression gets more interesting from here.

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