Yesterday was the third puppy social Simon (Cockapoo pup, 18 weeks old) and I attended. We both gain from these events. He socializes and I learn from the class leader who's a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She held an informal mini-class for the owners.
Here's the tips I picked up from the social:
Instant Down Command
You want your pup to lie down without a hand signal.
Say the word Down a second BEFORE you lure the dog into a down. Saying Down as you lure doesn't work because the pup won't pay attention to your voice command.
This command may require a lot of repetition before the desired result is achieved. And if you screw up and don't do it right, the pup will be confused and it'll take even longer to get it right.


