Grrrr...So Discouraged...Feeling like a failure :(

Remember, he's only 10 weeks old.    He's still a baby.  I wouldn't abandon the "down", but only do it a couple of times before doing something else. 

Agreed.  Maybe readjust your expectations?  This IS a baby you are dealing with, with a teeny, tiny attention span.

You're right, I'm expecting too much from him too quickly.  His size makes it easy to forget that he is just a tiny bebe   He's just caught onto to other things so well I was expecting this command to go a little better than it has.  It's totally my failure, not his

I like to get the dog to be proactive early on, encouraging him to offer behaviors on his own with minimal luring. I actually like the nudging and pawing at the hand.  It may take longer for the dog to get the behavior consistently initially, but I feel like he better understands what it is.  So, for a puppy learning down, I would put food in my fist and put my fist on the ground.  Then I would just wait....I've seen pups take almost five minutes the first time, they try everything to get that treat out and then finally fold into a down.  The moment they are folding down, I click, open the hand, and praise.  I don't add a command until the dog is offering the behavior consistently and quickly.

I haven't added a verbal at all.  I like to get at least 10 immediate successes in a row before I add a command.  I just have to remember than patience is a virtue and puppy training is perfect practice.

candjharris

I like to get at least 10 immediate successes in a row before I add a command.

 IMO, this is way too much for a 10 week old.

tiffy

candjharris

I like to get at least 10 immediate successes in a row before I add a command.

 

 IMO, this is way too much for a 10 week old.

I agree.  You have plenty of time to perfect the obedience.  He's just an infant.  You haven't even reached the "mindless puppy stage."  Now is the time to bond and if he learns a few things along the way great.  For now, no more than 5 minute sessions...throughout the day.  If he has a couple of immediate successes...call it great and end there. 

Bond by doing these super short training sessions...then bond some more by taking some nice walks.  Getting him used to walking on different things...grass...concrete...rocks, whatever.  Concentrate on forming a loving lifelong relationship at this age.  His job right now is to play and love; and in the process become socialized.

Oh don't you worry, he'll be 6 months old before you know it... 

He was also VERY young when you got him -- and "down" is quite a submissive type of posture.  Try also noticing when he first lies down on his own and say "GOOD down!!"  -- he's offering a behavior you WANT -- just reward that and they DO catch on.

tiffy

candjharris

I like to get at least 10 immediate successes in a row before I add a command.

 

 IMO, this is way too much for a 10 week old.

Oh, I don't disagree with this at all...I was speaking in general, not just with this pup

CoBuHe

Oh don't you worry, he'll be 6 months old before you know it... 

I know He's already doubled size in three weeks from about 12 to 25 lbs. 

If you're getting frustrated sometimes it's best to leave it for a little while especially as he's just a baby. Sometimes when my dog is just not getting something the way I want her to I leave it for a bit and come back to it at a later date, and every time we've done that she's picked it up almost instantly when we've tried it again.

 are you asking him consecutively? LOL. Zoey hated it when I would work on stuff too long, if her attention started wandering I'd switch to something else then go back to what i really wanted her to learn at that moment.

 I agree with Lies, to just keep your hand down and be patient, eventually he'll figure it out. 

then move onto something fun. then go back. I kinda got lucky, down is one of Zoey's default moves, she does it more than sit. 

and also I know how you FEEL!!! LOL there were soooo many times I would get discouraged with Zoey not getting something.  when you feel like that, take a break. all this hard work will pay off!! I seriously had days where i thought 'ahh I can't do this!!'

I just had one of the most rewarding days with my Zoey that I've had in a long time. Dunno why, she just seemed to know what to do, was walking well, hanging out around the house like an old pro, not really getting 'into' stuff. 

I've been alternating it with "come" and "sit" which he already knows well so that he's still getting more +R than not.  I keep our sessions short (no more than 5 minutes at a time) and I throw in random single commands throughout the day.  I ask for a sit before he gets his meals, before I open the door to go out, when I put on his leash (basically for everything, lol, and he pretty much has a default sit when I call him to me now which is what I was going for), ask him to come when he's in the other room and reward him with a random treat or game of tug, etc.

 He's getting a lot better with down.  He's getting it a lot more consistently, but not to the point that we're ready to add a command yet.  We do two or three tries during a session and usually by #3 I'll get a perfect one with the cue so he gets a jackpot and we move on or end with some play time. 

 I think I was just having a bad day when I posted this; I'm feeling a lot more confident lately, lol.

 LOL i hear ya on that one!!

lots of times it wasn't Zoey, it was me lol