I started to introduce the new down last night with a new hand signal - flat hand, palm facing down and moving downwards - because I always used to just point at the floor for the old command. It was a bit difficult for Bran as his back end kept sliding out on the laminate, but he was definitely making the right moves.
Today we've had a quick clicker session out in the garden which was just hysterical! He absolutely loves targetting the ball but does keep changing between touching it with his nose and with his teeth and sometimes he has his back to me so I can't see what's touching first and as I'm clicking him for getting within bumping distance of the ball my timing is sometimes rewarding him for using his teeth so we have to do a few retrains on it. I managed to throw the ball all over the garden and he was just running to target it as quickly as possible and then bombing back to me for his treat - he even managed to get it when it was up on the patio table and he needed to work out that he had to put his feet on one of the chairs to reach it :oD
We've been up to the park this evening with Jacob and Casey and we let the dogs have some fun chasing around after the ball and then Jacob took Casey off while I took Bran to one side for some practise with his downs on a more stable flooring and he did them all brilliantly. I don't need to lure him now and he is paying far more attention to the hand signal. More work is obviously needed on just getting him to do it to a verbal command but it is very early days, bless him. Even though I didn't have my clicker with me, I did get him doing some quick hand targetting as well and he was spot on with those too, but I'm not sure what the other walkers made of us as we skipped and danced around the playing field - hahahahaha!!
Just a quick edit to add a little video that I've taken of Bran doing his new down tonight. It was a small space and it's very rough at the moment, but you get the idea ;o) I also love that he's so focussed and alert compared to the videos of him doing 'on the mat' :o)
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