Chapter 8: Game 3 - Down-Stay - Premier MannersMinder Instruction Manual

Chapter 8: Game 3 – Down Stay
Recommended Daily Practice:
Two 15-minute sessions.
In this exercise, Fido gets treats when lying down
and the treats come so frequently that there's little
time for him to get distracted and get up. The first
few times he may get up to get the treat before he
realizes that he can get them while lying down. If
he gets up, just tell him "Down" or lure him down
again and reward him again for lying down. Also
make sure the MannersMinder is conveniently
located so that he can eat from it while lying
down. It's best if he learns to lie down on verbal
cue or automatically when he gets on the rug as
this will be important for Game 4.
NOTE: Make sure Fido is truly motivated to work
for his food. Stop the session if he looks bored or
isn't hungry.
Practice this exercise in ONE-MINUTE SESSIONS.
At the end of each one-minute session, provide 2-3
more treats randomly and then target Fido off the
rug. The purpose of targeting is to give him prac-
tice running to the MannersMinder and rug. Target
him about 3 times in between trials and then when
you're ready to start another Down-Stay session,
just follow him up to the rug and cue him to lie
down. Make sure you always target Fido off the
rug after each session so he learns not to get off
on his own. If he has a good recall, you can also
sometimes call him off the rug, but you should
mostly target him off. If he likes to stay on his rug
that is a good sign as it means he's learning his
down-stay well.
TIPS: If Fido makes more than 2 mistakes in a
row or starts barking at or pushing the machine,
refer immediately to the trouble-shooting at the
end of this section. If he's not performing well or
frequently gets off, stop the session. If he's not
willing to work for the food, he's telling you he
wants it for free. Wait until he finds food to be
Set the control panel to:
– Power = on
– Volume = on
– Session = cue dispense
– Treat Rate = :03 seconds
– Treat Interval = fixed
Make sure the machine is conveniently
located so that Fido can eat from
it while lying down.
At the end of each one-minute
Down-Stay session, provide 2-3 more
treats at variable intervals and then
target Fido off the rug.
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