Premier MannersMinder Instruction Manual page 46

Still holding his collar, from about 5-10 feet away, release a treat from the machine in
order to lure him to the MannersMinder and then say, "Place." Simultaneously release his
collar. "Place" will come to predict that he gets the opportunity to run to the rug and lie
down. Once he gets to MannersMinder and is eating his treat, tell him to lie down, then
give him a few more treats at random intervals. Make sure you continue giving treats until
he's stable on his down-stay and gives no indication that he wants to run back to you.
Some dogs tend to lie facing the owner. When you TONE & TREAT, he will stand up to get
his treat. Tell him to lie down and give him a few more treats. If he lies down facing you
the second time, just TONE & TREAT and tell him to lie down again. Eventually after you
repeat this portion of Step 3 enough times, your dog will lie down in the correct direction
because it's easier to lie down in this direction to get the treat than it is to turn around
and face you and then have to get up to get a treat.
Continue this exercise until the dog lies down fac-
ing the MannersMinder and stays lying down to get
treats. Then follow up with at least 2-5 treats for
staying down facing the correct direction, before you
call or target him off the rug.
When you can repeat Step 3, 9 out of 10 times in a
row correctly, go to Step 4. If you mess up more than
5 times, go back to Step 2. (If you plan to be able
to place Fido without having to tell him to lie down,
then don't go on to Step 4 until he automatically
lies down for his second treat.)
Step 4: Place Without Luring
Repeat Step 3 but this time don't TONE & TREAT
until after Fido has run to his rug and laid down.
You can still verbally cue him to lie down if that's
what you want for his final behavior. Otherwise, just
wait until he automatically lies down before you
TONE & TREAT. Once you complete this Step 9 out
of 10 times in a row correctly, go to Step 5.
Step 5: Place from Different Directions
Repeat Step 5 but from a different direction so that
Fido learns to "place" from different directions and
locations. You can gradually build up distance too if
you want him to "place" from a long distance away.
Once Fido completes 9 out of 10 trials in a row on
cue, you're finished with this game!
Chapter 11: Game 4 – Place
Step 4: Place Without Luring
Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions
in a row.
Continue this exercise until the dog
stays lying down to get treats.
Checklist
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
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Step 5: Place from Different
Directions
Complete 9 out of 10 correct sessions
in a row.
Checklist
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
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