Crash is a newly introduced rescue dog beginning his foundational training program. The primary focus this week was building engagement, establishing clear communication, and introducing basic obedience behaviors in a controlled environment.

Key Challenge

Crash initially struggled with maintaining the down position. After being lured into a down, he would immediately break position as soon as I stood upright. This indicated a lack of understanding of duration and possible sensitivity to handler movement.

Training Approach

To address this, I adjusted my approach by:  

- Remaining crouched after guiding him into the down  

- Marking and rewarding repeatedly while he stayed in position  

- Gradually increasing my posture height in small increments  

- Reinforcing calmness and clarity throughout the exercise  

This allowed Crash to better understand that the expectation was to remain in position regardless of handler movement.

Results  

By the end of the week, Crash showed:  

- Improved engagement through consistent hand feeding  

- Clear understanding of sit and down in both front and heel positions  

- Increased ability to remain in the down position as handler movement was introduced gradually  

- Stronger focus and responsiveness during sessions