Willson didnt pass the down stay at puppy class

[Sue & Willy Babe]

I Have been working very hard with Willson so any advice would be much appreciated, He does well with almost everything expect the down stay He is very treated Orientated for the down (which is my fault) He was that way for the sit but now isn't So can you guys help me out How can I make him go down without treats He is 9 months old

[Kim Williams]

Hi Sue,
I feel your pain!!! Parris hated down stay at that same age!!! My obedience teacher made us hold our down stays for 3 minutes at graduation and Parris got up at 2 min 45 seconds and that was it!!! Parris is also VERY motivated by treats. My obedience teacher made us stop using treats around 7 months, but at agility they really recommend them. So, I continued to mix it up. Sometimes, I would surprise her with a treat and sometimes not. But everyday, we worked on down stays. Now she is almost 2 and is very consistent with her down stay. If you continue to work with Willson, he will do great.

[Adina P]

Did your trainer have any tips? If you're paying for the class, I would expect the trainer to take time with you if you needed it to work on problem areas.

But that aside, tell us how you taught it, how you progressed in training and how you DO it now.