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I like teaching games that have such great application in real life. Having your dog know to Down when you stop and bend over during a walk might well be very helpful when out and about.
I teach a Stop during Loose Leash Walking in a similar way by having the handler do a very clear step together and pause, rewarding the dog’s Stand at their side, and then moving back into their walking together with their previously taught release word. Next we up the challenge (proof the new Stop and Stand behavior) first by having the handler shifting their weight, then by taking a half step, in a very similar way as you might proof any other stationary skill such as Sit or Down.
In my opinion, many people spend too much time telling their dogs what to do. Teaching a dog to know what to do in different situations seems so much more cooperative: Sit to Greet instead of telling/asking a dog to Sit when they are meeting people for example.
Thank you for the new game to play!