# Double Command for Same Basic Behavior?



## Mesonoxian (Oct 16, 2014)

Hello all,

I have a quick question about cues/commands.

Do any of you use multiple command for the same basic behavior? For example, a "down" for house manners (and possibly giving the signal to be ore relaxed for a long down-stay), but a different word ("drop" maybe) for competition downs. Or do you use the same command, and just plan on your dog recognizing when to tighten it up due to the environment?

Please share your preferred style of training this! If you have done it both ways, did you notice a difference? (and any other tidbits you want to share would be great!)


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

I accidentally taught Cas that "up" means both pop up out of a down or sit, and also jump up onto the thing I'm pointing at. Whoops. He seems to be able to distinguish fine by context, though.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

parus said:


> I accidentally taught Cas that "up" means both pop up out of a down or sit, and also jump up onto the thing I'm pointing at. Whoops. He seems to be able to distinguish fine by context, though.


Same here! Although I use more of a "hup" for "get on that thing", but considering the confusion that we had over "down" and "bow" I doubt the added h-sound really makes a difference.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Context matters.

Up here can mean get on the thing, get up from a down to a sit, go from a sit to a beg, go from a beg to a all the way on your hind legs.

Out means: Get out of the room you're in, drop what's in your mouth or move laterally away from me (and if a cylindrical object is out there circle around it), depending on context.

But... I wouldn't use the same word, for the same command, and change the criteria based on where it is. Ie: Down meaning lie down however you want and down also mean drop rapidly. That's too close with too few context clues for the dog to pick up on, IMO. The dog's starting position is the same, the body position is the same, there is no handy dandy body language or things like props or equipment to separate the two.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

several, but paired with repetitive situations they get it... like "out" means slam on the breaks when they take off at something, ,,,, Out also means leave out of the barn, a room, out also means release also means stop what they currently doing
spit also means release too and give would fall into to the release... come and here used individually is the same motion but "here" is a stronger more important emergency type command where as "come" is still direct action but relaxed. 

have to say dogs are smart to pick up on details of activities and our repetitive behaviors to figure it all out... just for knowing us so well....


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I use the same cue for different behaviors. I use "jump" to mean jump that obstacle, and I also use it to mean jump up on me. Obviously the context is totally different.

I know a lot of obedience people who teach two different down cues - one for a sphinx down, and the other for a relaxed down rolled over on one hip. I haven't taught this to Watson, and he will start in a formal down and rolls to his hip if he thinks he's not getting up any time soon, just based on context. It's worked for us, but then we just dabble and don't compete in obedience yet.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> Same here! Although I use more of a "hup" for "get on that thing", but considering the confusion that we had over "down" and "bow" I doubt the added h-sound really makes a difference.


I do "hup-up" for getting on something, which devolved from "hop up".


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

elrohwen said:


> I know a lot of obedience people who teach two different down cues - one for a sphinx down, and the other for a relaxed down rolled over on one hip. I haven't taught this to Watson, and he will start in a formal down and rolls to his hip if he thinks he's not getting up any time soon, just based on context. It's worked for us, but then we just dabble and don't compete in obedience yet.


Yeah, Cas knows "down" as a sphinx down, and "settle" as a flop over down.


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