The answer
Because a heel keeps her moving and watchful, and a down asks her to switch off. Three dogs show the split. Anna, a frightened dog, has a 'really nice' heel, but her handler says 'any command that requires her to just relax and just kind of stay stationary she has a really hard time with', because 'she doesn't know how to just like relax yet because she's scared'; indoors she yawns, tired, and still never lies down.
Louie shows the everyday version. His handler explains that when the handler walks off, the dog's default is to follow; only a command in force means stay. A dog that follows well will therefore break a sit the moment you move, until he learns the command is the exception.
The trainers use the split to diagnose and plan: Anna's place, down and being left are what stay open at the end of her record; Irwin's down is taught inside play. Stated on film: the pattern in these dogs and the handlers' explanation. Not stated: that it applies to every nervous dog.
What to do
If your dog is nervous, expect heel and recall to come first and the down, place and stays to come last. Don't read a fight over the down as defiance; the handlers read it as a dog who doesn't yet know how to relax (watch 04:42). If he breaks a sit when you walk away, he may think he is meant to follow (watch 14:51).
What the trainers say
the heel it's a very aware command any command that requires her to just relax
of that is just she doesn't know how to just like relax yet because she's scared
down yeah um because like they both have an issue with positions if the if the command involves
movement they don't care like i can like egg could be off leash in like a few days yeah like
down no nope you don't do that so he just looked at me like he wanted to bite me
the command sit there you go normally I do want them to follow when I start
How it looks, dog by dog
Anna
A scared dog whose heel is her best skill. In a store the handler explains why the stationary commands lag: she does not know how to relax yet. Indoors she will not lie down even when yawning with fatigue; the handler says on camera that they are scared to ask for the down because she stresses easily.
On film
heel is really nice it's really the commands that require her you know with
and she's tired like she's yawning but she just never lays down
Irwin
On a trail walk the down draws a threatening look; the trainer says 'nope', then gives him a breather and lets him reset.
On film
he's good he's a he's his recall is like looking really nice his let's go is looking really nice
okay good job let's go so i'm just going to give him a breather and let him reset
Louie
On an evening walk Louie breaks his sit when the handler moves off. The handler explains the rule being taught: follow by default when I walk, stay only when a command is in force.
On film
walking unless if I ask for like a set or any other command then I want to stay
Why it works
Stated: a stationary command asks the dog to relax, and a scared dog does not know how yet (watch 04:42); movement commands carry no such load for Irwin and Egg (watch 25:06); following is the default when the handler moves, so staying must be taught as the exception (watch 15:04). Inferred: in a position the dog cannot move away from what worries her, so the pressure of the command is felt more.
Questions owners ask
My nervous dog heels perfectly - why won't she do a down?
Anna's handler: a heel is an 'aware' command; the down asks her to relax, and she is too scared to know how yet. It came last for her too.
On film
and just kind of stay stationary she has a really hard time with but and part of
What if my dog gets aggressive when I ask for a down?
With Irwin, a dog with a bite history, the trainer marked the look with 'nope', then backed off and let him reset rather than pushing.
On film
down no nope you don't do that so he just looked at me like he wanted to bite me
The lesson
The goal
Recognise why stationary commands lag in a nervous dog and plan them last.
Learn first
The drill
Louie: give the sit, walk away; if he follows, return him; he learns that a command in force overrides following (watch 14:51).
Watch out for
- Reading a refused down in a scared dog as stubbornness
- Pushing the down into a confrontation with a dog who threatens
Check yourself
Why might a scared dog find a down harder than a heel?