ok, I am not sure if i should make a huge deal of this or not.

I have a routine I follow when feeding Tucker, which is I make him do a down stay while I am mixing his food on the counter, release him when I am done at the counter, walk over to his eating area, make him sit stay while I put the food down and will release him, sometimes after a few seconds, sometimes longer.
Should I be concerned that he is now anticipating this, meaning that as soon as I pick up his food bowl to bring over to the counter he does an automatic down and stays there. When he does that, I sometimes make him move to sit stay and vice versa when I put down his bowl.
Is there really any problem with him automatically doing a down stay & the sit stay? Or should I be changing it up every once in awhile and if he automatically downs while I am at the counter, make him sit instead?
Its obviously become a habit for him. It doesn't bother me, but I wondering if it has any type of negative effect for him to be anticipating it. He will also do an automatic sit at the back door before we go out and at the back gate before we go for a walk...because thats what he's been taught to do. Any negative effects of allowing this???

Thanks!!!

Wendy,
How old is your dog, will he/she change from where they are when you change your command? Meaning will they go from a sit stay to a down stay when you ask them too? If they will change from one position to the other when you ask them to, I would not worry too much. Rememebr I am very green/new at all of this, but if my dog will switch when I asked them to, not sure I would sweat it to much.

Wendy,
My dogs are trained to down or sit (one dog sit and one dog down) stay when I am getting ready to take thier food into the kennels. This prevents them trying to rush the gate AND me since feeding time is a wonderful thing. When they see me coming to their kennel they will go to a certain spot in the kennel and do thier thing. They do not eat until they are given the okay command which is releasing them from the stay. This works well for me because my Bloodhound is huge and used to jump all over the place at feeding time when I first got him, and my Mali is not so big but she can hit like a truck when she jumps on or at you, (although this is allowed at training and play time, it is not acceptable behaviour at feeding time or when we are out in public.) This is what works for me and I do not have a problem with it. However, others might have different advice.
Take Care <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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Wendy,
How old is your dog, will he/she change from where they are when you change your command? Meaning will they go from a sit stay to a down stay when you ask them too? If they will change from one position to the other when you ask them to, I would not worry too much. Rememebr I am very green/new at all of this, but if my dog will switch when I asked them to, not sure I would sweat it to much.

Jay..he just turned 2 in April.
And yes, he'll change the position if I ask him to. If he's already down and I tell him to sit, he'll sit and same goes if he's already sitting, he'll down, no problems there.

Maybe i'll just keep switching it up every once in awhile, just to keep him on his toes, and to remind him he's not as smart as he thinks he is <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> and to just re-iterate that just because he's anticipating thats what I am going to ask him to do, I am pack leader and I can change my mind if I want to. lol

Carol, don't get me wrong, He's always made to wait until I release him. I don't mind that when he sees me reaching for the food bowl that he downs automatically without me having to say it. But I was just wondering if anyone on here could think of something negative in allowing him to anticipate me asking him to do it.
Sometimes I just think he's too smart for his own good! lol

My dog also downs the second I grab the food bowl and waits until released to eat. He is a pet not a working dog.

I agree that sometimes they are too smart for their own good, but that is why dog training is soooo much fun.
<img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

"routine"......thus anticipating. ditch the routine.

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I agree that sometimes they are too smart for their own good, but that is why dog training is soooo much fun.
<img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, this was happening with my GSD*....... sitting with a picture-perfect sit when HE felt like a meal, a pat, or a treat! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> It dawned on me (duh) that he was commanding me when he decided to do food-producing actions.

I mentioned it to OED Bob and Mike S. about it, in passing; both said to ask for other behaviors (or, as Patricia puts it, "Ditch the routine"). Puts me back in the handler position.

It is kinda funny when the dog goes through every command he knows (and makes up a few) when he thinks it might get him some of whatever he saw or smelled. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

*Not only that -- the Pug would see this and run over beside him and do the same thing, figuring he wanted in on whatever the plan was.

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I agree that sometimes they are too smart for their own good, but that is why dog training is soooo much fun.
<img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, this was happening with my GSD*....... sitting with a picture-perfect sit when HE felt like a meal, a pat, or a treat! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> It dawned on me (duh) that he was commanding me when he decided to do food-producing actions.

I mentioned it to OED Bob and Mike S. about it, in passing; both said to ask for other behaviors (or, as Patricia puts it, "Ditch the routine"). Puts me back in the handler position.

It is kinda funny when the dog goes through every command he knows (and makes up a few) when he thinks it might get him some of whatever he saw or smelled. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

*Not only that -- the Pug would see this and run over beside him and do the same thing, figuring he wanted in on whatever the plan was.

Well, he doesn't do it until I pick up the food bowl, its not that he's doing it to incite me to pick up the food bowl and feed him.
I guess maybe I'll put him in his down stay before I even go to pick up his food bowl. That way he won't be anticipating the command because I won't be anywhere near his food dish & alternate with asking for a down stay/sit stay.