If you can note what the difference is in the situation(s) when she does not comply, that might be very useful.

Yesterday's non-compliance was on a brick patio of a friend's house, right after she had been playing with a familiar male dog. The other dog had been put away in his kennel and I took one of his meaty training treats out to my dog and asked her to sit while letting her see the treat, then asked her to down and she paused, then ran away a few feet as if to leave the yard. I put her lead back on, asked her to sit (she did) and down, which made her slink off from the sit again. I left the treat on the table and went back to my house and didn't ask her to down again that day.
Today I was trimming a pot roast while she watched, so I asked her to sit and gave her a bit. Then I told her "down" and she slinked off into her crate. I put a sliplead on her, brought her back in the kitchen and she again sat but refused down, even with the trimming as a lure. I moved to the carpeted area and she still refused to down, eventually coming to a compromised crouch, so I gave her the treat and released her ("Okay") and she ran into the crate without eating. After that, I posted here and have only walked her and asked "sit", which she does without issue, even in the rain today.

Behavior wise from what you're describing sounds like injury to me. I would check her over and see if you can find any tender spots. I'm willing to bet somewhere in the shoulder, neck, withers area.

I'd suspect injury or discomfort, too...so far, you've always asked her to down from a sit position. I wonder if the times you've seen her down herself, if she's done it from a different position?

leih

Leih has a good suggestion. My sister's border collie had a strange way to lay down and later we found out that he has hip dyplasia. She looks like a nice pit and can see that she will reponse a lot to positive reinforcement.

Well, here's what I'm working with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur4__p1BX00
She will NOT down for my teen daughter, but look at her move for my 10yr old! I've ruled out any pain as she goes from sit to down on her own and is very active in rough play/swimming/jumping since I posted the other day. She's picked up this negative association for the word when I say it, though she hears it several times in this clip and ignores it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9o5l3Dkxlk
Perhaps I need to substitute another word for "down" yet use the clicker/target training for that movement as teaching for the first time? Just frustrating...

No advice or helpful information, but She looks like a joy to have around! and your daughters do to.

Wendy, she has definately developed a negative association when you give her the 'down' command. I would try a new word...(nice video, btw,; it very clearly shows the difference in her behavior vs when your 10 y.o. is asking her to 'down')

Start over by luring her (but not giving any command), and once she's downing for you regularly, add the new command word. She's very enthusiastic; I bet it won't take you long to overcome this!

PS, In general, you should keep your treats hidden. You want to avoid having her only responding to commands when she sees the treat.

 Quote: lynne barrows

Wendy, she has definately developed a negative association when you give her the 'down' command. I would try a new word...

Start over by luring her (but not giving any command), and once she's downing for you regularly, add the new command word. She's very enthusiastic; I bet it won't take you long to overcome this!

I like this suggestion - those videos show a pretty happy, motivated dog who doesn't appear to be suffering any pain upon laying down, but from your descriptions, she's obviously no longer keen (for whatever reason) on listening to YOUR command for her to down. Like Lynne, I'd go back to luring the down with treats, no verbal commands, until she's comfortable with that. Then introduce a new word for "down".

Do you ever practice sit and down with the dog in a heel position? Just another little variable to test...

One suggestion in regards to treats - in those videos, there was a lot of struggling with pockets to fish out tasty rewards (while your children were training). I spent plenty of time doing the same thing, but then I got a treat pouch and BOY is it nicer to work with. You can have it resting around your lower back or opposite side from the dog, but either way, your hands will be free and you'll be able to reward the dog much more quickly.

Good luck - she looks like a super companion and I'm jealous that you get to do therapy work with her (my dog just doesn't enjoy being that social... ).

~Natalya

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

Wendy, she has definately developed a negative association when you give her the 'down' command. I would try a new word...(nice video, btw,; it very clearly shows the difference in her behavior vs when your 10 y.o. is asking her to 'down')

Start over by luring her (but not giving any command), and once she's downing for you regularly, add the new command word. She's very enthusiastic; I bet it won't take you long to overcome this!

PS, In general, you should keep your treats hidden. You want to avoid having her only responding to commands when she sees the treat.

Yes to all of this, and I'd also grab a few surprise very-high-value treats, tiny, hidden in a bait bag, perhaps, or baggie hidden in sweatshirt pocket (practice in front of a mirror quickly removing one tiny treat without telegraphing intent or fumbling around - you want that treat hand or hands to be neutral). Change the reward back from a bribe into a reward.

Then I'd do exactly what Lynne says here, with no distractions: Start over by luring her (but not giving any command), and once she's downing for you regularly, add the new command word.