We have been working on the long down and so far, my pup is doing very well. Handles distractions like sweeping around her, or husband walking in the door and still maintains her down.
When I move her outside though, she loses her focus and even using high value treats she won't maintain her down. Any suggestions on how to bridge the transition from inside to outside?
Also, she loves balls and I'd like to incorporate using them as a reward into her training...but I'm not quite sure how to transition from food reward to toy (I know this is a pretty vague question, but any tips would be great)

You may just have to go back to the beginning for a while outside Lynne. Thats what I did when I started doing long downs on a training field instead of in a class or home. The new level of distractions were different then a line of dogs or people passing by at the park. When I reward with a ball its at the completion of something so he is released to go chase it,but you can hold it to your left shoulder or under your chin and reward intermitantly with it but she'll loose her position so thats why the release. You don't really use either food or toys, use them both. I do use other toys (ball on a rope or a tug) to build drive and improve attitude and speed and food for accuracy. LOL, this reply seems kind of rambling around and wandering, but look into Building Drive and Focus for using toys and take a look at Norman Epsteins you tube videos for food rewards to clarify.

Pretty much what Steve said.

For the long down, go back to the beginning with her and try to so in a place she is comfortable with, but less so than inside the house. Back yard? Front yard? Mark the down, then a five second down and so on. You will likely see that you can progress much faster than you did the first time, but don’t push it. Then start adding in more distractions like having someone spray a hose, or walk by on a sidewalk.

When ever you go to a new place, maybe a quiet park next, ask for a short down again and work up. Each new environment you add will progress faster and faster, until the pup has it down.

If your dog is toy driven then you should have little problem adding that as a high value reward. Like Steve mentioned, I too use food for beginning training and precision word, and a toy for animation and drive for the work. As an example, when teaching the “fuss” position, I used the food to lure him into a heel position from the front (I used the flip finish) with large and exaggerated movement. Once he got it with just the word (going through the whole learning phase) I would play a little fetch with him, ask for the front position, then ask for the finish. I had to use a “slight” movement to remind him the first time, as he was in drive, and when he jumped in to place, I dropped the ball for him to play.

If you can use a ball on a rope or tug, you keep you as the center of the game, whereas if you have to toss a ball away from you, you become somewhat removed and the dog and ball have to be recollected. Time, energy and train of thought are lost. That said, Quinn is SO excited about his ball that that tends to be our item of choice.

For him, just dropping it straight down works well for most stuff, and for things that he does with exceptional drive; I will bounce it with higher velocity as a higher value reward. Keep in mind that he stays very close to me. He has little intrest in playing with the ball alone or keeping it away from me. In the DFG video, he shows how to teach the "into my arms" technique. Where the dog comes to you for satisfaction. This is important. You want the dog to see you as the reward.

To build the drive, you should really watch the Building Drive Focus and Grip to get an excellent idea. But basically it is building a little frustration by withholding the bite (catch). Eventually just seeing the tug or ball will bring the drive up, and with good and consistent training the command will do the same. The expectation that the bite is forth coming even without seeing the object becomes so ingrained that a “platz” or “fuss” brings the drive forward.

For a start, toss the toy a few times to get your pup “in the mode, “ then ask for a sit or what ever, and as soon as the dog complies, mark (I say “YES!&rdquo, release word, and reward with the toy.

Thanks! After reading your responses I think I'm putting the cart before the horse. I will work on rewarding with toys first (for things less demanding than long downs) and work my way up to long downs outside.
She likes balls alot, but is absolutely crazy about empty water bottles. Anything wrong with letting her squish one (under supervision of course) as a reward for obedience outside?

And one question about BDF video:
I do not tug with her; can I still use the techniques in BDF without tugging? Or is that essential to his method of building drive?