I may have overlooked this response but I would put a tie-out stake in the gound with a six foot cable on it. Then I would heel the dog over to the end of the cable, down him and hook him up before I walked away. It's an elementary thing but it prevents the dog from experiencing success if he breaks and your to far away for quick correction. If he starts crawling I'd add a thirty foot line to him with a prong and correct him before he gets tension on the cable. A long line should give you enough distance to hide behind a car or blind.
The "place" exercise is a great foundation tool for this stuff. It keeps the dog really clean and transfers to all environments. I hate having a dog that is only reliable on the training field. :rolleyes:

David I like the idea of not repeating the commands. And that just how it been working like a game that they are playing with me. Or scared that I might be in trouble. I know thats not their choice, or shouldn't be, if ain't nothing going on.

I need to add the correction and get the timing straight. Now you are suggesting that I correct on the original spot they were downed on instead of the position they moved to?

Why? Wouldn't the opposite reinforce the command better? I'm just trying to understand the difference and which is better.

Scott and Micheala the tie out would probably work with the prong. I'll give this a try also.
Anythging to get this clean again.

It's been raining the last couple of days here so I haven't tried to work these new techniques throughly yet.

And their down with me in sight in 20-30yrds away or in the house is pretty good. Its part of our 3-4 times a week OB drill. You'd think that would enhance what I want and mean. :rolleyes:

If the dog gets up or moves you marking that moment with a NO, at this point the dog knows it is wrong.Then you are repeating thw word NO all the way back to the dog. If the dog is now in the wrong position it doesnt matter because you are still repeating the word NO all the way back to the dog, get the dog , take it back to the original spot, command down, then correct.The correction is automatic. If you dont take the dog back to the original spot you have left out somethng important and that is teaching the dog that it cannot leave the spot where you down it.You could accidentally teach the dog to move and down again when you are not looking if you dont teach it it can not move from the original spot.If you need to sometimes to make it more clear to the dog about not being able to leave the spot , you can down the dog on a bench or if you dont got something like that you could use a peice of plywood or even a carpet, something so the dog knows it is going back to the original spot and also when it is down it is thinking it cant leave this spot.

David won't "No" correction on the move to spot and taken back to the orginal spot and command "down/stay" or "down" and a praise for reassurance, another way to do this.

Your way of "No", "No" no correction on the moved to spot, and a "down" and a correction on the blanket (marking the exact original spot, is a good point, as mentioned).

Won't that be confusing for a dog. I'm reasoning all negative and no positive; the new spots not right of course because of the "No" and movement the original spot is not right because of the correction?

Do you correct before you command down or while he is in the down? Letting the dog know not to move. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

The training techniques mentioned are working we are slowly bring the time up and all is well, we just needed a clearer understanding of what I wanted.

I'm training each dog separately and the time is extending quite nicely. Each stage is define and they seem to recall what I want. It starting to get better each training session.

Thanks for the tips, they are responding nicely.
Thanks again.