Teaching your dog to lie down

When teaching your dog the ‘down’ command you will find that it is slightly harder to teach than ‘sit’.  Again it is very important to remember that it takes the patient, consistent practice of each part of an exercise for the pup to learn that he must do it every time you tell him. If you go too fast, you will only confuse him.

You ready to start?  Ok, follow these steps to train your dog to lie down:

1. Hold a treat in your hand making sure your pup sees it.  Once he has, give him the ‘sit’ command.

2. Once your dog is sitting, run that hand in front of his nose and down towards the floor, at the same time giving the ‘down’ command.

3. As your pup sees the treat going towards the floor he should start lowering himself towards the treat.  You may have to guide your dog into the correct ‘down’ position which is, flat on his tummy with front legs flat out in front.

4. When your puppy has carried out the ‘down’ command give him the treat and lots of praise.  Make sure your puppy knows that he has pleased you. 

Now remember to go slowly - one step at a time - in all puppy training.  When your pup can carry out the ‘down’ command all by himself you can start skipping the treat.  Another thing to tray is to start adding a stay command when lying down.

Remember you must practice the command various times throughout the day so that your pup does not forget.

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