If your dog already knows how to sit, it will be relatively easy to teach him or her to lie down. This is especially easy if you have some kind of irresistible treat to work with. (For my dogs, that would be anything involving chicken.)
- Step One: Ask your dog to sit. Always start with the basics!
- Step Two: Stick that irresistible treat in front of his nose.
- Step Three: Slowly move the treat down towards the floor.
- Step Four: Say DOWN or whatever command you’ve chosen as your dog begins to follow the treat and lie down.
- Step Five: Reward him with praise, petting, and the treat ONLY when he is flat on the floor.
If your dog lunges for the treat (rather than following it to the floor) you can try again with your hand on his collar. Your hold on the collar may help keep him from lunging after the nummy reward before he hits the floor.
Have a stubborn dog who doesn’t want to lay down, even for the treat? Try this: kneel down next to him while he sits and gently pick up his forelegs with both hands. Lower him into a laying position while saying DOWN (or whatever command you’ve chosen). Pulling his forelegs out will force him to slide down. If he struggles, don’t pull sharply or otherwise hurt him — you want to use positive reinforcement, rather than punishment to teach tricks. Be gentle and firm. Try a different treat for encouragement, or a favorite toy. Finding the right motivator will make teaching tricks easy!
Once your dog seems to get the idea, you don’t have to give a treat every time he does the trick. However, you DO want to keep up with the praise and petting.
Always end a training session with a trick your dog has mastered — that way you both feel like the time is ending on a happy note. Don’t spend more than ten or fifteen minutes per training session; this will keep both of you from getting too frustrated.