Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down

Teaching your dog to lie down on command doesn’t require any special equipment – just plenty of patience, consistency, and treats. It is easier to teach this command after your dog knows his name and the “sit” command.

Wait to begin a training session until just before your dog’s regularly scheduled mealtime. This ensures his undivided attention while he works hard for his food reward. Locate a quiet area for this exercise, relatively free of distractions. This can be a backyard, a living room, or a quiet corner of a park.

If you do perform this exercise in a park, you will need to bring a leash. Tell your dog to sit, but don’t give him a treat when he performs the command. Instead, place the treat in your hand just in front of his nose. Let him smell it. In a firm voice, say his name, then “Lay down.”
As you do this, bring the treat straight down in front of him. Try pushing it toward him as your hand draws nearer to the ground. If that doesn’t entice him to lie down, gently press down on his shoulder with your other hand. Repeat the command “lay down” several times. Let him have the treat as soon as he assumes the “lay down” position and praise him heavily.
Gradually replace treats with praise until treats are no longer needed. It is important to reward your dog as soon as he lies down. If you wait until he gets up, he will think he is being rewarded for getting up, and he will forget all about the “lay down” part of the command. If your dog is having difficulty mastering this command, it is typically related to something that is happening outside of the training session.

Are you telling him to “get down” when he is on the couch? Or when he jumps on you or your guests? You may want to reserve the use of the word “down” for when you want him to lie down. “Off” may be a better command when you want your dog to get off the counter, off the couch, or off your lap.

By reserving “down” for the lie down command, you are increasing the ability to communicate other actions (such as “off”) to your dog. Once your dog seems to have mastered the “lay down” command in your regular training spot, introduce the command when you are in another location. If you taught your dog in the living room, for instance, repeat the training exercise in the front yard. This increases the likelihood of him responding to the command anytime and anyplace you say it – not just when you are practicing.

You can also add the “stay” command to the “down” command and increase your dog’s repertoire even further. Remember to end every training session on a positive note, with plenty of praise. .