Teaching Your Dog To Lie Down

For any new dog, it is essential that he learn the basic obedience commands.  With this, you will have a much more peaceful existence, knowing that your dog is behaving properly.  Obviously, a well-trained dog means less stress on the owner, not always worrying about him barking, digging, jumping, or misbehaving in some manner.  One of the best and first obedience commands you should teach is how to lie down.

When you teach a dog to lie down, you gain better control over him, perfect for when people come to visit, passersby, or even when taking him for a walk at the park.  Most dogs will master this command quickly although a few breeds will need a little more encouragement than others do.  With you being patient but also consistent, your dog will learn.  To get started, we recommend that you ensure your dog knows the “sit” command first, which will make this one much easier to learn.

Teaching your dog to lie downStart by having your dog walk by your side and then command him to sit.  While holding onto the collar firmly with the left hand, you will need to kneel down, placing your right hand in front of the dog, having a small but favorite treat in your hand.  Slowly move the hand away from your dog’s face and down, which will cause your dog’s body to follow the treat automatically.  When his chest is near the floor, give the command, “Down” or “Lie”.  Then when the chest is on the floor, praise him while offering him the treat.

You will need to go through this exercise several times a day for a week or two and after that, he will eagerly lie down.  Eventually, you will start removing the treat from the hand but still offering lots of verbal praise and petting.  Dogs usually respond well to a sweet voice, soon forgetting all about the treat.  After he has mastered the lie down command this way, you should move on to teaching him from the standing position.

For this, make sure you take your dog to the backyard or a park with no distractions.  Then, you will again kneel next to the dog, holding the collar in your left hand and treat in the right hand.  As you gently pull him down toward the ground, when you feel him start to lower his body, give the lie command.  Once he has fully lain down, he would be given the treat, again with a lot of positive reinforcement.

The next training we suggest you work on is the “stay” command.  This is a great obedience command, again helping to keep the dog under control so he does not jump on people, run off, or misbehave.  Instead, you will place the dog in a position of submission, letting him know that you are boss.