After your dog has learned the “sit” command, it’s time to teach “down.” This command is an essential part of your obedience training foundation. Start in a familiar place, like your house or yard, where there aren’t any tempting distractions.
How to teach “down”: The food lure method
The easiest way to teach “down” is to use a tasty food treat or piece of kibble, both to lure your dog into a down position and then to reward them for obeying the command.
- Holding a tasty treat in your hand, ask your dog to sit.
- Waggle the treat in front of your dog’s nose and lower it straight down.
- As soon as your dog’s belly hits the floor, praise them and offer the treat.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
- Once your dog is quickly lying down when you lure them with the treat, introduce the verbal cue. Tell them “down” just before you move the treat from in front of their nose down to the floor.
- As your dog begins to get the hang of the “down” command, begin to offer treats sporadically — only for the quickest, crispest downs. Eventually, you can phase out food treats entirely.
If it’s not working
Your dog stands up instead of lying down: If your dog stands up, just keep the treat in the palm of your closed hand until they lie down. If your dog starts to ease down to the floor, coax and encourage them. And as soon as their belly hits the floor, praise them and offer the treat.
Your dog lowers their head to the floor and raises their rump in the air: Move the treat toward her chest, and her back end should come down.
How to teach “down”: The under-the-leg method
1. Sit on the floor with your dog to your side. Keep one knee drawn up to create a tunnel big enough for your dog to crawl through.
2. Hold a treat in the hand opposite the side your dog is on. Put your hand under your drawn-up leg to show your dog the treat. Then slowly drag the treat along the floor and away from your dog, back through the tunnel you’ve created for them under your leg. Your dog will have to lie down to crawl through the tunnel if they want the treat. As soon as their belly hits the floor, praise them and offer them the treat.
3. Repeat the exercise several times.
4. Once your dog is quickly lying down when you lure them with the treat, introduce the verbal cue. Tell them “down” just before you move the treat from in front of their nose down to the floor.
Advanced “down”
Once your dog has the hang of the “down” command, you can slowly make it more challenging. Stand 1 foot away from your dog when you ask them to lie down, then 2 feet away, and keep increasing the distance. Tell them “down” when your back is turned; when there’s another person or dog in the distance, then fairly close by, then right next to your dog; when you’re bouncing a ball; when there’s kibble scattered around them; and so on.
Add a new challenge only if your dog is responding reliably. If your dog gets confused, take away the challenge and try again, moving more slowly this time.
