How to Teach a Small Dog to Lie Down on Command
Kneel on the ground next to your dog, making sure your dog is facing you., Hold the lure (usually a treat) in front of your dog's nose (but don't let him eat it yet!)., Repeat this process until your dog understands and does the laying down motion...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Kneel on the ground next to your dog
Push it down towards his chest, so his nose follows it.
It may take a few tries, but this should cause the dog to rock back into a "laying" position.
The moment your dog is fully laying down, give him the treat. , Once he is doing this easily, you can begin adding the command. Now when he is laying down, say "drop" or "down" or "lay" or whichever command you have decided you want to use for this task. , Now that your dog is comfortable laying down while following the treat in your hand, try holding the treat in your other hand or not at all, yet still using the hand you would normally use to hold the treat to push into his chest while telling him to lay down. He should do it as he has been, and you can give him the treat once he is all the way down. , Eventually, you should be able to tell your dog your command, i.e. "drop!" and he will plop down into the laying position. You should treat him right away for this at first, but as he grows confidence in the command you should hold off a little longer and a little longer before rewarding him (with treats, words, or affection) so that he understands that he must then stay laying -
Step 2: making sure your dog is facing you.
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Step 3: Hold the lure (usually a treat) in front of your dog's nose (but don't let him eat it yet!).
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Step 4: Repeat this process until your dog understands and does the laying down motion easily when you move the treat towards his chest/between his front legs.
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Step 5: Try again with the treat somewhat removed.
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Step 6: Keep practicing.
Detailed Guide
Push it down towards his chest, so his nose follows it.
It may take a few tries, but this should cause the dog to rock back into a "laying" position.
The moment your dog is fully laying down, give him the treat. , Once he is doing this easily, you can begin adding the command. Now when he is laying down, say "drop" or "down" or "lay" or whichever command you have decided you want to use for this task. , Now that your dog is comfortable laying down while following the treat in your hand, try holding the treat in your other hand or not at all, yet still using the hand you would normally use to hold the treat to push into his chest while telling him to lay down. He should do it as he has been, and you can give him the treat once he is all the way down. , Eventually, you should be able to tell your dog your command, i.e. "drop!" and he will plop down into the laying position. You should treat him right away for this at first, but as he grows confidence in the command you should hold off a little longer and a little longer before rewarding him (with treats, words, or affection) so that he understands that he must then stay laying
About the Author
Matthew Taylor
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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