Teaching your pet to lie down

An important command to help promote relaxation.

Step 1: Quiet environment

Always select a room that is calm and quiet and allocate this as your training room. There should be no distractions.

Step 2: Super tasty treats

Select a small, highly desirable treat that is only used in training. This will increase your pet's desire to learn.

Step 3: Make sure your dog understands your commands

Be consistent with your words and commands used in training. For example, "down" is used as the command, "yes" or "good girl" for when they get the command right.

Step 4: Guiding your pet to lie down

Your pet should know the "sit" command before learning to lie down. When your pet is sitting, say "down" and take the treat and hold it to the dog's nose, then slowly lower it to the ground between their front legs until you reach the floor. Your dog should naturally follow the treat and move forward with its front paws. As soon as the dog's chest reaches the ground, say "yes" or "good girl" and then give them the treat.

Step 5: Repeat over and over again in 15-minute intervals

Once your pet perfects this in the quiet training room, move to other areas for training.