Train Your Puppy to Lie Down: Complete Beginner's Guide, by Happy Hounds Dog Training on YouTube. 6 min 52 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 52 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a quiet spot and cut small soft treats into pea-sized pieces. Have a handful ready in one hand so you can reward quickly.
Hold a treat at your puppy's nose and let them sniff it. This is lure training: the food guides the puppy into the position.
From a sitting puppy, move the treat slowly from the nose down to the floor and slightly toward the puppy. Their elbows should fold and their belly should touch the ground.
Mark and reward the moment the belly touches the floor. Be patient if your puppy is slow at first and keep sessions short.
If your puppy backs up or will not fold, try the knee bridge. Sit on the floor with one knee raised and lure the treat under your knee so the puppy has to lower itself.
Once your puppy lies down reliably, say the word down just before the lure moves. Repeat until the word alone predicts the treat.
Fade the lure. Make the same hand motion with an empty hand, then reward from your other hand or a treat pouch.
Try the capture method as an alternative. Watch for your puppy lying down on its own, say down and reward right away.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not push your puppy's back down with your hand. Luring and capturing keep training force free and build trust.
Keep sessions to a few minutes and end while your puppy is still interested.
Reward every correct down at first, then reward some reps and not others once the cue is solid.
If your puppy loses focus, move to a quieter room or use a higher value treat.
Questions
Why won't my puppy lie down when I lure?
Your puppy may be backing up because the treat is moving too fast or too far forward. Try the knee bridge or switch to the capture method and reward a natural lie down.
How long does it take to teach the down cue?
Many puppies pick up the motion in a few short sessions. Adding the verbal cue and fading the treat can take a week or more of daily practice.
Can I use this with an adult dog?
Yes. The same lure, knee bridge and capture steps work for adult dogs, though you may need tastier treats to get their attention.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
