Down

“Down” is the calm position — invaluable at a café, with guests over, or whenever you want your dog to settle.

🐾 · ~5 days · 5 min/session

Step-by-step

1. Start from a sit

   Ask your dog to sit, or simply wait for a calm moment. Crouch in front of them with a treat in your closed hand. Let them sniff your hand so they know something tasty is inside.

2. Lower the treat to the floor

   Slowly lower your hand straight down, between your dog’s front paws. Their nose will follow your hand and their head will dip. Keep your hand flat on the floor and take your time.

   💡 Picture the letter “L”: first straight down, then slowly forward along the floor.

3. Slide your hand forward

   With the nose down, slowly slide your hand along the floor away from the dog. To reach the treat, they’ll stretch their front legs out and lie down. Say “Yes!” immediately and open your hand.

   💡 If the floor is slippery or cold, put a mat down — many dogs refuse to lie on an unpleasant surface.

4. Add the cue “Down”

   Once your dog follows your hand into a down smoothly, start saying “Down” just before the motion. Repeat a few times per session over several days. Gradually the gesture can shrink to a simple point at the floor.

5. Extend the time down

   Start waiting a second or two before rewarding, then three, then five. Reward while the dog is still lying down, not after they get up. That turns “Down” into a calm position instead of a quick stunt.

Common mistakes

• Pressing down on the dog’s back — it creates resistance and mistrust.
• Moving your hand too fast — the dog loses the lure and gives up.
• Giving the treat once the dog has stood up — you’re rewarding the getting up, not the down.

Problems & solutions

My dog lowers their head but their rear stays up.

A normal in-between stage. Reward that at first, then wait a touch longer — most dogs drop fully after a few tries. Sliding the treat slightly towards their chest also helps.

They pop straight back up after taking the treat.

Feed several treats in a row while they’re still lying down. That makes the down position the most rewarding spot in the room.

Reward ideas

Soft treats that chew quickly, bits of turkey, or carrot pieces for dogs on a diet. Calm praise in a quiet voice.