Teaching your Dogs the Down and Stay Commands

There are several ways to teach your dog what down means. Start with your dog in a seated position. You can gently grasp the dog’s elbows and slide the dog into a down position while saying “down”. This works well for small dogs and puppies.

To teach a large or resistant dog the down command, you can use the foot on the leash method. You start with your dog sitting at your left side. Make a loop with your leash to step on with your left foot. The pressure of your foot on the leash will pull your dog to the ground. You may need to hold the pressure for a little while until the dog moves into the down position. Reward your dog for moving into the down position.

Teach your dog to stay in the down position by putting your palm in front of your dog’s face and say “stay”. Keep your dog on leash and move just a little in front of your dog. Allow your dog to be successful by gradually increasing your distance.

Choose a word like “OK” or “Free” to release your dog.

Once your dog knows what stay means, do a thirty-minute down stay every day. Your dog can be next to you. This can be done while working on the computer, reading, or chatting with friends. Remember to release your dog, when the time is up.