Teaching Your Dog What Down Means

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.

Some people wait until they see their dog getting ready to lie down. They say "down" while the dog is in motion. Then, they praise the dog like crazy. This is the way dogs learn words like park, walk, food, and leash. Dogs learn a lot by listening to people.