Down
Teaching your puppy to lie down on cue is a useful control exercise, especially at times when your pup is overly excited or when there are other people and/or animals around.
Take the time to teach your puppy as many cue words or commands as possible. Not only will this make him easier to handle, it will also help to encourage brain activity and coordination. Regular practice ensures a positive relationship between you and your puppy. Gradually he will learn to trust and obey you, while you enjoy the pleasure of a happy and obedient pet.
Step 1
Show your puppy a food treat in your hand. Make sure he understands that you are holding something yummy that he likes.
Step 2
Holding on to the treat, run your hand down your puppy’s chest, between his two front legs, and onto the floor.
Step 3
Holding the treat under your hand, keep your hand still and wait. Normally, the pup will try to get the treat out from under your hand and, in doing so, will lie down.
Step 4
Give your puppy lots of affection and praise for doing well.
Back to "Basic Training"DOWN
Start teaching your puppy commands as early as possible. Not only will this foster a stronger bond between you, but it will also stimulate better responses from your puppy because he is being encouraged to think and learn. It is very important that you use treats to lure your pup into performing commands; do not actually push him into any position. In physical terms, puppies need to learn and assume bodily postures of their own accord in order to acquire the necessary “muscle memory” that enables them to recall and carry out the actions that make up a position. “Down” is an exercise that needs a fair amount of muscle memory because it employs several different types of muscular activity at the same time. Puppies flop down quite easily, but when older dogs lie down, you can see that it takes a lot more effort than when they were younger.