How to Teach a Dog the Down Command

When company comes calling, the last thing you want is your dog jumping up on them. Some may not be the biggest dog lovers and some may rather not have their clothes messed up. Heck, you love your dog, but may not feel like having your own clothes messed up. Here I will show you how to teach your dog the command "down" by using a simple method.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Treats

1. Find some treats your dog really loves. You may have to try out a few for his/her "highness."

2. Say your dog's name and always get your dog's attention before you give any command.

3. Once your dog looks at you, say the command "down" while holding a treat on your dog's nose.

4. As your dog starts to nibble on the treat, lower the treat towards the ground.

5. Hold the treat until your dog is in the down position, and once your dog is laying down, release the treat.

Tips & Warnings

• If your dog's front end goes down, but the back end doesn't, wait until your dog is completely down before releasing the treat.
• Some short-coated dogs will not lay down if the floor is cold. If your dog will not get into a down position, try practicing on a rug.

Resources

• Free eBook With Over 1,000 Dog Training Tips, Articles and Videos

[Tippy]

on 6/7/2008 My problem is that my dog's butt comes up in the air when I do that. She's 4 months old, a Saint Bernard and I don't want to push on her hips for obvious reasons.

Should I pull her with her collar also?