How to Clicker Train a Down

Clicker training a dog to down will make this behavior more reliable off leash and at a distance than using leash corrections or pushing him down with your hand. Clicker training a dog to lay down can also be done using more than one approach.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Clicker savvy dog
• Treats
• Clicker

1. The first way to use a clicker to train your dog to down uses a food lure. With your dog in the standing position, hold a treat just above his nose. Move your hand down to the floor between his paws. His nose will down, his chest will drop, and eventually his back end will go down. When he is all the way down, click and toss the treat to the side. He will go get it and you can do another repetition.
2. When he has successfully laid down 3 times, do the same steps without a treat in your hand. Have the treats on a table, or in your pocket. Motion your hand above his nose, move it down between his paws, click and treat when he lays down.
3. To add a verbal cue for this behavior, say the word "down" wait three seconds, give the hand signal you have been using. Click and treat when he lays down. Do this three times. Wait longer between the verbal cue and the hand signal. Say "down" one time, and wait. If you do not get a response in ten seconds, give the hand signal, click and treat. Eventually your dog will grow impatient of waiting for the hand signal and will respond to the verbal cue.
4. The lazy trainer way of clicker training your dog to down is really easy and very effective. Grab your clicker, prepare a bowl or back of treats or kibble, and find a place to sit. Wait for your dog to lay down. When he lays down, click and toss a treat so that he has to get up to go get it. Repeat this process several times.
5. Once your dog is laying down every time he looks at you, Add the verbal cue "down" as soon as he begins to lay down. Click and treat.
6. For a nervous dog, you may want to try shaping the behavior. This is done by clicking and treating the beginning of a down. Do not talk to the dog. Smile at him, watch closely without staring at him. Click any behavior relating to down such as lowering his head, moving a paw forward, lowering his tail, or dropping his ears. Repeat this a few times.
7. Raise the bar in the next training session by only clicking actions that are closer to the laying down position. Within a few short sessions your dog will be laying down each time he sees the clicker. That is when it is time to add the verbal cue in the same way described in step 5.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep training sessions short 3-5 minutes is plenty
• Do not say the verbal cue until your dog is doing the behavior.
• Do many short training sessions per day
• Begin fading the use of the clicker as your dog responds to verbal cues reliably
• Train old behaviors like new behaviors in new places, around new people, or in the presence of other animals. Act as if your dog has not learned the behavior, and start at the beginning, until he has generalized the cue.
• Smile at your dog while training. Speak in cheerful tones. Clicker training is fun!
• Do not chat with your dog while training him, it confuses him as to what word he should be listening to.
• Do not repeat cues, if your dog is not responding to a verbal cue change something you are doing or make adjustments to the training environment.