Dog Trick of the Day - Learn DOWN -

Teaching your dog down (lay down) is a good command to teach.  If your dog is laying down, he can't be jumping on people and it's a good position for your dog to be in when children are petting your dogs.  Down is also the first step to tricks in the future like roll over and play dead.


How to:

1. Kneel in front of  your dog.  Show him the treat under his nose.  
2. Move your hand straight down from his nose to the floor then move the treat along the floor towards yourself at a pace your dog is following he treat.
3. The moment your dog is laying down, praise and reward him immediately. (Your praise word should always be the same for every trick and behaviour you teach.)
4. After some practice, try using just your pointed finger on the floor instead of the treat.  When the puppy lies down, praise him and give him a treat from your pocket. Remember to give the reward while your dog is lying down and not after he has stood up.

What to expect:

Puppies often take 2 to 3 days to learn this trick when you practice 15 mins a day.  I recommend breaking up the time into 5 mins at a time as puppies do not have a very long attention span. 
Want to learn more tricks? Click here.

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