How I Taught Bailey to Lie Down on Command: NEW TRICK TUESDAY

New Trick Tuesday is where I share all of the new tricks that Bailey knows and how to teach them to your own dog! I use the clicker training method with Bailey. It is especially useful for our purposes since Bailey will eventually need to be target trained for her work as a service dog. For more information about the target training method click here.

The second trick that I taught Bailey was how to lie down on command. The command that I use for this trick is "down." It is important to keep the commands that you use short and different from any other commands so that the dog doesn't get confused. Here is the method that I used to teach Bailey to lie down on command. Keep in mind, there are many different methods for training your dog, and this is just one of them. Remember to keep training sessions with your pup short and fun!

Step 1

The first step to getting Bailey to learn to lie down on command was teaching her to sit on command

Have your dog sit. If your dog does not know how to sit on command yet, click here to learn how to teach them!

Step 2

Bring a treat towards your dog's face. Let them sniff it for a second without letting them eat it.

Step 3

Move the treat diagonally towards the dog and towards the ground slowly. The dog should try to follow the treat with her nose and, in the process, should slide into a lying down position. As they follow the treat, say "down" or whatever command you are using for this trick. To see this in action, watch the above video.

Step 4

Bailey taking a treat after lying down!

Click the clicker and give your pup the treat! Make sure to give her lots of praise as she has just done an amazing thing!

Bailey lying down after a fun training session!

I hope you found this step-by-step method for teaching your dog to lie down on command helpful!