Teach Your Puppy “Down”

After teaching “sit,” “down” is the most common command to teach puppies. Down means to have the elbows and bottom on the ground. Below, we have listed three different ways to teach your puppy “Down”.

What you’ll need:

• Collar
• Leash (to keep the puppy close and not run off)
• Kibble or treats
• Treat pouch

Lure straight to the ground

1. Keep the treat in one hand between your thumb and pointer finger. With the puppy standing, place the treat on the puppy’s nose, allowing the puppy to lick it but not eat it. 
2. Slowly lower your hand, palm down, towards the floor, in between the puppy’s legs. 
3. As soon as your puppy bows, bridge “good” and treat them. If it quickly goes into the down position, treat that, too. However, it is not important at this stage.
4. Release them by saying “free” and tossing a treat away. If your puppy doesn’t want to get up from the down position, you can coax them up with a little leash pressure or clapping. 
5. Repeat the puppy bow, treating, and “free,” until the puppy will immediately go into the bow as your lure them. 
6. Once your puppy quickly bows, wait for their bottom to go down. If they do not put their bottom down, place light pressure on their bottom. Fade the pressure over the next several repetitions.
7. When the puppy is quickly going into the down position with your lure, switch the treat to your opposite hand, still luring the puppy with the now treatless hand. This is your hand signal. 
8. Use the hand signal to prompt the puppy into the down, and continue to treat with your other hand for 5-10 repetitions. 
9. Once the puppy readily goes down with the hand signal, prompt the verbal “down” prior to the hand signal. It is important not to do both at the same time.
10. Repeat until the puppy is offering the down at your verbal mark.  

Lure under a piece of furniture

Some puppies do not easily lure to the ground with just the treat itself. An alternative is to use a piece of furniture that your puppy has to bow under, teaching them the position for down. You could use a coffee table, chair, or other piece of low furniture. The furniture should be low to the point that the puppy can lay under it in a down position but cannot stand.

1. Follow a similar protocol as luring them to the ground. Instead of bringing the treat straight down between the puppy’s legs, lure the puppy under the furniture.
2. Bridge “good” and feed the puppy as soon as they put their head under the furniture. 
3. Say “free” and toss a treat away from the furniture to release them.
4. Repeat this procedure, getting the puppy a little further under the table each time. It may take 10-20 trials before the puppy fully lies down to get the treat. 
5. Once the puppy readily follows the lure under the furniture and into the down position, start luring them closer to the edge of the furniture, until they are not going under the furniture at all but still going into the down position.
6. At this point, follow the “lure straight to the ground” instructions.

Lure them under your leg

If the puppy is nervous about going under the furniture but they will not go into a down from standing, you can use your leg to create a tunnel that they must go under to access the treat. We have some steps to teach your puppy “Down” by first luring the under your leg.

1. Bend your knee so there is enough room for the puppy’s shoulders and head to fit under. 
2. Take a treat with your right hand. With the puppy on the left of your leg, use your treat hand to lure them under your leg. 
3. Bridge “good” and feed as the puppy follows the lure. It may take multiple treats to get them fully under your leg. 
4. Once the puppy is readily going under your leg with one treat, wait for them to put their bottom on the ground before treating. Repeat until the puppy goes under your leg and in the down position right away for 5 repetitions in a row.
5. Start luring the puppy closer to the outside of your leg, which should make them down without fully going under your leg. Repeat this step until the puppy is luring without going under your leg at all.
6. Put your leg down and try luring them from a normal position. Then follow the steps in “lure straight to the ground.”

You likely will not be able to teach your puppy “down” in one practice session. Spend 10-15 minutes each day working through the steps, and it is okay to back up a couple of steps if your puppy needs a reminder. If you are still having trouble with your puppy’s down.

We’re here to help

Do you need help to teach your puppy “Down”, or other puppy obedience commands, manners and/or treating any behavioral issues? You can schedule a free consultation with our pet behavior experts. Our training programs are conducted as private sessions in your home within your Sarasota neighborhood.

If you live outside our service areas or prefer to connect virtually, our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, offers virtual consultations to discuss your training goals and design a training program to meet them.