How do you teach a dog to lie down?

Start with a sitting dog and lower a treat from their nose to the floor between their paws: they follow it and lie down. As soon as they're on the floor, mark it with a "yes!" and reward. Never press on their back or pull their legs.

How do you teach a puppy to lie down?

Same lure method, but in very short sessions (1 to 2 minutes), several times a day. Be patient and upbeat: stop while they're still asking for more, and never force it.

My dog sits but won't lie down, what should I do?

The treat is often too high: they keep their chest upright. Take it right down to the floor, kept against their nose. A slightly slippery floor helps their back end drop down on its own.

How do you teach "down" at a distance?

First a solid "down" right beside you. Then step a pace or two away and ask for "down": here you can repeat it softly if they hesitate. Always come back to them to reward, so they don't move to you.

How do you teach "down" without treats?

You fade the lure bit by bit: treat halfway down, then a simple hand signal, then the word alone. After that, mix up the rewards, happy voice, play or a stroke, so they stay keen without depending on food.

Why won't my dog lie down outside?

Outdoors, everything is more exciting: a word learned in the living room isn't learned at the park yet. Go back to the lure, from the start, somewhere quiet. And if the refusal appears suddenly in a dog who knew it, think of physical discomfort and get them checked.

The "down"

Teaching your dog tricksPart of · Teaching your dog tricks

The "down"

12 min read

The down is taught by guiding a treat, never by pushing your dog. From a sit, you slide it from his nose down to the floor: his head follows, his elbows fold, and he lies down all on his own. The moment he is fully down, belly and rear end resting on the floor, you say "yes!" and reward him.

The down is a matter of mechanics

At first, your dog does not really understand what he is doing: it is pure mechanics. He follows the treat with his eyes, his body does the rest, and the meaning comes later, through calm repetition. That is also why you never force him: pulling his legs out from under him or pressing on his back breaks his trust and teaches him nothing, as veterinary behaviour specialists have been pointing out since 2021. He has to reach the floor by himself: a movement he offers, and that you reward, is a movement that comes back more often. That is what the researcher B. F. Skinner demonstrated, as early as 1938.

Getting the first down

Settle somewhere quiet, with no other animals and no toys lying around, and give your dog some exercise before you start: a session goes better with a dog who has just burnt off some energy than with an over-excited one. Get down to his level, sitting or kneeling, facing him: leaning over him is intimidating, or it invites him to jump up at your hand. Aim for short sessions, one to two minutes and five to ten downs at a time, several times a day: puppy or adult, a dog learns better in small repeated doses than in one long session. There are two classic techniques that lead to the same down: one starts from a sit, the other from a stand.

Technique 1: luring from the sit

The starting point is a dog in a sit.

If he is not already sitting, ask him to sit

If he is already sitting, go straight to the next step. Otherwise, bring the treat just above his nose, then slightly back, between his ears: his head lifts to follow it, and he sits all by himself, without you saying "sit".

Lower the treat slowly, straight down to the floor

Hold the treat right against his nose and lower your hand slowly, straight down to the floor, between his front paws. Never move it backwards or off to the side: he would step back or stand up instead of lying down. His head follows the movement downwards, his elbows fold, and his body slides to the floor bit by bit.

Mark when his whole body is on the floor

Wait until his belly and his rear end are touching the floor, not just his elbows: elbows down but bottom up is still a bow, not a down. Once his whole body is resting on the floor, say a crisp "yes!", your marker word.

Reward on the floor, then praise

Give him the treat between his front paws, so he does not have to get up to reach it, and stroke him from head to tail.

Technique 2: luring from the stand, the tent method

This time, start with your dog standing, facing you.

Hold the treat against his nose and lower it to the floor

With him standing in front of you, bring the treat against his nose then lower your hand straight down to the floor, just in front of his front paws. His elbows start to fold.

Slide the treat forwards, flat along the floor

Once the treat is on the floor, do not leave it there: stay on your knees without backing away, and stretch your arm out to slide it slowly forwards, away from him, always flat along the floor. To follow it, he has to walk his front paws forward and stretch his body out, which also lowers his rear end: his body forms an arch, a little like a tent, just before it flattens completely onto the floor.

Mark and reward on the floor

As soon as his belly touches the floor, say "yes!" and give him the treat right there on the floor, between his front paws.

There is another way in, with no lure at all: wait until your dog lies down on his own, to rest for instance, and at that precise moment say "yes!" and give him a reward, without him having to get up to reach it. Repeat it every time the chance comes up: little by little he works out that lying down in front of you pays off, and you can then add the word "down" just before he does it of his own accord. It is slower than luring with a treat, but it works well with a dog who backs off or tenses up as soon as a hand comes near his muzzle.

Vary the rewards: sometimes a treat, sometimes a toy, a stroke or simply your voice, cheerful and a little theatrical. A dog who can never guess what is coming stays curious and motivated, and you become more interesting than a mere kibble dispenser.

Growing it, week after week

Short sessions spread over several days beat one long session in a single go: that is what a 2011 study on learning in dogs showed. Wait for another day before moving on to the next stage, rather than pressing straight on.

Once that first down is there, you firm it up one notch at a time: only move on to the next stage when he gets the previous one almost every time, say eight times out of ten, across two or three sessions spread over different days.

Step 1 / 4

He lies down without the treat going all the way to the floor.
- Hold the treat halfway down, without taking it to the floor
- Wait for him to lie down on his own before you give it to him
- Shrink the movement bit by bit until it is a simple hand signal
He lies down on your voice alone, with no hand movement at all.
- Keep your hands by your sides and say "down" once
- Give him five to ten seconds to lie down, without repeating the word
- If he has not done it after ten seconds, help him with a small hand movement towards the floor, reward him, and try the word on its own again at the next session
- Reward with your other hand once he is on the floor
The down holds despite the smells and the noise.
- Go back to the treat, just like at the very beginning
- Choose a quiet spot first, then a slightly busier one
- Do not skip a single stage, even if he already has it all at home
Move on when: A reliable down in a quiet outdoor spot.
He lies down even a few metres away from you.
- Start one single step away from him, then ask for a "down"
- Add a step as soon as he gets it two or three times in a row, until you are a few metres away
- If he hesitates at the very beginning, you are allowed to repeat the word gently
- Always go back to him to reward him, so that he stays where he is

The classic sticking points of the down

He stands up or backs away while your hand is going down

Your hand is probably going down too fast, or you have moved it forwards or off to the side: he stands up to catch it.
Do not chase after him and do not follow him: go back to his starting spot and begin again, with a slower hand held right against his nose, straight down to the floor between his paws.
If his nose comes away from the treat, you are going too fast for him: slow down some more.

He sits but will not lie down

His front legs stay straight instead of folding: the treat is probably too high.
Bring it back against his nose and take it all the way down to the floor, straight down.
On a slightly slippery floor, the rear end slides down by itself and the down comes more quickly, but avoid this trick with a growing puppy, an older dog or one with fragile joints.

He gets straight back up

You probably spoke or moved too soon.
Reward him right there in position, on the floor and not up in the air: otherwise his head comes back up to grab the treat.
Build up the duration bit by bit, without rushing from one session to the next.

He drops his front end but keeps his rear in the air

That is the bow position: his elbows touch the floor, but his bottom stays high.
The treat has probably gone straight down without moving forwards again: go back to the standing lure technique, sliding it forwards.
If he is still stuck after several tries, go back to luring from the sit: the rear end is already on the floor from the start.

It works at home, but not outside

That is normal: outdoors, everything is more exciting for him.
Go back to the treat, from the beginning, in a quiet spot.
A word he knows in the living room is not yet a word he knows at the park.

AVSAB — Position statement on humane dog training (2021)
Demant et al. — The effect of frequency and duration of training sessions on acquisition and long-term memory in dogs (2011)
Skinner — The Behavior of Organisms (1938)
WSAVA Global Pain Council — Guidelines for recognition, assessment and treatment of pain

Going further

guideTeaching your dog to sitTeach the "sit" too: the two of them combine in all sorts of sequences.Read the guide guidePlay dead ("bang!")Once the down is solid, slide on to play dead: it starts from exactly the same held down.Read the guide guideTeaching "stand" and position transitionsTo move smoothly between sit, stand and down, this guide teaches you the transitions.Read the guide guideThe foundations: teaching a trick with rewardsThis guide lays down the basics of reward-based training and luring with a treat, the very things that make the down work.Read the guide guide“Touch”: teaching your dog to boop your handAnother way of guiding your dog: he comes and puts his nose on your hand rather than following a treat.Read the guide guideChaining tricks: teach the last step firstOnce the down is there, learn to link it to other tricks in a chain, like a proper routine.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do I teach a dog the down?

Start with your dog sitting, then lower a treat held against his nose straight down to the floor, between his front paws: he follows it and lies down. Wait until his whole body is on the floor, belly and rear end resting on it, not just the elbows, then mark with a "yes!" and reward him. Never press on his back and never pull his legs.

How do I teach a puppy the down?

Use the same method, with the treat doing the guiding, but keep the sessions very short, one to two minutes, several times a day. Be patient and enthusiastic, stop while he is still asking for more, and never force him.

My dog sits but will not lie down, what should I do?

The treat is often too high: his front legs stay straight instead of folding. Bring it back against his nose and take it all the way down to the floor, straight down. If he drops his front end but keeps his bottom in the air, start from a standing dog instead and slide the treat forwards, flat along the floor, once it has touched the ground.

How do I teach the down at a distance?

First make sure the down is solid right next to you. Then move one or two steps away and ask for a "down": here, you can repeat it gently if he hesitates. Always go back to him to reward him, so that he does not move from his spot.

How do I teach the down without treats?

Shrink the hand movement bit by bit: treat halfway down, then a simple signal, then the word on its own. Then vary the rewards, a cheerful voice, a game or a stroke, so that he stays motivated without depending on food.

My dog will not lie down outside, why?

Outdoors, everything is more exciting: a word he has picked up in the living room is not yet a word he knows at the park. Go back to the treat, from the beginning, in a quiet spot. And if the refusal comes out of nowhere in a dog who already knew how to do it, think of physical discomfort and have him checked by your vet.

Updated on July 11, 2026Sources

Loading your progress…