Teaching a dog to lay down is one of those
things that can sometimes be a struggle for them to learn. But today, I'm going to show
you five different ways to come at the problem so you can make it happen. Ian here with Simpawtico
Dog Training, and before we get into lay down strategies, please make sure you are subscribed
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Now, teaching
a dog to lay down is one of those basic behaviors we strive to teach every dog in the first
few weeks that we have them. It’s one of the three basic positions along with Sit and
Stand. And it's a wonderful way to settle a dog down or to have them Stay for an extended
period. Laying down is a little special, though. Most dogs will pick it up right away with
a basic lure-reward-training routine. But other dogs can struggle with the concept.
Certain breeds such as Boston Terriers and Yorkies for example seem to generally just
be totally baffled with down. So, to help you out here are five strategies to teach
down to your dog: STRATEGY #1: LURE REWARD TRAINING. This is
the most straightforward method, and it's the first one you should try. All lure-reward
trained behaviors follow the same 1234 formula: Request, Lure, Response, and Reward. In this
case, that looks like this: Say "Down.” Use a food reward to lure the dog's nose down
between the front paws. The dog should collapse into a laying position. Immediately praise
and reward the dog. Most commonly this is started from a sit position since half the
dog is already in the right place.
That's ok to begin with, but as soon as you can get
ten in a row, start trying it from the standing position. Your dog should be able to lay down
from either sitting or standing without any unnecessary steps. Although lure reward training
is the first thing you should try, sometimes it takes a little bit more to crack this nut.
That brings us to…STRATEGY #2: BUILDING from a BOW. This is lure reward training too,
but we're taking a different approach on the luring bit. Stand or kneel to the side of
your dog and, using the food lure, move in between the front paws at an oblique, 45º
angle. The point is to get them to go into the same position as a play bow. Once you’re
getting the bow consistently start dialing it in. Build repetitions. Then, start pausing
between the front feet.
It won't take long for the bottom to just plop down. Praise BIG
when you get it. Then build more repetitions on the full down.
On a side note: you could make this "take a bow" and then shape it to be "Down," and
still have both of them available as behaviors. STRATEGY #3: SHAPING from the NECK. Sometimes,
a dog won’t be able to figure out what the expectation is and will give up quickly. If
luring doesn’t seem to work to get the dog all the way down, break the behavior down
into smaller pieces. Perform the luring action as before but reward initially for just lowering
the head down to get it. As consistency builds ask your dog to go further and further with
it until they go all the way down. This is a time consuming method that can take several
days, but I've done it before with stubborn dogs.
When they finally lay down, boy you’d
better make a big fuss about it! STRATEGY #4: ALL or NONE REWARD TRAINING (aka the “BATHROOM
DOWN”). This is the easiest of all the methods because you don’t really have to do much.
Get about 20 or so food rewards and something to read. Pick a small room such as a bathroom
or even a walk-in closet and close yourself inside with your dog. Have a seat and start
reading. Pay no mind to your dog, just do your own thing. Your dog will eventually get
bored with sniffing the corners and lay down. Immediately praise this behavior, and toss
a treat so that the dog has to get up to get it, thus setting them up to do it again. As
the dog catches on and starts offering the behavior to get a reward, it will be a simple
thing to transition over to putting the behavior on request (or what we call “putting it
on stimulus control”).
Simply say "Down" right before they do it, and reward them.
Piece of cake. Be aware that once you leave the space you've done this in your dog may
need a bit of coaxing to realize this works everywhere. At this point simple lure reward
training should work now, to get over the hump. STRATEGY #5: SHAPING by BRIDGING. This
is the last resort because it’s the most difficult to do and the most time consuming.
Essentially you will use a food reward to lure your dog to crawl under a bridge. This
could be a stool, your leg or bent knee, an end table…it just depends on the size of
your dog. Make sure that you mark the behavior as soon as the elbows and belly touch the
floor. Gradually shape this behavior by removing the bridge little bits at a time.
Raise your
leg or knee higher, or remove the stool or chair. Incidentally this is how I taught down
to my Boston Terrier, Bobo. Once he got the idea, it was easy to get rid of the bridge
and use lure reward training to improving his performance. Now he's so good he's perfectly
prompt, precise, and polite. If you're struggling with Down, here are some other aspects you
should consider: If you're having trouble, check the floor surface. Some surfaces weird
a dog out and they resist laying down on it. Maybe it's too slippery, or uncomfortable,
or just plain unfamiliar. Try a different place, or have the dog try it on a blanket,
a towel, or a bath mat. Once they get the idea, transition to other surfaces with lots
of practice, and praise. Also, think of ways you can set yourself up for success. For example
you could practice down after a long walk or after play time. These are instances when
the dog is more inclined to lie down anyways to rest. Don't forget to start phasing out
the food lure as soon as possible.
Once you've got lay down pretty well dialed in, get that
food lure out of your hand and into your pocket. Remember: a lure is given to cause a behavior.
Once the behavior is happening reliably we don't need it. A reward, then, comes after
the behavior like magic. It's not guaranteed or promised. In contrast, a bribe is used
before the behavior to coerce them to perform. This is not how it's done for the longterm.
It's all about repetition, clear goals, and consistency. FINALLY: As always, be patient,
and be encouraging as they figure it out. Remember teaching your dog things is a team
sport. You're both working together. You'd cheer your kid on if they made a goal in soccer.
Do the same for your dog when they hit a new accomplishment. Show enthusiasm and encouragement.
You can do a lot, when you do it together! So, good luck nailing this if your dog is
having some trouble.
Relax, and don’t give up. It will get there. Questions for you:
Which one of these approaches stood out to you the most? What tips do YOU have? And what
are some other training conundrums you’d like me to help you with? Let’s connect
in the comments below. Please thumbs up this video if you learned something useful and
as always, keep learning, keep practicing, and I'll see you soon.
Thanks for watching..