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Clickaroo training guide · Everyday Manners

How to teach your dog to lie down

This skill teaches your dog to lie down on cue, which helps it relax and stay in one place.

5 short steps, each with a picture and a clear goal that tells you when to move on. About 4 minutes per session.

By Shengxing Yang, developer of ClickarooBased on positive-reinforcement (clicker) training

On this pageEvery step in text and pictures, free to read, and Mochi’s animation of step 1.

In the Clickaroo appAn animation for every step, ✓ or ✕ for every try, and a suggestion after each session: move on, stay on the step or make it a little easier. Down is one of the five free skills.

Step by step

The 5 steps

  1. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 1 of Down: Nose to the floor

    Step 1

    Nose to the floor

    1. Ask your dog to sit. Hold a treat at its nose.
    2. Move the treat slowly straight down to the floor, between its front paws.
    3. Click the moment its head lowers toward the floor, then give the treat.

    Move on whenYour dog follows the treat down until its nose nearly touches the floor in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  2. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 2 of Down: All the way down

    Step 2

    All the way down

    1. Lure the nose to the floor, then slide the treat slowly along the floor, away from your dog.
    2. Click the moment both elbows touch the floor, then give the treat between its paws.
    3. Go slowly. Fast lures make dogs stand up.

    Move on whenYour dog lies all the way down as it follows the treat in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  3. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 3 of Down: Same motion, empty hand

    Step 3

    Same motion, empty hand

    1. Make the same down-and-out motion with an empty hand.
    2. Click when the elbows touch the floor, then treat from your other hand.
    3. Each session, make the motion a little smaller.

    Move on whenYour dog lies down to a small downward hand signal in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  4. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 4 of Down: Add the word

    Step 4

    Add the word

    1. Say “Down” once, wait one second, then give the hand signal.
    2. Click when your dog lies down, then treat.
    3. When your dog starts lying down before your hand moves, give two treats.

    Move on whenYour dog lies down to the word alone in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  5. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 5 of Down: Down anywhere

    Step 5

    Down anywhere

    1. Ask for a down from a stand, not just from a sit.
    2. Practice in new rooms, then outside. Bring a mat if the ground is cold or wet.
    3. Change one thing at a time, and help with the hand signal when you do.

    Move on whenYour dog lies down on the first “Down” in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row, in 3 different places.

The cue

Word
“Down”
Hand signal
Flat palm facing the floor, moving down
When to add the cue
When your dog lies down to the small hand signal in 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row (Step 4).

Common mistakes

  • Pushing on your dog's shoulders or pulling its legs. Let the lure do the work.
  • Moving the treat too fast, so your dog stands up to follow it.
  • Using “Down” to mean both “lie down” and “get off the couch.” Save “Off” for furniture.
  • Practicing on a slick or cold floor. Many dogs don't want to lie down there.

Safety

  • If lying down seems hard or uncomfortable for your dog, stop and ask your vet.

Good to know

Questions and troubleshooting

How do you teach a dog to lie down?

Teach a dog to lie down in 5 short steps: 1) Nose to the floor; 2) All the way down; 3) Same motion, empty hand; 4) Add the word; 5) Down anywhere. Move on from a step only when your dog meets its goal. For step 1, that means your dog follows the treat down until its nose nearly touches the floor in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

What if my dog stands up instead of lying down?

Go back to Step 1 and click smaller moves, like the head dipping or one elbow bending. Move the treat slower.

What if my dog pops right back up after the click?

That's okay at first. Give the treat low, between its front paws, so it stays down to eat.

What if my dog lies down at home but not outside?

Bring a mat or towel, and start in a quiet outdoor spot. If it still won't, go back to the hand signal from Step 3.

Practice Down with Mochi

Clickaroo is an ad-free dog clicker and whistle for iPhone. Mochi acts out every step of all 31 skills. Five skills are free; Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription, no account.

Coming soon to the App StoreGet Clickaroo on the App Store See Clickaroo

More training guides

About this guide

Written by Shengxing Yang, the developer of Clickaroo, from the app’s own lessons. It uses positive reinforcement: you mark the right behavior with a click, then reward it.

Why positive reinforcement: in its 2021 Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) writes, “Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training,” and finds no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.

Clickaroo teaches everyday skills and tricks with positive reinforcement. For aggression, fear or severe anxiety, please work with a qualified trainer or veterinary behaviorist.