Learning how to teach your dog to lie down can be simple if you know the right steps. Dogs generally want to please their owners. With patience and repetition you will have your pooch lying down on command in no time!

When you are trying to understand how to teach your dog to lie down or any other command, you need to keep in mind a few guide lines. Dogs have short attention spans. They are easily distracted by a new smell, movement or noise. When you begin training pick an area that is free of distraction. As your dog progresses, you will increase the distraction around him so that he will obey you in any circumstances and

Dogs are more visual and will probably learn to read your body language long before they understand the verbal command. Go ahead and incorporate hand commands into your training. Since the dog is going to read your body language first anyway you might as wells have a conscious hand signal. The hand signal for how to teach your dog to lie down is a palm down hand going in a downward motion. You can actually use any signal you want but this one seems most natural to me.

Keep in mind you pet is just a dog. Dogs do things for a lot of reasons most of them instinctual. No matter how much you may think your dog is purposely trying to get your goat, he’s probably not. Try to understand problems from your dog’s perspective. This will make you a better trainer with a happier dog.

Pick a treat your dog really enjoys and doesn’t usually get very often. Chicken cut in cubes or a hot dog work well. Use a very small amount of the treat for a reward. You will want to pick a time your dog is hungry so don’t try to teach your dog how to lie down right after feeding your dog his daily meal.

Here’s how to teach your dog to lie down. Stand in front of your dog and wait. Be sure he knows you have a tasty treat in your hand. At first he may do the sit command you taught him earlier. Don’t reward him. Just wait. At some point your dog is going to lie down. When he does lie down, immediately say "good puppy" and give him his treat by dropping it on the ground. Repeat this several times. When your dog is lying down pretty consistently begin to add the word down just as he lies down, followed by “good puppy” and a treat.

This method of how to teach your dog to lie down takes patience but results in a very alert attentive dog who wants to please you. After a while using this method you begin to only reward with food every third and fifth time, then you take even longer for food treats but be effusive with your “good puppy.” In areas with more distraction you will need to have your dog on a leash so he won’t just wonder off.

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