Down from Sit
Positions · 15 steps · by Push Drop Stick
Your Dog will learn to lie down from a sit for a hand signal and the verbal cue 'Down'. A down is the comfiest position to hold, which makes it your best tool for settling: ask for it while you eat, at a cafe, or anytime you need Your Dog to park and relax, and reward calm with a few treats delivered low between the paws. It is also the basis for stays.
Train Sit from Stand first so Your Dog can reliably start in a sit. If Your Dog is a small or short-legged dog who struggles to fold all the way down, try the Tunnel Down plan instead. You will need soft treats for luring.
Training steps
Follow lure halfway to the floor
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it down toward the floor, stopping halfway. Give Your Dog the treat at the halfway mark as soon as their nose reaches it. Move the lure straight down, close to their chest. If Your Dog stands up, the lure has drifted too far forward; bring it back toward their body and down.
Success: Your Dog follows a lure halfway toward the floor.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Follow lure to the floor
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it down all the way to the floor. Give Your Dog the treat at the floor as soon as they reach it. Keep the lure close to their chest and moving straight down. If Your Dog stands up, it has drifted too far forward; bring it back toward their body.
Success: Your Dog follows a lure all the way to the floor.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Keep nose on lure on the floor for 2 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and move it down to the floor. Hold the lure at the floor so Your Dog keeps their nose over it for 2 seconds before giving them the treat.
Success: Your Dog holds their nose on a lure on the floor for 2 seconds.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Keep nose on lure on the floor for 4 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and move it down to the floor. Hold the lure there so Your Dog keeps their nose over it for 4 seconds before giving them the treat.
Success: Your Dog holds their nose on a lure on the floor for 4 seconds.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Buckle wrist while nose is on lure on the floor
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and move it down to the floor. Hold the lure at the floor so Your Dog keeps their nose over it, and watch their front legs for wrist buckling before giving them the treat.
Success: Your Dog buckles their wrists.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Crouch
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it down to the floor. Hold the lure there until Your Dog partially lies down or crouches, then give them the treat.
Success: Your Dog crouches.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Lure from sit into down
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it straight down to the floor, encouraging them to fold into a down. Hold the lure there and give them the treat as soon as Your Dog's chest hits the floor. To reposition Your Dog for the next rep, either toss a treat and ask them to sit again, or lure them from a down back up into a sit (see the Sit from Down plan).
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Bury the lure
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Bury the lure in your prompting hand by holding the treat against your palm with your thumb. Lure Your Dog into a down, but give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch instead of the buried lure.
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Large hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Prompt Your Dog into a down by repeating the luring motion with your hand (palm facing down), moving from their nose to the floor, without a treat in your hand. Hold your hand just above the floor and wait for them to lie down. Give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch when they do.
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hand signal 6 inches above the ground
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Prompt Your Dog into a down by making a hand signal that stops 6 inches above the ground. Wait for them to lie down, then give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Medium hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Prompt Your Dog into a down by making a medium-sized hand signal, bringing your hand down to knee height. Wait for them to lie down, then give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hand signal 6 inches above your knees
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Prompt Your Dog into a down by making a hand signal that stops 6 inches above your knees. Wait for them to lie down, then give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Small hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Prompt Your Dog into a down with a small hand signal: flip your hand over (palm up to palm down) without bending over. Wait for them to lie down, then give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog lies down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Add the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Say the verbal cue 'Down', pause for 1 second, then prompt Your Dog into a down with a small hand signal if needed. As soon as Your Dog lies down, give them a treat from your opposite hand or treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog lies down for a verbal cue.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Only the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Say the verbal cue 'Down' and wait to see if Your Dog lies down. Do not use the hand signal. If Your Dog lies down, give them a treat.
Success: Your Dog lies down for a verbal cue.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Nice work! Your Dog can now fold into a down from a sit for a small hand signal and for the word 'Down' alone.
To make the down rock solid, proof it: restart the plan on the proof steps, or play the goal games you just earned, in new places and around distractions. Try different surfaces too, since dogs are often slower to lie down on cold, wet, or slippery ground.
Ready for more? Down Stay turns this into a real settle, Sit from Down teaches the reverse, and Down from Stand lets Your Dog drop without sitting first.