The Down command comes in handy in so many situations and should be taught in many different environments so that your dog will lie down anywhere you ask him to. A dog that knows how to lie down will be a joy to take anywhere, even if he is very active and bouncy. The better he knows Down, the more self-control he will have in new situations and the more pleasant a companion he will be.

The shaping steps for teaching Down are:

• Start with your dog in a Sit and, using a treat, lure his head halfway to the floor; click and treat.

• If his rear pops up, it means you lured him too far, so try again.

• Click and treat only if he lowers his head while keeping his rear on the floor.

• Gradually try to lure him lower to the ground with a treat held in your fingers or fist, and click and treat any attempts to be lower than before.

• Eventually your puppy will flop to the ground; click and treat.

• Repeat this exercise until your dog will flop to the ground on a regular basis on the first try; click and treat.

• Remove the treat from your hand and tap the ground. Click and treat your pup for lying down without the treat in your hand as a lure.

• When he has mastered that step, phase out the tapping by pointing first without touching the floor and wait a second:if he makes any attempt to lie down, click and treat.

• Phase out all tapping until your dog will lie down with a pointed finger signal; click and treat.

• When he's lying down regularly, label the behavior “Down” as he begins to lie down.

• Go to new places and practice around new distractions.

• If at any point he falls apart, go back to an easier step for a few repetitions before moving forward.