Dog Training - Teaching Your Dog To "Go Lie Down"

It's amazing to me how many dog owners consider "Go lie down" among their favorite dog training commands. Essentially, you are telling your pet to not only assume a reclining position, but to do it elsewhere. The uses of this command are endless. When you are talking on the phone, drinking coffee or simply working out, "Go lie down" is the perfect command to send your very affectionate dog someplace else.

Don't feel guilty if you can't give him all your attention every time he asks. If he's just been walked, he's eaten, been exercised, trained or played with, "Go lie down" is not inhumane. It's an answer to your current problem.

Before you begin this dog training, put your dog on a leash. Point toward a corner of the room you two are in. Tell him pleasantly "Go lie down." Now jog with him to where you were pointing, repeating "Go lie down" followed by "Good boy" with a final "Down" as you pat the floor in the corner of the room.

Now pat him on the head. Go across the room and sit down. If he stays, after a minute or two tell him "OK, good boy." You can pet him when he approaches you. Repeat this exercise twice more, and vary the minutes that he stays in his spot.

Do this exercise three times a day. Do it in different rooms so that he will do this no matter where you are. I like this dog training command better than "Go to place" or "Go to your bed" because I use this command in places where he is but his bed isn't.

Some things to keep in mind now. If your trained dog lies down wherever he happens to be standing when you say "Go lie down" this is incorrect. Some think this is funny, believing that when the dog heard "down", he ignored the other strange words and just obeyed and the command he already knew. They would even think the training is going well. You know better. What you will do is calmly say "No-Go lie down". You then take the dog by his collar (probably against his will) to the far side of the room. The side you pointed to.

We want you to be sure to point so the dog has a hand signal to go along with the verbal command.

If your pet makes this mistake early on in the dog training, it really is a misunderstanding that you can correct without taking it personally and with patience. However if your dog is already doing the "Go lie down" and then when you give the command he lies down at your feet, maybe beats his tail on the floor and pastes his ears back, he's acting. He is using passive assertion to get his way instead of doing your bidding. Do not get mad. Years of selective breeding made him smart, assertive and witty. Dogs simply are built to try to rise to the leadership of their packs.

Some pets will take the obvious, aggressive route to the top. Others tend to be more subtle. In either case, it is not a personal affront, but you cannot accept it. Part of being a dog owner is looking at your pet, thinking about his behavior, understanding him, loving him, and reminding him of the limits you have set for him.

In fact the "Go lie down" command is not only a very useful part of dog training, it's another wonderful way to remind your dog that you are the leader of the pack.

If you're looking for a complete dog training guide, we highly recommend you check out SitStayFetch. Professional dog trainer Daniel Stevens has put together the definitive guide to a well behaved pet. While his methods sometimes differ slightly from ours, they are all effective. Remember there is more than one way to train your dog. And best of all, it's instantly downloadable so you can have it one your computer in a matter of minutes. To get your copy simply click on the banner below.