Teaching Lie Down

Lie down can be hard. You can either play with your pup, and when it lies down, reward with a treat and plenty of praise and say, "good lie down;" you can also tell your pup to sit, then hold the treat against the ground about the length of the pup, from base of tail to head; then say "lie down" and pat the ground. Most pups will either stand up or lie down to reach the food. If they stand up, say "no" firmly and repeat. If nothing works, you can gently and carefully pick up your pup's forelegs and lay them on the ground, then immediately reward with a treat and praise, all the while saying, "lie down." Be very patient on this one.