Training your Dog to
"Lie Down" and be "Quiet"

Jumping on people and excitedly following them are natural habits of most dogs, but these habits can be annoying and even dangerous for people as well as for the dogs. By teaching your dog to "lie down" when you order him to do so, you will be able to avoid these out of place actions. Don't just use verbal orders but also hand signs in order to let your dog understand them even when he is not close to you.

1. With the dog to your left and in the "lying down" position, give him the order to be "quiet". With the leash in your right hand move the left hand towards the dog and start walking.

2. Maintain visual contact with your dog and loosely hold the leash as you move away from your dog. Don't offer food rewards to your dog when you are teaching him to remain quiet or he will come to you to collect his prize.

3. Still maintaining visual contact, stand still and repeat "quiet". Congratulate it saying "good". Increase the duration of this position gradually until the dog remains down for several minutes.

4. Once you have taught the dog to lie still in your presence, you can teach him to do the same without your being present. Repeat the first three steps and then leave the room. Using a mirror, make sure your dog doesn't move.

5. After a few minutes, reappear and reward him and say "good". Do it calmly and quietly while the dog is still. Don't excite the dog or reward him for standing up.

6. Let the dog stand up from his position with the words "good" or "ok". Don't congratulate him too much because his excitement would be such a good reward that the dog will only want to finish this exercise and not the training itself. You should teach your dog to stay lying down even when an unexpected activity takes place. This guarantees your dog's security and your own, as well as it shows your dog's obedience.

Problems and Solutions
If the dog doesn't obey your order or if he moves while you are watching him by the mirror, go back to the room and move around in the dog's sight while he remains lying down.

How to distract your dog. In order to prepare your dog for his training in areas with a lot of distractions, make loud noises while you are watching the dog by the mirror. If your dog starts to move, appear again and repeat the order to "lie down". Don't make the mistake of running towards the dog or getting mad because this will only hype the dog up.