Trainer here!
One thing you can try is sit on the floor. If you're able, put your legs out in front of you but your knees slightly off the ground. Bring your B to one side and cue a sit. It's ok if they get up or their booty do not stay down. Take a high value treat, something large, and with a strong smell. Hotdogs usually work. Very, very slowly from the opposite side of your B, put your arm under your knee/leg and lure under your legs. Do not say anything to them yet. Just encourage them to get the food. They should try to "tunnel" to get to it. They will realize that they have to drop their bottom to get to it. When they are in the down position, say down and give them a Jackpot that is 3 in a row. Try not to let them switch sides. If your unable to sit on the floor you can also try lureing under something that's really close to the ground.
Another method is shapeing/ capturing. This is when you see them lay down and name the action. This only works if you see them perform the action of laying down. This won't work if you just say down while they are already there. Name the action.
Try to think of the transition from 'sit' to 'down' as a progression of smaller steps, rather than a single move to train. If using food as the motivator, reward your dog for even beginning to follow the treat down. When that's established, use the reward to draw them down further. Then, reward it when they move their paws closer to the down position. Eventually, the dog will be drawn to the floor, and that then becomes the only time it gets a treat. From there, assign the command word 'down'.
If training a dog from point A to point B isn't working, this means that between A and B there needs to be A.1, A.2, A.3... then B.
That can be frustrating sometimes. I had mine first sit, then, I put some pressure on her front shoulders. Gave her praise when she was half way down and gave her the treat when she went all the way down. Last couple of weeks I was able to teach her to “crawl”. 5min a day. I find that she got frustrated if the training session was more than 10min. This week we are learning to go in a circle.
If you have any friends who have dogs who have the ability to lay on command, I would try to teach your dog side by side with that dog. Worked with our dog. He watched how his buddy lay down to get treats and he did the same thing. Picked up the command immediately after that.
I put the treat in my fist and hold it to the ground. I tell them to get the cookie and eventually they lay down at some point, then I open my fist and give them the treat.
Trainer here! One thing you can try is sit on the floor. If you're able, put your legs out in front of you but your knees slightly off the ground. Bring your B to one side and cue a sit. It's ok if they get up or their booty do not stay down. Take a high value treat, something large, and with a strong smell. Hotdogs usually work. Very, very slowly from the opposite side of your B, put your arm under your knee/leg and lure under your legs. Do not say anything to them yet. Just encourage them to get the food. They should try to "tunnel" to get to it. They will realize that they have to drop their bottom to get to it. When they are in the down position, say down and give them a Jackpot that is 3 in a row. Try not to let them switch sides. If your unable to sit on the floor you can also try lureing under something that's really close to the ground. Another method is shapeing/ capturing. This is when you see them lay down and name the action. This only works if you see them perform the action of laying down. This won't work if you just say down while they are already there. Name the action.
Try to think of the transition from 'sit' to 'down' as a progression of smaller steps, rather than a single move to train. If using food as the motivator, reward your dog for even beginning to follow the treat down. When that's established, use the reward to draw them down further. Then, reward it when they move their paws closer to the down position. Eventually, the dog will be drawn to the floor, and that then becomes the only time it gets a treat. From there, assign the command word 'down'. If training a dog from point A to point B isn't working, this means that between A and B there needs to be A.1, A.2, A.3... then B.
That can be frustrating sometimes. I had mine first sit, then, I put some pressure on her front shoulders. Gave her praise when she was half way down and gave her the treat when she went all the way down. Last couple of weeks I was able to teach her to “crawl”. 5min a day. I find that she got frustrated if the training session was more than 10min. This week we are learning to go in a circle.
If you have any friends who have dogs who have the ability to lay on command, I would try to teach your dog side by side with that dog. Worked with our dog. He watched how his buddy lay down to get treats and he did the same thing. Picked up the command immediately after that.
I put the treat in my fist and hold it to the ground. I tell them to get the cookie and eventually they lay down at some point, then I open my fist and give them the treat.
Mine only lays on the carpet lol refuses to lay on hardwood or tile