'lie down' Command

'lie down' Command

Once your dog has learned to sit then you will be able to teach it the command "Down".
To teach your dog the command "Down", have it first walk with you at heel and then command it to sit.
Now while holding tightly onto your dogs collar with your left hand, knee down and place your right hand in front of your dog with a treat in it.
Move the treat away from your dog's face and downwards, this will cause it your dog's body to move down as it follows the treat.
Just as your dog's chest is about to touch the floor say, "Down" and then treat and praise your dog.
Repeat this until your dog is able to lie down (from a sitting position) just by hearing the down command.

Now train your dog to lie down from directly from the heel position.
Remember to always have your early training sessions away from distractions so that your dog can better concentrate on what it is that you are teaching it.
When your dog has mastered down without distractions begin introducing distraction into your training sessions.
However if your dog is getting overly distracted by something and not paying attention to your commands then you should ease off on the distractions and go back to practicing the basics of "Down" with less distractions until your dog is ready to try again.
Be sure to always praise your dog and reward it for its good behavior and for its hard work during your training sessions together.
Once your dog has learned to lie down on command you can begin using the down and stay commands combined.
The down command can be used to give your dog something to do when it would normally be jumping up on people or barking wildly.
Be careful about having your dog assume this submissive position around other dogs as this can lead to conflicts or your dog may just simply ignore your command if it feels threatened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfAPyaNz0Uc