Put your dog into a sit. Crouch in front of her or near her side while holding a treat in front of her nose. Lure your dog’s nose downward, tucking her head in a bit towards her chest. Continue to lure her nose with the treat until your treat is between her front paws. As your dog gets into this crouched position, mark it and feed her the treat. In the beginning it is fine if your dog does not go all the way into the down. Clicking and feeding an approximation of down is fine. If your dog’s rump comes off the floor as you are luring her, calmly say, “nope” and pull the treat away. Start over. As your dog becomes more comfortable with down, get a little pickier so that she has to come further and further into the position. Eventually, you will be clicking and feeding only as her elbows hit the floor.
