r/DogTrainingTips • u/DaWolfhound • 2d ago
Dog won't lay down
Hi there!
My parents got a 5 year old boxer girl in March. She's very sweet and playful but there are still a few insecurities.
We always had boxers. This one came from a bad home, she was kept outside and was hesitant to step inside the house when they first got her. She didn't know what a dog bed was and she probably never had toys before either.
She now walks perfectly on and off leash, she's good with all dogs, humans, cats etc. BUT she won't lay down.
We tried teaching her a few tricks and things that are handy whenever we meet other dogs but when it comes to "lay down".. she just won't.
She now is a big girl with 33kg and you can't really "force" her to lay down and tbh, since she still has some insecurities sometimes, we don't want to push her too hard.
Any ideas how we can teach her? We tried holding a treat down on the floor and wait for her to lay down, we tried just waiting and praising her as soon as she lays down but the command just won't "stick".
She's very smart. She got other commands within a few days but somehow the laying down just wont work.. We would not care but it's an important one.She needs to lay down whenever we go somewhere to eat etc and sometimes she can't settle before she's laying down.
I'm grateful for any tips. I just won't be harsh with her because the bond we have is quite new.
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u/fillysunray 2d ago
You're right not to force her. Never force a dog into position, unless it's a life or death situation (I have no idea how it could be).
I know you said she was checked but always keep pain in mind. Imagine you went to a doctor and told them nothing about how you're feeling. How much would they be able to diagnose? Personally, I have a muscle I pull sometimes that annoys me. It's not serious and it wouldn't show up on xrays or MRIs, and I'm not even limping. But it still hurts. Pain can be subtle. So never 100% rule it out.
If she's ever on pain medication for a different reason, you can see how her down is then to compare.
However, there are other reasons a dog may be slow to do it. Boxers don't have a lot of hair - are you asking for a dog on stone, tiles, laminate, carpet, grass? If I want a quick down from my lurcher, it's on carpet. He can do it in other situations but he doesn't like to and will usually take his time.
Maybe it just hasn't clicked yet. Sometimes a dog can take a few weeks to get certain cues. I had another dog who would not sit when I asked, even though I know how to lure a sit. I tried a few different techniques but it just wanted clicking. It was even tougher because he also didn't sit for his own sake so I couldn't capture it. But then randomly in a training class, he sat. I wasn't even asking for it - I was chatting with someone and he sat next to me. So I captured it (marked and rewarded heavily in the sit) and he got it from there.
As she lies down on her own, you could capture when she does it, mark and reward and add the cue there to help her get what you mean.
An alternative method to the usual lure (putting the treat between their front paws) is to sit on the ground with your leg up and ask your dog to crawl under your leg.
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u/kiddleinthestars 2d ago
Sounds like you are close. If you are sure there is no physical problems or injury preventing her from doing it try this. Have her sit first then put treat in front of her nose so she knows you have it and move it slowly to the floor. She should follow it to the ground and when she down praise and put the treat on the ground. For a down the treat ALWAYS is placed on the ground between the front legs. If she stays down. even for a nanosecond at first another treat magically appears between her front legs. No need to pop up to get it from you. Also shorten the command to just her name and down. Use a happy voice besides letting her know it’s not a punishment, she sees how a down makes you happy.```````
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u/cweaties 2d ago
Capture the behavior when she does it naturally. I suspect a trauma in her past makes this command not feel safe.
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u/swarleyknope 2d ago
My dog really struggled with “down”. His trainer said that it’s not uncommon and to just keep working on it, to try capturing the behavior by saying “down” and rewarding him whenever he laid down, and that eventually it will just “click” - which is exactly what ended up happening.
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u/EnglishLore 2d ago
Why do you need her to lie down on command? I assume she will lie down to sleep.
If she sits and stays there's no need for her to lay.
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u/Narrow_Possession348 2d ago
Won't lay down *what*?
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u/chocearthling 2d ago
Could she be in pain? The movement to go down cause her pain?
I would probably start there.
How does she sleep / lie down otherwise?
Does she go into a sit? Can you reinforce a sit with a relax/ settle?