Down Stay
Basic Manners · 42 steps · by Push Drop Stick
Your Dog will learn to stay in a down position until released for a hand signal and the verbal cue 'Stay', for basic distractions and distances, and for a duration up to 2 minutes between treats.
A down stay is one of the most useful behaviors in everyday life, because most dogs relax and rarely bark once they are lying down. Use it to:
**- Settle instead of counter surfing:** send Your Dog to a mat to lie down while you prepare food, so staying put becomes the way to earn good things in the kitchen.
**- Stay quiet instead of watchdog barking:** ask for a down at the window or door, since most dogs will not bark while lying down.
**- Greet politely instead of jumping:** have Your Dog hold a down rather than jumping on guests.
For beginners, the down is the best position to start stay training, since dogs are more relaxed than in a sit, which makes it easier to spot and mark the exact moment they break.
**An optional no-reward marker.** Some trainers like to say a light, flat "Oops" the instant Your Dog gets up, purely as information about which rep did not pay. It is optional, and it is not a telling-off. Skip it if it comes out sharp or if Your Dog gets frustrated. Withholding the treat carries the same information on its own.
For this plan you will also need:
**- A Release Cue:** such as “Okay!” or “Break!” to signal when Your Dog is free to get out of position, especially at the end of a training session. If you always use a release cue, Your Dog will learn to stay until released!
**Bonus:** Train down stay on a dog bed or mat and you will get mat-targeting as a bonus side effect, which is useful for the Go to Bed plan in the future.
**Split:** If you have a bouncy puppy or a dog who pops out of a down immediately, start with the first split step.
Training steps
Stay in a down for a split second with trainer crouching
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Prompt Your Dog to lie down while you are crouched, then give them a treat every split second for staying in a down position.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Stay in a down for 1 second with trainer crouching
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
While crouched down, give Your Dog a treat every second for staying in a down position.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Stay in a down while trainer stands up
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Stand up from a crouched position and then quickly give Your Dog a treat for staying in a down position.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Stay in a down for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
While standing up, give Your Dog a treat every 1 second for staying in a down position.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold a treat out for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Tempt Your Dog to break position by holding a treat out for 1 second.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold out a treat for 3 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Tempt Your Dog to break position by holding a treat out for 3 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Put a treat on the floor for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Tempt Your Dog to get out of position by placing a treat on the floor for 1 second. Be prepared to cover the treat if they go for it!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Put a treat on the floor for 3 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Tempt Your Dog to get out of position by placing a treat on the floor for 3 seconds. Be prepared to cover the treat if they go for it!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Medium hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is near the crate.
Make the same pointing motion, but stop your hand at the doorway and point only about halfway inside instead of all the way to the back. Wait to see if Your Dog goes in, then treat from the opposite hand or your pouch. You are shrinking how far the signal reaches, one step at a time.
Success: Your Dog goes into the crate.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Small hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is near the crate.
Prompt Your Dog into the crate with a small hand signal, pointing at the doorway only without reaching your hand inside the crate, and wait to see if they go in. Bending over is fine, and you will usually have to in order to point at the doorway at all. What you are fading is how far your hand travels in, not your posture.
Success: Your Dog goes into the crate.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 1 step to the side
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 step to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 1 and a half steps to the side
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 and a half steps to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 2 steps to the side
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 2 steps to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 2 and a half steps to the side
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 2 and a half steps to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk halfway around
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk halfway around them, and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk halfway and a step around
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk halfway and a step around them, and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk around in a circle
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk in a full circle around them. Be careful not to get dizzy!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 1 step to the other side
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 step to the other side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk 2 steps to the other side
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 2 steps to the other side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk halfway around in the other direction
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk halfway around them on the other side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk a circle in the other direction
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk a full circle around them in the other direction. Be careful not to get dizzy!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk around both directions
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk a full circle around them in both directions.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 1 foot away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 step backwards and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Open the door all the way and count to 3
Setup: Your Dog is in the crate
Open the door all the way and count to 3 before giving Your Dog a treat inside the crate, then release them to exit.
Success: Your Dog stays still inside
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 6 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 6 steps backwards and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 9 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 9 steps backwards and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 12 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 12 steps backwards and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards 3 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, turn around and walk 3 feet away with your back to them. Try to keep an eye over your shoulder for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards 6 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, turn around and walk 6 feet away with your back to them. Try to keep an eye over your shoulder for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards 12 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Standing in front of Your Dog, turn around and walk 12 feet away with your back to them. Try to keep an eye over your shoulder for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards and out of sight for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Walk somewhere within a 12 foot distance where you can move out of sight of Your Dog for 1 second and then return immediately. Listen for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
3 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Use the timer to count to 3 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
5 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Use the timer to count to 5 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
7 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Use the timer to count to 7 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
10 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Use the timer to count to 10 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
15 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
20 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
30 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
45 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
1 minute
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
1 and a half minutes
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
2 minutes
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
This step uses a "variable interval" schedule where you mix shorter durations (blue) in among the longer target durations (green) to keep your rate of reinforcement strong and unpredictable. You will complete more than 5 reps per step but only the target durations will be counted toward the tally. Regardless, give Your Dog a treat for every rep, even if it is only 1 second long. Start the timer and follow the duration prompts.
Success: Your Dog stays down.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Nice work! Your Dog can now hold a down stay until released for the cue 'Stay', through distractions, at a distance, and for up to 2 minutes between treats.
Keep it strong by proofing it in new places and around bigger distractions: restart the plan on the proof steps, or play the goal games you just earned.
Ready for more? A down stay on a mat is most of the way to the Go to Bed plan, and Sit Stay gives you a second stay for greetings and quick stops.