Down is one of the most basic and useful behaviors to teach your puppy.
It helps keep your puppy out of trouble and encourages them to calm down.
But many puppies either resist getting on the ground in the first place or staying there for more than a second.
How can you teach your puppy to lie down?
In some ways, the easiest way to train behaviors is to lure them.
That means using a treat or toy to literally lure your puppy into the position or action you want.
For down that would mean teaching your puppy to look at the ground, lower their elbows to the ground, and finally to lie down, or as many baby steps as your pup requires.
Finally, you can capture a down by rewarding your puppy any time they do it on their own.
Your puppy will learn to associate your word or gesture with their action and soon you will be able to ask for the down at any time.