How to Train Your Dog to Lie on His Side
Introduction
You already know that your pup is the coolest in the neighborhood, right? Now, wouldn't you like to teach him a trick that lets everyone else know it too? Training your pup to lie on his side on command can be a lot of fun, especially if you train him using a fun command word like "Bang" or "Drop Dead." Like any other type of trick, teaching your dog to follow this command can take a while and requires plenty of patience.
But, provided you are willing to keep up the training, it won't take long for your pup to understand that when you call his name and give him the command, his job is to drop and lay quietly on his side. More importantly, he must remain in place and "play dead" until he is released. This trick can also come in handy when you need to groom your dog or at the vet's office.
Defining Tasks
So, what you are trying to do is teach your dog to react to a command by immediately dropping to the ground and lying on his side. In reality, this shouldn't be too hard as it is an extension of the 'down' command your pup should already know before starting to teach him this trick. The big difference is that you will now be using the command "bang" or one of your choice, instead of the standard 'down' command that will make him lay down on his belly.
Like most forms of training, the more you work on this trick, the better your dog will become at it. More importantly, the more fun the two of you can have showing off his new skill as you amaze your family, friends, and neighbors.
Getting Started
Before starting to teach your pup tricks like lie on your side, he needs to have mastered the basic commands of 'sit', 'stay', 'down', and 'come'. Beyond this, you may need a few supplies depending on the method of training you plan to use. Among these are:
- Treats
- Leash
- Patience
- Time
- Quiet
While training your pup to perform tricks like this might seem to be just good fun, it does serve another purpose. It helps him to bond with you and at the same time reinforces who is in control. Be sure to take your time and be patient. This is only one of many fun and useful tricks you can teach your pup.
The Belly Down Method
The Relaxed Method
The Obvious Method
Written by PB Getz
Published: 12/07/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
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Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Agnes
on leash pulling and excitedness to meet other dogs and people! she has to meet everyone and it is impossible to get her attention if there is another living creature in the general area. she is very very friendly so not a fear thing. treats don't seem to matter to her in these high arousal situations!
1126 Dog owners recommended
Hello Tess, Check out the Passing Approach method from the article I have linked below. I recommend recruiting friends and family and neighbors with friendly dogs to practice the method with. The main goal with you is for pup to pass the other dog from a distance pup can handle a bit more so many times in a row that the other dogs starts to become boring enough for pup to calm down enough that you can finally praise and reward for even seconds of heeling, focusing on you, or general calmness while walking around another dog. Passing Approach method: https://wagwalking.com/training/greet-other-dogs What you are experiencing is completely normal for some puppies with more outgoing personalities. It's actually a lot easier to deal with than a shy puppy, but it will take repetition to build pup's self-control enough for them to control themselves around others, so practice often and reward all progress, even very small amounts. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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