How to Train Your Dog to Lie on His Side

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. 

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. 

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.