Question

I have made a mistake with the training of the dogs that I am currently trying to rectify. When they were jumping on me or the door or the fence, I told them to "Get Down". They are starting to get it, which would be great except that (as my recent research into training has taught me) now I have nothing left for telling them to Lie Down. I should have been saying "Get Off", making "Off" the important word. This morning when I tried to get Trooper to "Lie Down" he got totally confused and thought he was in trouble. He would sit fine, but when I asked him to "Lie Down" using the internet approved training method (have him sit, lower the cookie in front of him until in a lying position) he would lower his head, but raise his hind end. I physically got him into a lying position a couple of times, but that is when he starts thinking he's being punished.

So my question kind of has two prongs...

1. Do you have any suggestions on wording I can use to teach him to Lie Down without using the word down?

2. Or, if I am going to have to reteach this word, do you have any strategies for teaching him to keep his butt on the ground and actually lie prone?

Really, I shouldn't be trying for Lie Down yet, since he only has a tentative grasp of Off, Sit, and Stay. He is very good at coming when he is called, though. Or when Mia is called. Or when the neighbor's dog is called! :)