There are two downs, one from the sit and one from the stand. These are two different signals to your dog. First we will teach the down from the sit. With your dog in a sit, show it the treat right near its nose, slowly moving the treat straight down. When your dogs nose touches the floor, move the treat straight out away from your dog. If your dog lowers its body, say the word "yes" and give it the treat. I like to treat my dogs in between their front legs on the down. If your dog stays in a down, move away from your dog, saying your release word. If your dog gets up right away, that's fine. Ask your dog to sit, and again, lower the treat slowly down and out. If this is not working, try lowering the treat straight down and than VERY slowly move the treat toward your dogs front paw and continuing behind until your dog lies down. If your dog is still not going down, you may be going too fast. Go really slow, allowing the dog to nibble on the food as it goes down. Another way of showing the down is to get a low coffee table or chair and putting your hand full of treats underneath it, coaxing the dog under. Once your dog goes down, say "YES" and treat. After about 25 times, then start saying your down word.
When your dog goes into a down from the sit, put a whole bunch of tiny treats in between the dogs front legs while you say "down, good down, that's down" and when your dog looks up for more, be ready to put more down...eventually only putting one treat down every few seconds, and than every minute (months away). Always watch your dog. If it gets up, just start over. Always release your dog before you think it will get up.... Always be successful.
Another thing you can do, is get a whole bunch of treats ready and sit down to your not so favorite TV show (not so favorite at first because you need to watch your dog)...while you watch TV, if your dog lays at your feet, gently reach down and pet, give some treats and tell your dog down or relax (my command for lay here with me, but you're not in a stay) If your dog gets up ignore it and wait for your dog to lie down again...when he does, tell your dog "down, nice down, good down" and pet and give a few treats.
HINT: ANYTIME your dog is doing something you like...laying down quietly, sitting watching you cut up food, calm in car, or looking at you period.... PRAISE YOUR DOG.... Tell your dog you think it’s wonderful...you like that behavior. You don't need to go over the top, just look at your dog and say, "that is very nice what you are doing" in a kind gentle voice. If your dog is doing something you don't like, unless it is dangerous to your dog, IGNORE IT and ignore your dog.
The down from the stand is different to your dog, so even though it knows the down from the sit, it may take a lot of repetitions to understand the down from the stand. If your dog is always sitting, than wait until you teach a stand before you go onto the down from the stand. If your dog stands more then it sits, than teach the down from the stand.
Make sure you have tons of tiny treats ready to hand out to your dog before you start. With your dog in a stand, let your dog smell the treat and slowly lower the treat to the floor, straight down. Once you hit the floor move your treat back toward your dogs foot, pick a foot and try to use the same one. As your dog lowers its shoulders, move the treat back toward the elbow, once the front end is down give your dog the small treat in-between its legs for the first few times, even if the butt didn't make it. Once your dog starts to get the idea, bringing the front end down a little quicker, wait for the butt to hit the floor, once it does, praise "YES!" and give your dog a bunch of treats in-between its legs and release your dog by saying your release word and moving backwards away from your dog. When your dog starts to get the hang of it and is moving into position faster, say the word "Down" just prior to showing him what your want. The more repetitions you do, the faster your dog will learn.
