Miat (a Maltese Puppy) Learns to Obey the Lie Command

Initially, To get Miat in the lie position, I first started him in the sit position. Then, I gently placed my hand on his head and waited until he lay down. He quickly learns that lying down is one of my desired actions from him.

As I mentioned before, at 11 weeks of age, Miat often "guesses" the desired action (lie or sit) until he gets approval (as a step towards getting his treat.) If he guesses wrong, I just shake my head from side-to-side. Hopefully, as Miat gets older, he won't have to guess the desired action by being able to recognize the audial command.

As with the sit command, I am also phasing in the "okay" release command. I don't foresee the need for a "stay" command if he recognizes the release command.

In this picture, Miat seems to be thinking in doggy thoughts, "Okay, I'm lying down now. Is this what you want from me?"