Starting position: Your dog must be standing, facing you. If he sits, get him standing again before you begin.
🎯The luring phase (step by step)▼
The set-up
Place the treat just in front of your dog's nose.
Going down
Lower your hand straight down between his front legs, then bring it back slightly towards his chest (under his belly).
The movement
Your dog will lower his head and shoulders to follow the treat. The trick is to stop as soon as his elbows touch the floor.
The reward
Keep your hand on the floor to stop him lying down completely. As soon as his elbows are down but his bottom is still up, say “Bow!” and give the treat immediately.
✅
Key to success: Timing is essential. Reward when the elbows touch the floor but before your dog lies down completely.
🗣️Introducing the verbal cue▼
Once your dog understands that he shouldn't lie down completely:
Linking the word
Say “Bow!” (or “Take a bow”, “Curtsy”) as you lower your hand.
Praise
As soon as he holds the “front low, back high” position, say “Bow!” and reward immediately.
🎓Fading the lure▼
The aim is for your dog to bow from a simple hand signal at a distance:
Empty hand
Make the gesture of lowering your hand to the floor, but with no food in it.
Delayed reward
If he does it, give him a treat from your other hand while he is still in the bow.
Shrink the gesture
Gradually shrink the gesture until a simple finger pointing down is enough to trigger the bow.
💡Final tips▼
Avoiding the “Down”: If your dog lies down completely, slip your free hand under his belly to support his hips gently and stop him putting his bottom down.
Duration: Reward very quickly at first so he doesn't get impatient. Build up the length of the pose one second at a time.
The stretch: This is an excellent natural stretching exercise for dogs (often done spontaneously on waking). Encourage him if he stretches well.
Starting position: If your dog tries to sit before bowing, always get him standing again and start over. The bow always starts from a standing position.
🎓
Reminder: The “Bow” is also an excellent natural stretching exercise. Your dog probably already does it when he wakes up. Make the most of it and capture that behaviour!