Down as a Calm Button

A solid down is more than a trick — it is a calm button you can press when your dog is wound up. Because lying flat eases the body toward rest, you can use it to actively settle a stressed dog instead of just waiting out the storm.

Train it on purpose with a "relaxation down": ask for the down, then feed a slow trickle of treats, one at a time, for as long as your dog stays loose. You are paying for calm, second by second, until settling becomes the habit.