The answer
On film the trainers answer this the same way on trails, park paths and bridges: call the dog in, move him to the side, put him in a down, let the bike, the jogger or the other dog go by, then release him and carry on. Bun's trainer gives it to the owner as a standing instruction for trails - whenever you hear a bike or see a person coming with a dog, call him to the side, down him, let them go by and wait - and gives the reason in the same breath: people read it as polite and respectful, and it shows them the dog is under control and listening. It is used with Kali and Kane together off leash in a park so that neither dog is hit and the cyclist does not crash, with Sofia in Spanish so a bigger dog can pass, with Bullet on a bike trail ('always got to be courteous to the bikers') and with Bandit moved over for a child on a bike.
The down is not the only answer the trainers give. At King's in-program lesson the trainer offers two: recall, then either down him and wait for them to go by, or heel him and keep walking. Fiona's trainer gives the owner the same choice in her own words: sit or down and wait, or, if there is room, get to one side and heel past. Callie's trainer describes calling the dog in to sit in front of you when a badly behaved dog is coming down a busy street. What the options share is the order: call the dog in first, take him out of the path, then give him one clear job until the traffic has gone.
The same moment does a second job in training. Several trainers use a passing runner, cyclist or dog as the distraction for a down they want to proof: Bun's runner-down ('he did perfectly'), Apollo the Sharkie holding a down while runners with three dogs go by, Bandit's long down through a passing bike, and Bullet downed as a dog walks less than a foot from his face, where the trainer says the cue came before the urge.
What is said on film: the call-to-the-side-and-down routine, its courtesy and safety reasons, the down-or-heel choice, and the passers-by used as proofing. What is inferred here: that this is a routine the trainers use rather than an occasional choice. That rests on its appearance with eleven dogs, from a March 2026 board-and-train to five dogs filmed in the last week of September 2026.
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
When you see or hear a bike, a runner or someone with a dog coming, call your dog in before they reach you, take him to the side of the path and put him in a down; wait until they have gone by, then release him and carry on. If there is room and he heels well, you can heel him past instead (King's and Fiona's trainers both give that option). Use your release word when it is over, and keep a short tab leash on where off-leash dogs are not expected so you can pick it up if someone is uneasy.
What the trainers say
like if you hear a bike or another person you see them coming with their dog or something like that just call boone over to the side and put a minute down and have them go by and wait and they'll see that as polite and respectful it also demonstrates that you have control over your dog and that they're listening to you
and most people don't don't care about that they don't have anything to say about that because they can see that you're being respectful you're being polite you're not letting your dog run all over the place
boone come come here good down down so this is just another example somebody's walking their dog so i'm gonna let them walk by with their dog that way me and boone aren't bothering them
I just put them both in a down because somebody is coming by on the bridge on their bike. They want either of them to get hit or for the person to crash their bike, you know?
Okay, Callie, Cain, come. Down. Good job, guys. Let the jogger go by there.
yo lo pone yo la pone en un abajo en este mando en esta posición para que el otro perro puede cruzar o podría podría cruzar
English meaning (our translation): I put her in a down, in this command, in this position, so that the other dog can cross - or could cross.
let's go buddy come on always got to be courteous to the bikers
The dog got really close to him, but he responded to me kind of preempting his urge.
but i mostly don't want to make her uncomfortable with big off leash german shepherd
I can just recall him and put him on a leash if somebody else is coming and they seem unhappy about him being off leash.
I will a lot of times do is if somebody else is walking towards me or kids on a bike is coming or anything you might think like okay they might feel uncomfortable I just recall them and then I do one of two things I even put them in the down wait for them to go by or I put them in a heel and I keep walking
yeah um so if she's not in a command you can put her either to sit down and patiently wait for other people to walk away or if you have enough space where you can get to one side and put her on a heel position and keep walking straight
Let's see how Apollo does in the down running by,
Trying to take advantage of the distraction to proof it down there.
I don't wanna clothesline them.
and you want your dog to be close to you so you call them over and you have them sit in
How it looks, dog by dog
Bun
The fullest statement of the routine, given to camera on a wooded trail on 29 September 2026 with Bun on a short tab leash. A cyclist comes through and Bun is called and downed; a little later someone walks a dog past and the trainer does it again, 'just another example', so that he and Bun 'aren't bothering them'. In between he turns it into advice for the owner: when you hear a bike or see someone coming with their dog, call him to the side, down him, let them go by and wait. People read that as polite and respectful, he says, it shows them the dog is under control and listening, and most of them then have nothing to say about an off-leash dog. The tab leash is there so you can grab him if somebody is upset. A month earlier, on 28 August, the same move was used the other way round: a runner approaching was taken as the chance to proof Bun's down, and the trainer says he did it perfectly and that it is becoming a habit.
On film
like if you hear a bike or another person you see them coming with their dog or something like that just call boone over to the side and put a minute down and have them go by and wait and they'll see that as polite and respectful it also demonstrates that you have control over your dog and that they're listening to you
like a little tab leash while you're out walking in like a trail like this where technically you're not supposed to have your dog off leash um one you have the tab lease so you can grab it if you
boone come come here good down down so this is just another example somebody's walking their dog so i'm gonna let them walk by with their dog that way me and boone aren't bothering them
so yep it's a runner so I'm gonna try it down this time with that distraction so
And he did perfectly.
Really starting to become a habit for him.
Kali
Kali and Kane, a two-dog household, off leash together in a park with a bridge on 29 September 2026. Three times in one walk both dogs are called and downed together: for a man on a bike passing behind them, for a cyclist on the bridge, and for a jogger. The trainer gives the reason for the bridge: so that neither dog gets hit and the cyclist does not crash. Four days earlier, on a walk with Kali alone, the trainer admits the other side of the routine - he did not hear cyclists coming because he was talking to camera, and called her in and stepped on her leash as they went by.
On film
down down okay let this guy go behind his bike okay okay
I just put them both in a down because somebody is coming by on the bridge on their bike. They want either of them to get hit or for the person to crash their bike, you know?
there you go you're good we just had uh people come by on bicycle there i didn't hear them
Kane
Kane is downed alongside Kali in the same park session, as a pair: the recall, a single 'Down', 'Good job, guys', and 'Let the jogger go by there' before both are released to walk on. His own arc records this as the first time his down is used for passing traffic with another dog beside him.
On film
Okay, Callie, Cain, come. Down. Good job, guys. Let the jogger go by there.
Sofia
Sofia, trained in Spanish and English, on a lakeside walk on 29 September 2026 with many dogs about. When a dog bigger than the small ones she has just passed comes along, she is given 'bájate' (down) several times until she settles, then released with 'ok'. The trainer explains in Spanish that he put her in a down, in that position, so the other dog could cross. For Sofia, who avoids other dogs, the down is a parking place while the other dog goes by rather than a test.
On film
yo lo pone yo la pone en un abajo en este mando en esta posición para que el otro perro puede cruzar o podría podría cruzar
English meaning (our translation): I put her in a down, in this command, in this position, so that the other dog can cross - or could cross.
Bullet
At Lake Benson Park, the park where his first day was filmed, Bullet is called and downed on a bike trail while dogs walk by, then released with 'okay'; leaving, the trainer says you always have to be courteous to the bikers. Earlier in the same session the down does more than courtesy: Bullet had sprinted at the first dog he saw here on day one, and now, as a dog approaches, the trainer cues the down before the urge fires. He says the dog thought about it and the dog came less than a foot from his face, and Bullet stayed down.
On film
Bullet, come here.
So we had a couple of dogs walk by there.
let's go buddy come on always got to be courteous to the bikers
The dog got really close to him, but he responded to me kind of preempting his urge.
position and the dog can walk this far from his face. The dog was less than a
Bandit
Bandit, a large German Shepherd by the trainer's description, shows the courtesy reason more than the down itself. Off leash on 24 September, the trainer says he can recall him and put him on a leash if anyone coming seems unhappy about an off-leash dog, and when a jogger comes the other way he says Bandit will not do anything - his concern is not to make her uncomfortable. No call-in is heard at that moment.
On film
to make sure you give some time for your dogs to sniff bandit let's go come on move over for that
here that we see and he did really good with the uh with the bike riding by quick i think we
I can just recall him and put him on a leash if somebody else is coming and they seem unhappy about him being off leash.
but i mostly don't want to make her uncomfortable with big off leash german shepherd
King
At King's second in-program lesson in August 2026 the trainer gives the owner the routine as a choice of two. People can be nervous of these dogs, especially a German Shepherd, so when someone is walking towards you or kids on a bike are coming: recall, then either down him and wait for them to go by, or heel him and keep walking. He ties it to his warning against heeling the whole walk - heel is for using in moments like this, not for the entire walk.
On film
always something I think about all these dogs make some people nervous especially
I will a lot of times do is if somebody else is walking towards me or kids on a bike is coming or anything you might think like okay they might feel uncomfortable I just recall them and then I do one of two things I even put them in the down wait for them to go by or I put them in a heel and I keep walking
heal if you do this the entire walk you just have him in a heel there's a boring
Fiona
At a follow-up visit Fiona's owner reports that Fiona got excited at people walking by in the park and asks what she is supposed to do: make her sit while the bicycle goes by? The trainer separates two things. 'Nope' is for when Fiona is in a command and breaks it. If she is not in a command, the owner can sit or down her and wait for the people to go, or, with enough space, get to one side and heel past. The owner says she had been making her sit every time and thought there had to be something else.
On film
Well, usually when you use nope, it's because she's in a command and she didn't do it.
yeah um so if she's not in a command you can put her either to sit down and patiently wait for other people to walk away or if you have enough space where you can get to one side and put her on a heel position and keep walking straight
Apollo (the Sharkie)
The earliest dated version, March 2026, and the clearest case of the passing traffic used as a test. Apollo is recalled and downed as high-speed runners with three dogs approach; the trainer chooses to let them run by rather than move away. One 'eh' and a re-cued 'Down' as they pass, then 'Okay' and heavy praise.
On film
We have a couple of high-speed runners here with dogs.
Let's see how Apollo does in the down running by,
I'm gonna let them run by us.
You did so good.
Beo
With Beo the trainer recalls him as cyclists come through so as not to 'clothesline them' (the same word Bandit's trainer uses for a passing child on a bike). Earlier on the same walk he does the reverse of the courtesy move on purpose: he parks Beo at the side and lets a dog walk past, because he thinks standing still is the harder test for Beo and was part of what went wrong before.
On film
I'm just seeing somebody coming through here with a bike.
I don't wanna clothesline them.
what i'm going to do is i'm going to park this over here on the side and let them walk by us
with another dog walking past.
Callie
In a one-minute clip about the recall goal, Callie's trainer describes the sit-in-front version: on a busy street with a badly behaved dog coming, you call your dog in and sit her in front of you, which gives you more control, especially on a flexi. A runner passing is about to be used as an example when the clip ends.
On film
maybe you're walking down a busy street and there's a crazy dog um coming you know soon
and you want your dog to be close to you so you call them over and you have them sit in
Why it works
The trainers give three reasons on film. Courtesy: other people can be nervous of a dog, especially a big one or an off-leash one, and a dog parked at the side reads to them as polite and under control (Bun, King, Bandit). Safety: a dog in the path, or a line across it, can be hit by or bring down a cyclist (Kali and Kane, Beo, Bandit). Control: it shows the dog is listening, and it gives the obedience a use - King's trainer offers it as the way to use heel and down in short bursts instead of heeling the whole walk. The order is the same in every case: the recall comes first, then the position, then the release once the traffic has gone. Bullet's trainer adds the timing: cue the down before the dog's urge fires, not after. The same passing traffic also serves as the distraction a trainer wants for proofing the down (Bun, Apollo the Sharkie, Bandit).
On film
like if you hear a bike or another person you see them coming with their dog or something like that just call boone over to the side and put a minute down and have them go by and wait and they'll see that as polite and respectful it also demonstrates that you have control over your dog and that they're listening to you
I just put them both in a down because somebody is coming by on the bridge on their bike. They want either of them to get hit or for the person to crash their bike, you know?
walking right so you can do either one of those and that's an easy way to like
use the commands in such a way where you're not doing this you know can't
The dog got really close to him, but he responded to me kind of preempting his urge.
Trying to take advantage of the distraction to proof it down there.
Inferred
Not said on film: that the down works partly because it takes chasing, greeting and lunging off the table at once (a dog lying down has to get up first, which gives the handler a moment to see it), and that a still, low dog is a smaller presence to a nervous passer-by than a dog walking at heel. Also inferred: that the down is preferred over the sit with excited dogs because it is harder to break; the trainers here offer sit and down side by side without ranking them.
Common owner mistakes
- Not knowing what to ask for, and reaching for 'nope'. Fiona's owner had been making her sit every time and asked whether 'no' or 'nope' was the word; the trainer explains that 'nope' is for a command the dog has broken, so with no command given there is nothing to 'nope' - give her a position or heel her past.
On film
Well, usually when you use nope, it's because she's in a command and she didn't do it.
Watch at 20:32 ↗ i was making her sit but i thought there's gotta i gotta be able to do something other than that's
Watch at 20:56 ↗ - Not hearing the traffic coming. A trainer's own admission rather than an owner's: talking to camera, he did not hear cyclists until they were on top of them, and had to call Kali in and step on her leash as they passed.
On film
there you go you're good we just had uh people come by on bicycle there i didn't hear them
Watch at 4:41 ↗ because i'm talking to myself full time i'm such a yapper i don't hear people
Watch at 4:48 ↗
Questions owners ask
Should my dog sit or lie down when a bike goes by?
Either works on film, and so does heeling past. Most trainers in the record use a down - Bun, Kali and Kane, Sofia, Bullet - and King's trainer offers down-and-wait or heel-and-keep-walking as equal choices. Fiona's trainer tells an owner who had been sitting her dog every time that she can sit or down her and wait, or get to one side and heel past if there is room. What matters is that you call the dog in first and give him one clear job until the bike has gone.
On film
I will a lot of times do is if somebody else is walking towards me or kids on a bike is coming or anything you might think like okay they might feel uncomfortable I just recall them and then I do one of two things I even put them in the down wait for them to go by or I put them in a heel and I keep walking
yeah um so if she's not in a command you can put her either to sit down and patiently wait for other people to walk away or if you have enough space where you can get to one side and put her on a heel position and keep walking straight
Why bother if my dog is friendly and would not do anything?
Because the passer-by does not know that. Bandit's trainer says outright that Bandit would not do anything to a jogger - his concern is not to make her uncomfortable with a big off-leash dog. Bun's trainer says people see a dog moved to the side and downed as polite and respectful, and that it shows them the dog is under control, so most of them have nothing to say about it.
On film
Which I mean, he's not gonna do anything, he's fine.
but i mostly don't want to make her uncomfortable with big off leash german shepherd
and most people don't don't care about that they don't have anything to say about that because they can see that you're being respectful you're being polite you're not letting your dog run all over the place
Does this work with two dogs at once?
On film, yes. Kali and Kane are recalled and downed together off leash three times in one park walk - for a man on a bike, a cyclist on a bridge and a jogger - and released together afterwards.
On film
I just put them both in a down because somebody is coming by on the bridge on their bike. They want either of them to get hit or for the person to crash their bike, you know?
Okay, Callie, Cain, come. Down. Good job, guys. Let the jogger go by there.
What if my dog is tempted by the other dog?
Bullet's trainer cues the down before the urge fires. On day one Bullet had sprinted at the first dog he saw in that park; this time, called and downed as a dog approached, he thought about it and stayed down with the dog less than a foot from his face. Trainers also use these moments on purpose to proof the down - Apollo the Sharkie holding a down as runners with three dogs go by needed one 'eh' and a re-cue.
On film
The dog got really close to him, but he responded to me kind of preempting his urge.
Let's see how Apollo does in the down running by,
The lesson
The goal
An owner can see or hear passing traffic early, recall the dog to the side of the path, hold a down (or heel past) until it has gone, and release.
Learn first
- 'Let's go' is not 'Come' - and the recall has an ending
- There is no stay, only the release
- Meaningful release
The drill
As run on film: on a trail or park path, as soon as a bike, a runner or a person with a dog is heard or seen, recall the dog, bring him to the side, cue the down, wait while they pass (with an 'eh' and a re-cue if he starts to get up), then release with 'okay' and walk on. Once the down is reliable, a passing runner or bike can be taken deliberately as the distraction to proof it.
Watch out for
- Using 'nope' when the dog was never given a command (Fiona).
- Noticing the traffic too late to call the dog in (the trainer with Kali).
- Waiting until the dog has already started towards the passer-by instead of cueing before the urge (Bullet's trainer pre-empts it).
Check yourself
A cyclist is coming up behind you on a narrow path and your dog is ten feet ahead. What do you do first, and when do you release him?