Harley got me off guard this morning! He lay down on his bed in the barn by himself. He also walk for a bit not pace, trot... He WALK.
I want him to do that more often.

He will go to the bed when told but leave it as soon as he get released. He is never really napping he just wait for me to let him off. Today he really lay down with his head down in his paws.

I felt like marking and giving a reward, but he would have engage with me then he would get in drive, not what I want.

I did not do anything as I could not figure what to do
I want to reinforce calmness but how to do it with out getting him in high gear?

Intermediate bridge.
Calm, quiet, soothing praise in low tones.

Goooooooood boooooy to rest.

Take him a bone or Kong to gnaw on.

I taught Jethro to Settle, which means he rests his head on the ground/floor. If he isn't too wound up, the position seems to help him understand I really don't want him getting up, just rest there. Very rarely he will fall asleep after being told to Settle. Forgive my inexperience, but I use random reinforcement, that is, I will place a treat on the floor right beside his nose, so he doesn't have to move much to lick it up. It is surprising how long he will wait for the next treat, in that position. Has to be a special treat, though, not the usual. We practice this a lot in the kitchen when I am making a fresh batch of treats (liver, kidney, etc.) After the meat is cooked and I am slicing it up, I give the eensyist-weensyist pieces to Jethro and Skipper.

Sidenote: I was training Skipper to Wait, too, and used a folded towel on the floor to give him a Place. It came in really handy at the vet yesterday, because they had a folded towel, and I had Skipper, torn eye and all, go to his Place on that towel. We cuddled him to keep him from rubbing the eye, but I could see he was associating comfort with being on the towel, too.

I will try a very low gooood boy. I am just so afraid to disturb him. I wisper and his head comes up.

Jenny, he will "nap" on command, but that was his idea to relaxe for real.