General Method
Kneel on the ground next to your dog, making sure your dog is facing you.
Hold the lure (usually a treat) in front of your dog's nose (but don't let him eat it yet!). Push it down towards his chest, so his nose follows it. It may take a few tries, but this should cause the dog to rock back into a "laying" position. The moment your dog is fully laying down, give him the treat.
Repeat this process until your dog understands and does the laying down motion easily when you move the treat towards his chest/between his front legs. Once he is doing this easily, you can begin adding the command. Now when he is laying down, say "drop" or "down" or "lay" or whichever command you have decided you want to use for this task.
Try again with the treat somewhat removed. Now that your dog is comfortable laying down while following the treat in your hand, try holding the treat in your other hand or not at all, yet still using the hand you would normally use to hold the treat to push into his chest while telling him to lay down. He should do it as he has been, and you can give him the treat once he is all the way down.
Keep practicing. Eventually, you should be able to tell your dog your command, i.e. "drop!" and he will plop down into the laying position. You should treat him right away for this at first, but as he grows confidence in the command you should hold off a little longer and a little longer before rewarding him (with treats, words, or affection) so that he understands that he must then stay laying
Chair or Stair Method
Find a sturdy chair or box on which your dog can comfortably stand, and is not afraid of being on. Practice in a safe location, either on a carpeted floor or outside in the grass to ensure your dog will not be harmed if he decides to hop off. If you do not wish to use a chair or box, or your dog is too afraid, the top of the stairs can be a good alternative. What you need is a ledge that you can pass the treat under, encouraging your dog to lay down as in the General Method.
Steady your dog in front of you on the box, chair, or stairs. Hold the treat in front of his nose and instead of passing it to his chest, bring it down over the edge of the chair/stairs/box. He should follow it with his nose and hopefully lay down.
Once he has laid down, give him his reward. You should follow the remaining steps of the General Method to complete his training in this task.
Push Method
Despite our hardest efforts, some little dogs will be just too stubborn or confused to lay down on their own without a little help. Some dogs learn fastest using this method.
Position your dog in front of you, and place your hand gently on his shoulder blades. Holding the treat in front of his nose pull it down towards the ground while exerting firm but gentle pressure on his shoulder blades (not his back). This should encourage him to lay all the way down.
Repeat this until he begins to grasp the concept. With enough repetition, he should begin to lay down when you pass your hand over his head to place it on his shoulder blades. Once he is at this point, you can resume teaching him as outlined in the General Method
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