diff --git a/examples/basic.css b/examples/basic.css
index 279f6e520..efafe797e 100644
--- a/examples/basic.css
+++ b/examples/basic.css
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /* CSS file for basic.py */
 
 App > View {
-  layout: dock;
   docks: side=left/1;
   text: on #20639b;
 }
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py b/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
index 3068fbead..4496923f2 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
@@ -297,10 +297,23 @@ class LayoutProperty:
         self._internal_name = f"_rule_{name}"
 
     def __get__(self, obj: Styles, objtype: type[Styles] | None = None) -> Layout:
+        """
+        Args:
+            obj (Styles): The Styles object
+            objtype (type[Styles]): The Styles class
+        Returns:
+            The ``Layout`` object.
+        """
         return getattr(obj, self._internal_name)
 
     def __set__(self, obj: Styles, layout: LayoutName | Layout):
-        from ..layouts.factory import get_layout
+        """
+        Args:
+            obj (Styles): The Styles object.
+            layout (LayoutName | Layout): The layout to use. You can supply a ``LayoutName``
+                (a string literal such as ``"dock"``) or a ``Layout`` object.
+        """
+        from ..layouts.factory import get_layout  # Prevents circular import
 
         obj.refresh(True)
         if isinstance(layout, Layout):
diff --git a/src/textual/view.py b/src/textual/view.py
index f3463fcd0..9617fc251 100644
--- a/src/textual/view.py
+++ b/src/textual/view.py
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ from .widget import Widget
 @rich.repr.auto
 class View(Widget):
     STYLES = """
+        layout: dock;
         docks: main=top;
-
     """
 
     def __init__(self, name: str | None = None, id: str | None = None) -> None: