Settle On a Mat

Settle On a Mat

SETTLE ON A MAT  


WHY TEACH YOUR DOG TO SETTLE ON A MAT? 

Teaching your dog to settle - lie down quietly in a designated spot when asked, sometimes for long periods at a time - is an essential life skill!  Settle on a mat can help prevent your dog from engaging in unwanted behaviors like jumping, counter-surfing, rushing the front door, or getting underfoot.  Teaching your dog to settle on cue gives them an “off switch,” and helps teach them how to regulate their emotions. 


HOW TO TEACH IT 

  1. Find a mat that is comfortable for your dog to step on, and position the mat in front of you.  You can simply put a towel on the floor.  

  1. Use a treat to lure your dog onto the mat.  Click your clicker, or say "yes" as soon as they step on the mat to mark the behavior, then give them the treat.  

  1. Toss another treat away from the mat to reset your dog. If you have taught your dog a release cue, such as "free" or "all done!", you can use that to reset.

  1. Pause after they eat the reset treat.  Most dogs will want to return to the mat because it’s close to you.  This allows you to discontinue using a lure treat.  

  1. Click when your dog steps back on the mat, then offer a treat.  As they eat the treat, click, then treat 1-2 more times while they remain on the mat. 

  1. Repeat the above steps, pausing for longer between treats on the mat.  Pausing gives your dog a chance to choose to sit or lie down, and also builds more duration. 

  1. Repeat the steps above, but position yourself away from the mat.  Continue to offer a click, then a treat on the mat as a reward, and use a release cue or treat toss to reset.

ADDING A CUE 

  1. Lure your dog onto the mat and into a down position. 

  1. Use a release cue, such as "Free”, or “Okay”, and toss a treat away from the mat to reset your dog. Repeat steps 1 and 2 once more. 

  1. On the third repetition, use an unbaited hand, or a hand without a treat in it. Use the same motion to lure your dog onto the mat.  

  1. Click and reward your dog from the opposite hand 

  1. Continue this pattern, fading this “fake lure” into a finger pointed towards the mat. Repeat this until your dog readily follows that hand signal. 

  1. Teach a verbal cue like “settle” or “bed” by saying your cue, pausing for one second, then using your hand signal. Repeat this until your dog readily responds after the verbal cue. 

BUILDING DURATION 

  1. Build duration by pausing for one second after your dog lies down on the mat before delivering the click, then treat.  

  1. Continue to click-then-treat every few seconds as your dog stays in place.  

  1. On each repetition, vary the length of the pause before the next click.   

  1. Continue to offer click-then-treats on the mat, and use your release cue to reset. 

TRAINING TIPS:
  1. Don't move too fast for your dog! If your dog often gets up off the mat before you release them, it's possible that things are getting too hard too fast:
    1. Only increase difficulty in one area at a time. If you're working on sitting a little further away from your dog, cut the time down. If you're working on longer periods of time, make sure there aren't additional distractions, and so on. Once they're really good in one area, you can mix in a little of the other criteria that make performing the behavior more challenging.
    2. Other tips to keeping your dog focused - make training sessions short, always end on a good repetition, and mix in a little bit of play between repetitions of stationary work like settling on a mat.
  2. Never heard of a release cue? You can use this game to teach one! Simply say a word like "okay" just before you toss the treat to reset the behavior. Over repetitions, your dog learns that "okay" means they can go about their business, and you can use it to release them from any other stationary behavior like "stay" or "wait".


    • Related Articles

    • Relaxation Protocol

      RELAXATION PROTOCOL  WHAT IS RELAXATION PROTOCOL?  Teaching your dog to relax on a mat or bed.   WHY TEACH IT?   Relaxing on a mat teaches your dog to be calm on cue. The cue in this case is the mat itself. This behavior is useful for those times ...

    • 100 Things To Do With A...

      100 THINGS TO DO WITH A...  WHAT IS FREE SHAPING?  Shaping refers to teaching a behavior by breaking it down into baby steps.  For example, you can shape a settle on a mat behavior by rewarding for one, two, three, then four paws on the mat, up to ...

    • Teaching Alternative Behaviors

      WHY TEACH IT?  Pet parents frequently ask, “how do I get my pet to stop doing that?” The most effective way to get your dog to stop doing the unwanted behavior is to focus on what you want your dog to do instead. Deciding what you want your dog to do ...