[Corteo]

I was wondering if you guys have taught your dos the Place Mat command? if so, how to you get your dog to stay on the mat? I've got Sobaka so that I say place, and she will go to the mat, and she gets a treat. Then what I did was made her wait longer for the treat. This did not work, she keeps getting off. Any ideas? We've been working on this for about 2-3 months...

Thanks,
Corteo

 

[omike015]

I was wondering if you guys have taught your dos the Place Mat command? if so, how to you get your dog to stay on the mat? I've got Sobaka so that I say place, and she will go to the mat, and she gets a treat. Then what I did was made her wait longer for the treat. This did not work, she keeps getting off. Any ideas? We've been working on this for about 2-3 months...

Thanks,
Corteo

We're currently working on it. I started by teaching it basically like a stay: Just he and I in the kitchen by the mat. I then started introducing smaller distractions (me fixing toast or something), then working up to tougher distractions. Make sure you're using a release word, too, so that she won't stop the behavior until she hears it.

 

[Corteo]

Thanks for the reply! I am in a room with absolutely no distractions, and am using a release word. Thanks for the help!

 

[CMBMom]

Do you have your dog sit ON the mat or AT the mat? I have 3 dogs - we're working on "place" - which is just them going to their own place to eat. I've actually marked X's on the floor with tape for them to sit on. 1 of them is ALWAYS in the right spot, 1 of them is ALWAYS close, and the other one is at least in the same room, lol. She'll learn.

I haven't done anything with treats because dinner, in my mind is a treat. I usually set their bowls just out of reach telling them "wait". I stand close enough to them that if they lunge for the food - I step between them and the bowl and put them back into a sit. Each dog is released with "take it" individually in my house.

 

[Corteo]

The goal for me, is that when I say place, she will go to her mat and stay on. It does not matter whether she is sitting or laying down. Just so she stays on the mat.

 

[jesirose]

I put the mat down and waited for her to get in it. Then I c&t, then wait, then release. I slowly increase the amount of time she stays in before I release. To get her up on the release cue I had to act very excited at first. Once she was going there often, I would say "park it" as she got close, c&t, release. When we got to longer lengths I replaced C&t with several treats over the time span. Practice LOTS with short reps before making it long.
If she gets off before the release word, have her go back, wait, release with no treat.

 

[rosborn]

As she is sitting on the mat .... keep feeding little treats ... she will get the idea!!!

 

[Corteo]

Just wanted to give an update. Sobaka is much better. She will stay on the mat for how ever long she is asked. Thanks for all the help!

 

[jesirose]

Just wanted to give an update. Sobaka is much better. She will stay on the mat for how ever long she is asked. Thanks for all the help!

Congratulations! Now work on sending her there from other rooms!

 

[Corteo]

I have, and she will do it from anywhere in the house!

 

[jesirose]

I have, and she will do it from anywhere in the house!

Yayy! Good job.

 

[JeanninePC99]

I started during crate training. Baxter only got frozen kongs when he was on his mat (which was in the crate back then). In the beginning, he would follow me to his crate/mat. Soon, with or without a kong visible, saying "on your mat" would send him running to the mat.

In fact, sometimes, if I take a treat out, he just runs to his mat out of habit.

If we aren't home, I can spread a towel on the ground or floor and he understands that it is his mat. Kind of neat.

It's a great command for the morning, too. If he wakes up before we do, I can just say "on your mat" and he'll curl back up and wait.