Mat Training

This week we are talking all about mat training. The aim of mat training is to teach your dog to go to a certain spot (typically a mat, blanket or dog bed) on cue. They then stay there and are calm until they’ve been released. To teach your dog this behaviour, you will need a mat, blanket or dog bed that is big enough for your dog to lie down on. I find a blanket works best as you can roll it up and pop it in your bag to use out and about too. Raised beds, like this one by Hi-K9, are also popular for this kind of training. 

Benefits

This is such an important and useful skill for all dogs to learn. It’s suitable for all breeds, for puppies as well as adult dogs. Mat training is something I teach with nearly every client I work with as it has so many benefits. Firstly, teaching your dog to go to their mat, bed or blanket on cue gives your dog a safe space to relax with new people in the home. It also gives your dog somewhere to settle in new environments, such as in a pub garden. It can help to promote calmness and develop your dog’s impulse control skills. Lastly, supports other training, such as preventing jumping up and counter surfing by giving your dog a specific place to be. 

Step by step mat training

For this training, the mat being placed on the ground will be the cue for your dog to get on it. So don’t place the mat down until you’re ready to get started. 

Step 1- Place your mat on the ground and reward your dog for any interaction with it. Place the treat directly onto the bed itself for your dog to get.  

Step 2- Encourage your dog to sit and then lie down on the mat by luring them with a treat. If you haven’t trained your dog to lie down before, have a watch of this video on YouTube. 

Step 3- Once your dog is lying comfortably on the mat, you want to build loads of value for them being there. Drop one treat after another directly onto the mat . Don’t be tempted to rush through this step! You want this mat to be like a magic carpet for your dog- when they lie on it, treats appear!

Introducing cues

Step 4- You can now introduce a release cue. This can be whatever you like, I use ‘ok’ but you could use break, go or free. It doesn’t really matter what word you use as your cue as long as it’s consistent. To teach your dog the release cue, say your cue and then toss a treat away from the mat for them to find. If you’ve built enough value on the mat, they should head straight back to the mat. If not, you can lure them back as in Step 2. 

Step 5- As you practise your release cue, you can add in your cue for the mat itself. As your dog orients back to the mat and steps on it, say your cue. This could be mat, bed, spot or whatever you like. To continue building value for being on the mat, place 5 treats on the mat for every one time you release your dog from it. 

Step 6- This is the foundation of mat training. You can now start to add in duration. To do this, start to wait a second or two between dropping a treat on the mat. You can build up to having your dog on the mat for minutes without treating them, but don’t rush it! Most mat training goes wrong when we ask our dogs to stay on the mat for too long without rewarding them. Have a read of our post here on adding distractions, distance and duration to your training for more tips. 

Troubleshooting mat training

If your dog is struggling with mat training, here’s a couple of things to consider:

• Have you built enough value on the bed before adding in distractions, duration and/or distance? 
• Is the mat you’re using comfortable for your dog? Avoid slippery fabrics and consider using a mat with a grippy underside, like a back door mat. 
• Do multiple sessions at home before you expect your dog to be able to settle on a mat in different environments, especially busy ones.
• If you have done plenty of practise with your mat training but your dog can’t seem to do it in certain places, consider whether they are too stressed to do so. This is what happened with our dog Duke, who has been doing mat training for years but was too stressed to do so at an agility class.

What next?

• Looking for help with your dog? Contact us to arrange in person or online training.
• Read more blog posts here.

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