Mat TargetingDog steps onto a designated surface on cue
The portable settle. A mat the dog has been shaped onto becomes a mobile calm zone: vet visits, restaurant patios, guests at the door. Start by rewarding any interaction with the mat, then shape a down on it.
Also known as: Go to Mat, Place Mat
At a glance
- Tier
- 0 · Foundational
- Time to fluency
- 2–5 weeks
- Practice
- 5× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats, A portable mat, towel, or bed
How to teach mat targeting
Lure
Toss a treat onto the mat to draw the dog to it
- Place the mat nearby and toss a treat onto it. Mark when paws land on it
- Reward several treats in a row while the dog is on the mat to build value
- Gradually reward only four paws on, then a sit, then a down
- Keep the mat close at first. Distance comes later
Hand Signal
Point at the mat with a sweeping gesture toward it
- Point and wait. Let the dog figure out what earns the reward
- Reward on the mat, not from your hand, so the mat becomes the reward zone
- Once reliable close up, add one step of distance at a time
Verbal Cue
Name the behaviour once the dog heads to the mat on the gesture
- Say the word, gesture, reward on the mat
- Practise sending from different angles, not just straight ahead
- Move the mat to new locations so the dog generalises to the mat itself, not the spot
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Ignores the mat or walks over it without stopping
- In progress
- Goes to the mat on the word from across the room and settles
- Mastered
- Goes to the mat in a new location and holds a down through mild distractions
Common mistakes
- Luring the dog to the mat every time instead of letting them choose to go
- Only practising in one spot so the dog learns the location, not the mat
- Calling the dog off the mat to reward, which rewards leaving
- Using a mat that is too small for the dog to comfortably lie on