How to Train Your Dog to Go to a Mark

Need an inventive way to control your dog's behavior? Does your dog freak out and lunge at the door when the doorbell rings, or constantly beg and bother you while you are eating? Maybe you want him to be a movie star and need to be able to direct him so he can play a role. Imagine when your dog starts to become overexcited you can tell him 'go to your mat', and instead of jumping around and winding between your legs, he goes and sits quietly on his mat! Perfect!  Or, perhaps you want to put on a show using your dog's talents for friends and family, or use your dog as an extra in a film production. Teaching your dog to go to a mark can make your dog an appropriate part of a scene, or allow a photo to be taken of him, or can place him for maximum impact when he performs a trick or stunt. By teaching your dog to go to a mark, or a designated place, you can provide an alternative behavior to replace unwanted behaviors, or set your dog up to perform a stunt, trick, or be a star!

Your dog can be trained to go to a mark, which might be an X marked on the floor with tape, a place board, a piece of cardboard, a piece of cloth, or a mat or bed. These marks can be used at a specific location in your home to provide a place for your dog to go when you need to control unwanted behavior, or can be transported and used in a many different places if you need to take your dog out in public or to work, to direct your dog to an appropriate place where he is safe and not causing a problem. Dogs that are used in showbiz are often trained to go to a mark so they are in the appropriate spot for filming or to perform a trick or stunt. 

To teach your dog to go to a mark, you want to teach your dog to target a particular item, such as an X or a cloth or mat, and go to that spot and wait. You will want to teach your dog Down/Stay or Sit/Stay prior to teaching him to go to a mark, so that when your dog targets his mark he knows what behaviors to perform there. This behavior requires a little bit of direction and training to get your dog to understand and perform, however, even young dogs can learn to go to a mark. When working with a young dog, you should keep training sessions an appropriate length and do not require the dog to stay too long at the mark, as a young dog has a limited attention span and setting unrealistic expectations will cause frustration.

You will need to determine what your dog's mark will be. If this behavior is something you want your dog to be able to perform in a variety of places, you will need something portable. At home, you may use a dog bed as a mark, or a small mat can be used at home or taken with you on the road. Showbiz dogs often use an X created with painter's or masking tape on the floor as a mark. You can use anything, even a rag or facecloth to create a mark, as long as you're consistent. Determine what behavior you want your dog to perform at his mark prior to training, do you want him to sit down or lie down?  Teach your dog sit and lay down prior to teaching your dog to go to his mark so you don't overwhelm him. Come up with a command such as 'mat', 'place', or 'mark', which you will use to direct your dog to his mark. You will need lots of treats and a clicker to capture and reward the behavior during training. Some trainers use a training stick to direct their dog to their mark.  This is especially useful if the location of their mark is going to move, such as for performances.