How to Train Your Small Dog to Sit on His Mat

This method relies on the dog discovering that the mat is a great place to be. This is done by placing treats on the mat for the dog to discover. When the dog steps onto the mat to retrieve the treat, you praise and reward him. You then encourage the dog to stay in place by making him wait slightly longer each time before he gets the reward.

Work in a quiet room with few distractions. Use a comfortable mat that is big enough for your small dog to lie on. Place the mat in a corner of the room and stand close to it. Place one or two small treats (pea-sized or smaller) on the mat for the dog to discover.

Let the dog explore the room, then catch his attention and point out the treats on the mat. As the dog moves towards the mat, encourage him with an excited "Yes". When the dog steps onto the mat, say "Yes" and toss an additional treat onto the mat as a reward.

If when he's eaten the treats he jumps off the mat, just ignore him. There's no need to scold or punish him. Instead, place some more treats on the mat. If you can, do this when he's not looking so that he thinks treats magically appear on the mat (which makes it all the more appealing to him).

Call the dog's attention to the mat. Again, when he gets the treats, praise him and drop another treat on the mat. Pretty soon he'll come to anticipate the second reward and sit and wait for it. As he becomes more accomplished, make him wait a few seconds longer each time before giving him that reward.

Once the dog is patiently waiting on the mat for a reward, you can start to add in the additional dimension of distance. Remember, until this point you have been standing close to the mat. Now, with the dog waiting patiently for his reward, take a step away from the mat. If he stays, praise him, take a step back and give the treat. Practice this, gradually moving farther and farther away before giving the reward.

This method uses clicker training to build an association in the dog's mind between being on the mat and getting a reward. Once he learns going to the mat earns a reward, you can add a cue word and put the action on command.

If the dog is not already clicker trained, you need to teach him that a click is a promise of a treat. This is easily done by throwing a small treat onto the floor. As the dog eats the treat you press the clicker. The idea is to create a link in the dog's mind between the click and getting a treat. Repeatedly place a treat on the floor and click when the dog eats it. Now try clicking first, and if the dog looks to the floor for a treat, then he has successfully made the link and you are ready to move on.

Let the dog explore the room, but when he moves toward the mat, click him. This tells the dog that he's doing the right thing by approaching.

As the dog tries to work out what makes the clicker go off (and earns a reward) he'll try standing on the mat. When he does this click, say "Yes" in a happy voice and toss a treat onto the mat.

As the dog realizes he can trigger a treat by standing on the mat, add a cue word such as "Mat" or "Place". This labels the action so that he understands what's required when you say "Mat."

Once the dog is successfully going to the mat on cue, extend the time he has to wait before getting a treat as a reward. Expect him to stay still for a few seconds before offering the click and then a treat. Gradually extend the delay before he earns a treat so that he understands that going to the mat in itself is not enough but he also has to stay there.

It's helpful if your dog has already learned the self-restraint necessary to execute a good 'down' and 'stay'. This can speed up training, as once he understands you want him to go to the mat, you can more easily introduce the idea of him staying there.

When the dog does well, avoid the temptation to feed him a treat straight from your hand. This encourages your dog to follow your hand (and perhaps move) rather than concentrate on the mat. The solution is simple, in that you toss the reward onto the mat, hence strengthening the link between the latter and good things happening.

Dogs learn best when they enjoy the training. Work within your dog's concentration span so that he doesn't get tired and start to lose concentration. Likewise, be enthusiastic with your praise when he does well, which helps build his self-confidence. It's better to have a couple of short training sessions per day and keep the dog mentally fresh, than tire him with one long session.

Never use force to teach the dog to stay on the mat. If he steps off, either ignore him or say a curt "No", in order to guide him that it was the wrong decision. Then withdraw your attention; folding your arms and turning your back.

You want the dog to concentrate on the mat. Help him to do this by working in a place where there are few distractions so that he can fully pay attention to you and the training.