This is a great video- thank you. I trained my puppy to go to his mat, but was at a loss on how to get him to stay there. I'll try these training tips. What would be a reasonable amount of time to expect a 4 month old to stay on a mat? I'd love to get the duration of a meal in.
So glad you found it helpful! For duration for a 4 month old: depends on the breed and personality. I have had some 4 month old mellow Golden Retrievers be able to stay about 10 mins solid with intermittent rewards but a bouncy terrier mix the same age may only be able to do so for 3 mins. Some owners will give the dog a chew and tether near the mat to teach them the "idea" of the behavior during human mealtimes. It is certainly helpful, but doesn't take the place of doing the mat work training and extending duration.
Ahh.. I think I may need to lower my expectations a bit. I have a 4 month old Golden Retreiver, but not so mellow! Perhaps we will aim for five minutes with rewards every minute!
NICE VIDEO really easy for a pet owner to understand
This is a great video- thank you. I trained my puppy to go to his mat, but was at a loss on how to get him to stay there. I'll try these training tips. What would be a reasonable amount of time to expect a 4 month old to stay on a mat? I'd love to get the duration of a meal in.
So glad you found it helpful! For duration for a 4 month old: depends on the breed and personality. I have had some 4 month old mellow Golden Retrievers be able to stay about 10 mins solid with intermittent rewards but a bouncy terrier mix the same age may only be able to do so for 3 mins. Some owners will give the dog a chew and tether near the mat to teach them the "idea" of the behavior during human mealtimes. It is certainly helpful, but doesn't take the place of doing the mat work training and extending duration.
Ahh.. I think I may need to lower my expectations a bit. I have a 4 month old Golden Retreiver, but not so mellow! Perhaps we will aim for five minutes with rewards every minute!