Lesson 2: Stand here

For this next exercise you need a door mat. When your dog is standing on the doormat,say "mat" and CLICK and reward. Most door mats have a different surface (rougher texture) which will also clue your dog into the difference between the floor and the mat, and the mat being the place you want him to be. Your dog will pick up on this quickly, after you repeat it several times. Try practicing with your dog a few steps away away from the mat, point to the mat and when your dog goes to the mat from a few steps away, click and reward.

Why is this useful?

It's a useful way to put your dog where you want him. You can later graduate to smaller mats, like a placemat. The idea with the doormat is it's making it easy for your dog to figure out what you want since he does not speak English.

You can put this mat somewhere you want your dog to be when you are in a room and you don't want your dog underfoot. You can later build to your dog going to the mat when your door bell is rung. This is called a marker in the film industry and is how dogs are taught to go to a certain part of the set. This is also easy to teach cats.