Use this to teach your dog to settle on a mat, cot, or platform on cue.
1Choose a platform, cot, or ottoman with defined boundaries (a mat works too, but may take longer).
2Place the platform down, mark the moment your dog looks at it, and toss the treat behind them to reset.
3Mark and reward when your dog turns back toward the platform, then for taking a step toward and reaching it.
4Mark and reward one paw touching, then both front feet, and finally all four feet on the platform.
5With all four feet on the platform, mark and feed several treats in a row, then say "find it" and toss a treat away to reset.
6Repeat until your dog reliably returns and moves onto the platform after each reset.
7Once the behavior is predictable, wait for your dog to finish the reset treat and say "go to place." Then mark and reward when they move onto the platform.
Reward one achievable step at a time — from looking at the cot to all four feet on it.