Now that your dog has a basic understanding of the mat/place cue (or any other new skill!), it’s time to start building up that skill so that it becomes functional in real life situations.
The Four Ds
These are elements of any given skill that you’ll need to improve before the skill is functional.
Distance: How far away you are from the dog.
Duration: How long the dog holds the position before being released.
Distraction: Sights, sounds, smells, and other things in the environment that could make it hard to focus.
Difficulty: How strictly the dog has to adhere to the criteria for the exercise. For mat training, for instance, easy criteria would mean they just have to put half their body on the mat, or maybe they’re allowed to sit up if they want. Harder criteria would require them to put their entire body on the mat, and maintain a down-stay the whole time.