Teaching ‘settle’

[CatsAndEyeliner]

I’ve been working on this and Ddog was just getting to the point where he’d (sort of) settle in a cafe for the time it takes to have a coffee.

I don’t want to lose progress during lockdown. Do you have any tips for how we can keep working on this while the cafes/pubs/restaurants are closed?

(Any tips on teaching ‘settle’ in general will also be gratefully received!)

Teach two things:

1. the mat on which to settle
2. The position

Lets start with the position.

Dogs tend to relax in the down position but on one hip,rather than the straight down. The straight down can be a position of alterness so the hip down is better and will immediatelhy make most dogs relax.

Lure the dog into a down by putting a treat between their front legs and lower to the ground.

Then put another treat to the side of the dogs head and slightly back.
The dog will shift onto their hip. reward this lots!

Watch your dog to see which hip they prefer to settle on naturally and make sure you ask them to move that way.

Once that is taught move onto the mat

Get a small mat - I use a bit of vet bed
Put treats on the mat - no command no excitement just pop treats on the mat.
The dog will go to the mat
Keep popping treats onto the mat
when the dog is happy on the mat slightly withold the space between each treat.
The dog may sit or go down reward.
when the dog starts offering the settle position reward each time.

DO this when you are eating at home (pretending you are at the pub!)

DO this mat settle when you are having a coffee or work call
Treat at irregular intervals but when the dog is still and settled not staring at you.

All ready to hit the cafes and pubs on December 5th

Ah ok... I may have messed up: I haven’t been using a mat. Is that part important?

He sits to the side (on one hip like you say) and then after a few minutes will lie down. I drop treats when he stops looking at me and starts zoning out/watching the world go by.

At home he’s fine. Out and about he can only last a little while before whining at me so I’ve been working on getting him to keep going for slightly
longer each time. And he can’t do it if another dog is nearby (or a bouncy child).

Thank you by the way @PollyRoulson !

You dont have to use a mat. The reason I do is that it is a very obvious cue to the dog for the settle.

I do take it to pubs etc and that is enough to show my dogs what behaviour I want.

Equally you can just ask for the settle without the mat.