Go to your mat.

End Goal: Your dog will lie on a mat quietly no matter what.

1. Get a new mat (towel).  Make a big deal out of it, sniff it, be excited about it.
2. Flop it down on the ground
3. Your dog will most likely sniff it   Click and treat.  Drop the treat ON THE MAT.
4. Give your dog a release word and toss a low grade treat away from the mat.
5. Every time you dog interacts with the mat. Click and treat.  Toss the treat ONTO THE MAT. 
6. After the first few interactions, use only your “ok” treats
7. If your dog stops interacting with the mat, stare at it.
8. If that doesn’t work, pick it up and repeat step 1.
9. STOP BEFORE YOUR DOG GETS BORED

NEXT STEP:

Repeat steps 1 -3.  Your dog should be fairly into the mat by now.

1. When you dog is on the mat, wait a bit and see if your dog will offer any other behavior (sit, down).  Click and treat that move with a higher value treat. 
2. The “Down” gets the best treat.

VERBAL CUE and Building drive

1. Put down the mat,
2. Hold your dog’s collar
3. Toss a treat onto the mat
4. Wait for the dog to focus on the mat
5. Say “go to your mat” and let go of the collar.
6. Wait for a down, click at high value treat that behavior.
7. Work up to the dog running and flopping onto the mat

Mix it up by picking the mat up and putting it in different places

STAY ON THE MAT:

Wait until the above behaviors are well trained.  Dog is down on mat, you move your body just a bit, if dog stays, click and treat.  If your dog moves, you moved too much, cut it in half.