Firstly, when looking at whether Puppies can learn a Settle cue, what do we mean by a settle?
Settle, in this context, is asking our Puppy to go to a designated mat, bed or blanket and get comfy in any position they like and just switch off for a few moments. We might not expect an hour’s settling with a 3 month old puppy, but they can learn what to do when they are asked to Settle even if just for a minute!
Short answer is that yes, we can teach a puppy to Settle on cue. This can be used at home and when out somewhere such as visiting family, at a dog friendly cafe, when on holiday staying in a cottage or hotel, going camping etc.
Longer answer is that with patience, training various stages at the puppy’s pace, being clear and rewarding puppies of all ages can learn how to settle. It’s important to understand your puppy’s abilities and needs such as having very short training sessions of a few minutes rather than trying to ask for a block of 45 minutes.
Stages that can help a Puppy start learning a settle:
Choose something for your puppy to settle on. This needs to be something they like to be on, something they find comfortable rather than something you like the look of, and ideally something that is easy to take with you to other places so it can become your dog’s settle mat/bed/etc. Having a specific mat to use makes it easier to learn and easier to apply the skills in new places as there is a familiar part of the exercise; the mat. It can be their bed, a blanket, a specific settle mat that folds up or whatever you would like to use.
Decide on a place in the home to start working on the settle. This ideally will be somewhere quiet, near to where you might be while you are busy doing other things such as in the living room where you might sit to read, take video calls from family or watch TV in the evening or in the kitchen where you use the counter tops for the laptop, making dinner that can take a while etc. Try to not find a place for your puppy’s mat that is where people are walking past a lot – find a corner or end of a room. The location should be away from distractions where possible so if your puppy is really excited about your cat or looking out the front window try to not work on settle initially next to where your cat sits the most or where your puppy can see out of the window!
Find something your puppy likes engaging with. This might be a favourite toy, a puppy safe chew, a toy stuffed with their meals to lick, a snuffle mat with pieces of treats or food inside etc. Guide your puppy to their settling mat, guide them onto it and give them the item to have. The only criteria is that they have it on the mat so this forms a positive association with being on the mat and settling. You can add some slow stroking if you wish, you can add saying a cue word like ‘settle’ once they actually are settled! The repetition of doing this several times a week helps puppies see you go to the area where the mat is and sit down and they will start putting themselves on their mat, settling and ready for their snack or toy.
You can also teach puppies to settle on a cue – such as the word ‘settle’! Have 6-7 pieces of treat in your hand and sit by the mat quietly. guide your puppy onto the mat towards you. As they step on praise and roll the treat the other way and off the mat. Let them go and get it then wait. When they turn back to you and come to the mat you praise and roll the treat the other way so your puppy goes across the mat and off the other side. Repeat this back and forth in a session for those 6-7 treats. Go back to this type of session a few times over a few hours or days so your puppy can see the mat is important. As they head onto the mat name this – eg ‘bed’ or ‘mat’ before you roll the treat. Once they want to be on the mat you can add a sit or down (luring is fine) and while giving the treat with one hand use the other hand to very slowly stroke down their neck and back and say something quietly like Settle or Relax. Gradually this will be easier and puppies stay there longer but at first they spring back up!
Utilise the space in your home once your puppy is getting the idea. Try moving the mat somewhere else in the house and go back to basics initially but they will progress faster each time.
Try in the garden or on the driveway. Try at family houses, quiet parts of a walk (and I mean really quiet), in the car or caravan if you have one. Build this up and your puppy will love the settle and feel comfortable going places with you as they know what to expect when they get there.
It is important to help your puppy in all ways; if you are out and your puppy is in a settle by your chair ensure people passing don’t come and fuss them, don’t let their dog come over to play, someone nearby doesn’t almost catch them with their chair etc. You need to keep an eye on them, find an area where people are not passing by you and be ready to ask people to not stroke them or for their dog to not visit as your puppy is settled.
Teaching a Settle when your dog is a puppy or young teenager can be useful for their futures and give you more freedom to take your dog to places with you so we consider it to be a very handy skill!
If you are needing a little support with this reach out to us at Dog Training for Essex & Suffolk or take a look at our more in depth Settle Blog for all ages of dogs here
Enjoy your puppy!
Joe x
