When you need the dog to stop or get off your feet, training your dog to go where it belongs can be very effective. You can choose one place in your home or another in each room to house your dog when you tell it to go to its place. This command is easy to teach your dog.
- Prepare for training Before you teach him where to go, your dog should know how to lie down on command. Take a few training sessions to solve the “drop” problem. Once your dog can reliably lie down on command, you can move on to placing commands. Next, decide where you want your dog to go when you issue the “place” command. A bed or rug works well. If you want to be able to use the command in any room, use a portable bed or mat that you can easily move from room to room. If you plan to use clicker training, you will also need some snacks and clickers.
- Select a command to determine the command word to use. Using one word often works best. “Places” are often used, but “beds” or “cushions” work well too.
- Lure your dog to stand near the bed or cushion first as your dog’s place. Give the command “location” and lure the dog to its location with a treat. Once all four feet are on the mat, praise your dog or click the clicker and give it a treat. Repeat several times. After a few brief sessions, most dogs will obey commands to bed or mat.
- Add Commands When you give the command, once your dog has all four feet on the mat or bed, start asking him to lie down. Give the command “Place” and once the dog reaches the mat, give the command “Down”. The first few times may take a few minutes, but after a few practice sessions, your dog should automatically lie down after you give the “Place” command. Once the dog has done this a few times, he should only be treated and praised when he lies down after you give the “put” command.
- Increase the time Now that your dog has been lying on the mat after you give the “Place” command, you can increase the time it stays on the mat. To do this, after it responds to the command, slowly add a few seconds before serving the snack. As you see progress, slowly add more small time increments. If your dog makes a mistake and gets up from his position before you give him the treat, give the “place” command again and go back to the last point where your dog was successful. By slowly increasing the amount of time your dog stays in place, you’ll soon be able to issue commands to stay in place whenever you do anything.
- Move to another room If you want to be able to use the “Place” command in another room, wait until your dog has mastered the command in one place. At this point, move the bed or mattress to another room and start the process all over again. Or, if you don’t want to move the bed from room to room, choose a location in each room that will be used as your dog’s location when you issue the “place” command. Many dogs learn quickly that when you give a command in a new room, they will immediately go to their bed or mat to lie down. Other dogs need to know the same behavior in a new room as if you didn’t do it at all. If this is the case with your dog, start over. Give the command to lure the dog to the mat and teach it to lie down, just as you did in the previous room. Again, wait until your dog has mastered the “place” command for the new room before moving on to the next room.
- Frequently Asked Questions Most dogs learn this command quickly. With just a few short training sessions, you have a dog that can find its own bed or mat on command. One of the most common mistakes dog owners make is inconsistency. For example, dogs like to hang out in the kitchen while someone is cooking. Putting your dog under your feet can be worrying and even dangerous, but it’s also easy to ignore it and move on to food preparation. No matter how busy you are, your first priority should be instilling this command in your dog—and it won’t take as long as you might think. It can be distracting at first, but keep the end goal in mind: your dog obeys commands immediately, and returns to its position when told. Taking a little more time today can save you a lot of trouble in the future.
