Teaching Place
What is the Place Command?
The "place" command is a training technique that instructs a dog to go to a specific location and stay there until released. It can be used to help a dog learn to be calm and settle down, and can be helpful in many real-world situations
The place command teaches your dog to relax in any situation. It gives your dog a specific task instead of letting them choose their own, which can lead to unwanted behaviors, such as:
Barking at the doorbell
Rushing to the door
Jumping up on people
Begging at the dinner table
Getting into trouble at home (eating things they shouldn’t, shredding their toys, etc.)
Jumping out of the car without permission
The command also translates especially well to our outdoor adventures and traveling. We use it constantly on our adventures. Here are a few examples of where I ask for “place”:
Camping and backpacking, I bring a washable dog bed or large blanket and ask Sherlock to “place” while we set up the tent, eat a meal, cook dinner, or any other task I need to do where I need him to stay put.
I also personally use “place” for paddle boarding. This is how I taught Sherlock to get up onto my board and stay still while we paddle. Otherwise, he’d move around or just jump in the river and dump me overboard!
In the car. The “place” command gives the dog something to focus on while we’re in the car. This helps a lot of dogs that have a fear of riding in the car or for dogs that are unable to settle or are at risk of jumping out of the car.
Want your dog to stay still for pictures? “Place” command, you pick the spot you want your dog to pose at and say “place” and he/she knows what to do.
Breweries and restaurant patios are some of my favorite places. We enjoy visiting a local pub after a hike or on a sunny day, and I want to relax without worrying about our training dogs or personal dogs reacting to all the excitement. Plus this doubles as positive socializing!
Want to have friends over but your dog charges the door and jumps all over your guests? “Place” is a great way to interduce your friends and family to your dog without all the added excitement.
Tools You Need to Teach the Place Command
The great thing about the place command is that you don’t need a lot of tools or special gear to get started. You will need a place mat, treats, and a leash.
I personally like the raised dog beds or cots, but once you understand the concept, you can pair the command with any object. What you’re looking for is something with defined boundaries. Cots are popular because their height provides a clear boundary.
Other objects that can serve as “place mats”
Towels
Washcloth
Car
Tent
Scale (handy for the vet!)
Door mat (to keep muddy paws outside before cleaning)
Blankets
In the “wild,” or when you find yourself in a situation where you need to use the place command, but don’t have your dog’s bed with you, you can use tons of objects as “place boards.”
Picnic tables
Benches
Chairs
How to Teach the Place Command
Begin working in a low-distraction area, such as your house. As your dog masters the command there, gradually build to higher-distraction areas. Below is a list of good practice places.
Keep sessions short, starting with 5/10 minutes, building up more time the more you practice. Once you start adding distractions and distance bump the time back down. I’ll go over this in more detail below.
I’m planning to add a video soon to complement this post. Stay tuned!
Start with the Release Cue
Before using the word “place,” you first have to teach your dog a release cue. If your dog doesn’t know that there is a release word, then they don’t know that they are supposed to hold that position until you say.
Choose a word that you don’t use all the time. ‘Break’, and ‘Okay’ are what we use because the dog still knows we are working and ‘free’ is for freedom!
With a leash on your dog lead them to their ‘place’. Wait for them to climb on. If they don’t you can use a lure if your dog is food motivated or leash pressure if not, wait a second or two once all four feet are on the bed, then with with leash in hand backup and invite your dog off the ‘place’ while you say your release word. I don’t reward coming off the bed, only going on. Do this a few times. This step may need to be practiced each time for the first week depending on the dog.
Introducing the Command
Now that your dog knows they need to wait for a release cue, you can teach them what ‘place’ means.
Add Down
Once your dog has this down, you’ll want to introduce ‘down’ on the cot. If your dog already knows the command, then this should be easy-peasey. Otherwise, you can lure with treats or use leash pressure and reward when they are in position.
Repeat as above several times until your dog understands that they need to automatically get on the cot and lie down without asking. This could be a lot of reps in a row without any duration or just a few with longer durations in-between each one.
Teaching the ‘Implied’ Stay
If you think your dog is going to break command you can act as a goalie and step in front of your dog as they try to leave. This action is called Body Blocking and its a wonderful way to communicate what resources are available to them in a way that is familiar.
Using what I like to call ‘pezzing’, at a rapid pace feed your dog a lot of treats, then slow it down to a more intermediate pace. In a way you are now your dogs Pez dispenser. This is to help your dog understand that staying on the bed is how they are earning the reward/s
Increasing Duration
Now your dog is learning what you are asking, now is the time to build duration. Start with just a minute or so, then release. Then five, then 10, and so on. Make sure to incorporate lots of breaks when you’re starting out so that your dog doesn’t become too tired or frustrated.
Introducing Distance
Start with walking away just a step away. You can use intermittent feeding (step away, come back and treat, repeat) slowly increase the distance. This helps your dog learn treats come to him/her! Once you can get a fair distance and your dog looks relaxed, try going out of view for a few seconds!
Introducing Distractions
Once your dog has mastered duration and distance, you’ll want to introduce distractions. You are going to look rather silly doing these and thats okay! Doing things like shake the leash, making strange sounds, run/jump around, have distracting noises on Youtube (barking dogs, loud music, be creative), drop keys, step on their toys on accident.
Putting the three together
Try mixing and matching the three in short increments.
Changing Locations
Now that your dog knows the place command well, try practicing in new environments. There are many good spots to choose from. If your dog is reactive, be careful not to push them too hard during these training sessions.
Adventure time
A local park
Outside of a dog park
At a popular urban recreating spot, like a lake
Home Depot or Lowes
Breweries
Local craft store
Skate park
While you pick up your kid at school
Being successful
You and your dog will both make mistakes during training. If your dog moves from their ‘place’, in a calm voice simply, say “no” or “uh-uh,” (I use both) then guide them back using the leash. Do not give rewards for mistakes. If your dog makes several mistakes in a row, give them a break or take it as a cue that they may be done for that session. You can try again later. I like to crate my dog after a training session so they can decompress. The crate is a wonderful place they can go and they know there is zero expectations of them. Just chilling in their room. ( Crate Talk will be a later post).
Practice place command regularly and your dog will become a master in no time. Once your dog is has a 80% success rate you can practice without the leash. We always recommend using the leash in public. Just because we train for off leash freedom, doesn’t mean its okay to have our dog off leash in public space.
Remember to walk up the ‘place’ to place your dog, and walk back up to your dog to release. Dogs learn in pictures so we want to create clear photos of what we are asking of our dogs.
Have you already taught your dog the place command?
How has your dog’s behavior changed as a result of teaching the place command?
