How To Teach The Place Command

The Place command is one of the most valuable commands to teach your dog. Teaching your dog to place can help your dog with impulse control by giving them a designated spot in distracted environments (with a clear expectation to remain on that spot), observing the happenings around them instead of reacting. You’re gifting your dog with somewhere to relax in the chaos of a social gathering or outing, putting you and your canine companion at ease.

Teaching place can also help curb unwanted behaviors, like jumping on people who come through your door, lunging towards people at a crowded brewery, or begging at the dinner table. The place command is a great way to communicate with your dog; it lets them know exactly what you need from them in your home and in new and unfamiliar settings, removing frustration and lowering stress for you and your dog.

Choosing a spot for place

The place command is essentially teaching your dog to keep all four paws on a designated spot, slowly increasing duration, so your dog will eventually remain on place for extended periods of time.

You can use anything your dog can fit on (towel, blanket, bed, cot, etc.), but keep in mind that it should be big enough for your dog to stand, sit and lay on. Comfort is also something to consider, because your dog will be on their place for longer periods of time as the training progresses. I recommend using an elevated cot because the boundaries are easy for your dog to understand.

The place you choose for your dog doesn’t have to be boring. Your dog can enjoy toys, treats and bones on their place; the only rule is your dog must stay on the place until you release them. Get your place tables and clickers/marker words ready; it’s time to train place!

Training the Place command (step-by-step)

Start in a distraction-free environment, with your dog on-leash and their favorite reward in hand. If you have two dogs, I recommend training them separately at first.

The first step is getting your dog onto the place by luring your dog with treats or their favorite toy. There’s no need to say “place” yet; your dog needs to get familiar with their place, without adding the pressure and potential confusion of a verbal command. Once all four paws are on the place, use your clicker or marker word to let them know “yes, that’s what I want” – and immediately follow up with a reward and praise. Next, release your dog (I use “ok” and a tap on the head) and guide them off the place. Once your dog is offering the behavior by walking onto the place themselves or going on with less guidance, say “place” as they’re going onto the place and click/mark when all four paws are on.

Once your dog has become familiar with their new place and they’ve connected it with the verbal “place,” it’s time to teach them to obey the verbal command. Say “place” and if needed, guide your dog onto the place. Once your dog has all four paws on the place, click/mark, reward, release and repeat. Your dog may take a few seconds to process the new verbal command, so give them some time to succeed. You should only say “place” once, but you can continue to lure them onto the place for the first few sessions. Eventually, your dog will understand the command and will not need to be lured onto the place and should follow your verbal command; this is called fading the lure. Work with your dog in short sessions that do not exceed 10 minutes. Once you have been able to successfully fade the lure, you are ready to work on duration.

Continue training your dog in a low-distraction and familiar environment. Say “place”, click/mark, reward your dog when they have all four paws on the place, and take a small step back. If your dog stays on the place when you take a step back, reward them again. If your dog breaks the place command (which is likely since they aren’t used to you stepping away), say “uh-uh” and guide them back on to the place. Reward your dog for going back onto the place but wait a few seconds so they don’t associate the reward with leaving the place.

In each training session, continue to increase the distance you can move away from your dog while they remain on their place. Slowly increase the amount of time your dog remains on their place, giving them occasional rewards and verbal praise. Keep these sessions short and fun.

Introducing further challenges

As your dog’s ability to stay on their place increases, make it more challenging by sitting down, turning your back to your dog and walking out of sight. If they stay on their place, reward them. If they break the place command, simply say “uh-uh” and guide them back, keeping your dog on place until you release them.

Once your dog will remain on place in a low-distraction environment, you’re ready to introduce distractions and eventually go out into the unknown. Start by increasing distractions in a familiar training environment. If you’ve been training two dogs, this is a great time to start training them together.

When you are ready to change the training environment, don’t go somewhere crowded and super distracting (like a brewery with lots of dogs and kids). Start by moving your training onto your porch, into the yard or a green belt nearby before going into public. Teaching the place command takes a lot of consistent training, time and patience. Always remember if you’re not having fun training, your dog probably isn’t either.