“PLACE” is a valuable and functional command to give your dog direction and a designated place to go lie down until you release them. This Can be very useful in many ways. It can control an overly social dog to give people space. It can keep the dog in a safe place when situations arise, and you don’t have a means of restraint with a leash handy or you physically can’t get to the dog. It gives your dog a familiar and safe place to be directed too that it knows. It also gives you authority to give the dog direction and they are used to the repetitive experience of going to their “Place”. It’s a valuable training tool to have in your tool box.
“Place can be defined by a matt, bed, a step, a stump. Even a mobile “place matt” (that could be anything that defines space and the dog knows to go to it. It can be something you take with you when you are out with the dog.
Start out by defining an object like a mat, bed or mobile object they can comfortable go lie down on. Begin by directing them to it and have them lie down on it. Then give the command “Place”, step back and reward. Continue to repeat the process until the dog knows where to go and lies down. Then you can start to move away from the target. As you practice this, continue to reward after the dog goes down on the command: “PLACE”.
After you establish the command and a “Place” the dog knows, then you can start moving the target in the room. Continue to reward when the dog goes to his “Place”. You can also define different object for the dog to “PLACE” on. You can do this, by pointing to different object for the dog to go lie down or sit on. You can also tell them to “PLACE on your matt” as an example.
The dog should stay on their “Place” until you release them with the “free” command. Then, they can get up and wonder. Once the dog gets good at this practice, you can introduce distractions while in the “PLACE” command to proof the dog will have a solid “PLACE” when you need it.
To learn how to do teach “PLACE” to your dog, feel free to contact us for help at Awesomek9.com