The place command is one of the most versatile and useful commands you can teach your dog. It comes in handy in many situations and is a useful tool when teaching basic obedience. When you tell your dog to “place” it is essentially telling them to go to a specific location and stay there until you tell them they are allowed to move.
We generally start with your dog’s bed but with enough practice you can get your dog to “place” just about anywhere. It is different than putting your dog in a crate because when they are crated, they have no options and MUST stay inside. With the place command they are staying on a bed willingly and without anything holding them there. This conscious decision to stay is what we use to help them start thinking for themselves and thinking before acting impulsively.
- Putting your dog in place gives them a location to go to calm down and be alone. We shouldn’t bother the dog when they are there. We do not call their name or entice them to move unnecessarily.
- While your dog is in place, we can use this command to work on their impulse control. While they are there, we drop food and treats or bounce a ball, anything that will stimulate the dog. Their natural impulses will cause them to react and try to get to the object. By bringing them back into place and making them stay until they are released, we can teach them to think before acting, teach them impulse control, and help them learn how to relax in the face of stimulation.
- The place command gives your dog a location to go to while you are cooking so your dog is not under your feet or begging for food.
- It gives your dog a spot to go and calm down when the doorbell rings which is a common issue in many homes, especially with younger dogs.
- Having a solid place command is extremely useful when you want to bring your dog with you to the home of friends or family. You simply bring something for them to place on and because they are familiar with that object, they will remain safe and calm in a strange environment.
- Putting your dog in place is useful if you need to ever give your dog a “time out”.
- When teaching other commands such as “come” you can utilize the place command to help. Your dog already knows they must stay in their place so by combining their release command with another command you can help them to understand the new command more quickly and effectively.
- Along the same lines, the place command can be used as a location to get you dog to stay in while you move around the house. Your dog must stay in their place while you move from room to room, in and out of their sight. This is the first step in working with dogs who have issues with separation anxiety.
As you can see there are many useful ways to use the place command in your everyday life from teaching impulse control and new commands to working on specific issues your dog may be experiencing. We always keep the place a positive experience, so your dog wants a to go there willingly and with excitement.
