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Writer's pictureJessica Patterson

Benefits of teaching the "PLACE" command

What is the Place command?


We teach the command “Place” to dogs to direct them to an object with a defined parameter to stay on. Unlike the sit/stay or down/stay, the rules for the “Place” are only to stay on it unless you’ve also asked for the dog to sit or lay down. The dog can choose to lay down, stand up, or move around as long as all four paws are still on the object.

One of the most useful things an owner can teach their dog is place training. Place training is just like crate training, except the crate is confined for their safety, where "place" can be any object in any environment such as their bed, a picnic table or even rocks or stumps.




Why use the Place command?

  1. Housetraining: Putting your dog on a Place such as their bed is a good way to supervise him so he sin’t running off out of sight to do his business.

  2. Creating Independence: Place training is great for independence training as they learn to spend some time alone, and great for meal time when you don’t want begging eyes looking up at you. If your dog is stressed, anxious or nervous, place training can also help your dog learn to cope with his surroundings and provides them with their own, safe spot to go to if it is always done in a positive way.

  3. Park your dog anywhere: With the Place command you can have multiple Places to “park” your dog or one you can move or take with you whenever or wherever you need it. I personally have a folding place mat that I keep in my car so I can utilize out in public environments such as the beach.

  4. The doorbell drill: For dogs that greet visitors too enthusiastically teaching him to “Place” when the doorbell rings gives him a safe, out-of-the-way place to calm before meeting guests.

  5. Prevent wet muddy floors: Keep a place near the door to park your dog on so you can wipe their wet or muddy paws. Go a step further and teach your dog to Place directly on an old towel until he’s dry. It can also be helpful to have your pup on place, out of the way to sweep or mop up pet messes.

  6. Confidence building: Teaching your dog “how to” climb up on different objects like stumps, park benches, small stools, ect… is a great confidence builder. It’s also a great way to exercise your dog by hopping up on different and increasingly more difficult objects.

  7. Control Space: Dogs with behavioral problems benefit from structure and rules. Controlling space is a way of telling your dog that they can’t do whatever they want whenever they want and that it’s your house, your rules. By teaching your dog to stay on a dog bed or other designated place until you release him puts you in a leadership position as well. This can be extremely useful in multi-pet households.

  8. Dedicated Rest Time: Because "place" is similar to crate training, by working on the "place" cue, you can start to utilize the crate less while still making sure they have dedicated settle times.

  9. Improves Duration: "Place" makes it easier to work on the duration of stay while multitasking. You can train your dog on place while you cook, eat, clean ect.

  10. Preventing Unwanted Behaviors: Place training can also be a useful tool to stop unwanted behavior, such as barking, cat chasing or other destructive behaviors.

  11. Helps Crate and Separation Anxiety: Separation anxiety can be a hard one to manage, but by utilizing place-work while you go to the bathroom, grab a drink from the fridge, or go grab the mail in peace. Though it's cute that our dogs want to follow us everywhere, this can become a huge insecurity. Dogs with separation anxiety usually hate their crate so building their confidence in place can also create more confidence with the crate. Because it's not confined like the crate it can aid in setting them up for success when crate training.

  12. Incredible Photo opportunities: As a trainer and dog-obsessed dog mom, I love taking dog photos. Place work makes it easy to take awesome photos of my clients and pack when we are out on fun adventures.





Teaching the place command


  • To teach your puppy or dogs place training, such as “go to bed” one of the simplest ways is to lure them over to the mat with a treat.

  • As the dog steps fully onto the mat mark with a clicker/ “yes” and reward with the treat.

  • Repeat this several times and add the verbal cue “on your mat” or “on your bed.” I simply say "place" as it is universal with any surface.

  • Again mark and reward with the treat as soon as the dog steps onto the mat.

  • Keep practicing this until you are sure your dog has made the connection between the cue and action.

  • Once you are sure your dog has made the connection between the cue words and action, without the lure, point towards the dog’s mat giving the cue “place" and reward with a treat once the dog steps onto the mat.

We always want the mat to be a rewarding, positive place for the dog to be and then we will try to extend the time the dog stays on the mat.



Extending time on the ‘place’


  • To train your dog to stay on a mat, you can start with keeping them on lead while they are on the mat with a chew toy or use a door to tie them back. Allow them some freedom of the leash to move but make it more comfortable for them to return to the mat. Back-tying can be helpful when multitasking in home while training.

  • After a few minutes, remove the chew toy and release the dog from the lead. If they stay in place, use the command "break" to indicate they can move.

  • After a short break, guide your dog back to the mat. If necessary, put them back on the lead and reward them with the remaining chew toy.

  • Another method is to place the mat near your feet while you relax and watch TV. Sprinkle small treats on the mat every few minutes to reward your dog for staying calmly on the mat.


  • With positive reinforcement training, your dog will learn that the mat is a great place to be. Gradually increase the time they spend there with rewards.

  • Once your dog is comfortable on the mat, introduce more challenges like distance and distractions. Can they stay in place while you make noise in the kitchen or handle tasks like bringing in groceries?

  • If your dog barks at the doorbell, teach them that the doorbell or a knock means they should go straight to their designated place. This training can help them stay calm when guests arrive.

  • When guests come over, have them inform you of their arrival if possible. Guide your dog to their place and reinforce the behavior until your dog is calm and the guest is settled. Instruct guests not to interact with the dog until it is released, which can reduce jumping and barking.


Follow these steps to succeed and your pup will learn to love their place cue!


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