Prepare for Training
Your dog should know how to lie down on command before you teach it to go to its place. Spend several training sessions working on “down.” Once your dog can reliably lie down on command, youre ready to move on to the place command.
Next, decide where you want your dog to go when you give the place command. A bed or area rug works well. If you want to be able to use the command in any room, use a portable bed or mat that you can easily move from room to room.
You will also need a handful of treats and a clicker if you plan on using clicker training.
Add the Down
Once your dog is putting all four feet on the mat or bed when you give the command, begin asking it to lie down. Give the command “place,” and as soon as the dog gets to the mat, give the command “down.”
It may take a few minutes to comply the first few times, but after a few practice sessions, your dog should lie down automatically when it gets to the mat after you give the “place” command. Once the dogs done this several times, it should only be getting treats and praise when it lies down after you give the “place” command.
What is the Place Command for Dogs?
The PLACE command is simply training your dog to go to a specific place, such as a dog bed, mat, raised platform or a place board. Some people will say “go to your bed”. Keep in mind that a simple “go lay down” is not the same as a PLACE.
We have multiple areas that we use as the dogs “place”. For the most part, their “place” is their dog bed. Although, I really want to buy a nice dog training place board. And for feeding time, we use the kitchen rugs.
Other names for the place command could be “go to bed” or “mat training”. It all means the same thing, stay in this spot until I release you.