Place
Place is a command that tells the dog to go somewhere and stay there. It’s typically a raised platform of some kind or a dog bed or mat.
Overview
Place serves many functions. It’s a great resource when there’s a knock on the door and you need your dog to do something. They can go to their place. This gives them something to do and keeps them calm and comfortable like a kennel.
Once they generalize that wherever you point after you say place is the thing they should go to, it can be used to get them into your car, or to lay on a mat at a restaurant, etc.
It’s also a great training tool for teaching dogs basic obedience on and the implied stay, which is why I like to teach it early on.
Videos
Teaching Place and Off
Learn how to teach Place and Off at the same time.
How to Teach Place
Steps
Phase 1 - Acquisition (Learning and Luring)
Lure the dog onto the place. Once all 4 paws are on the place, mark and reward. This may take some coaxing and time if they aren’t confident climbing onto something new. Depending on their perseverance level you may need to mark and reward when just one paw touches.
Continue step one by either coaxing them off the place or by using your terminal marker for step one. (They should leave the place to come get the reward.)
Once you no longer need to lure them directly and they are offering to go on the place at your slightest arm movement or even before then we can remove the food lure.
Remove the treat from your hand and do the same lure motion as before. Mark and reward. Start to turn your hand lure into a hand signal/cue, 5/5 right and it’s time to name it.
*I also like to teach “Off” at the same time so I will typically lure them off and mark and reward them when the last paw touches the ground. See the “Off” documentation.
Phase 2 - Automatic (Motivation)
Say “Place” THEN do your hand cue. Once all 4 paws are on the place, mark and reward. Once they are beating your hand cue it’s time to move onto the next phase.
You can say “Off” and then do a hand cue as well at this point.
Phase 3 - Generalization (Distractions)
As well as using some of the other generalization techniques such as different locations. It’s also important to practice distance. You’ve been next to the place this whole time and now the dog needs to learn to go away from you to a place from a greater distance and also when they aren’t even near you.
Start by stepping a foot back from normal with the dog next to you. Say “Place” then follow it up with your cue. If the dog doesn’t go after the cue continue with a lure motion. Mark and reward when they are on place.
Keep doing step 6 to increase your distance. But also try it when the dog isn’t next to you, maybe they are off to the side or between you and place. They are going to need help with this so it’s important to stay consistent. Command, Motivate (Cue, lure), Mark and Reward. You may need to walk towards them after you give your cue and continue to lure them to the place since they’re used to always going to the place with you next to them.
Week 1 Homework
Practice Phase 1 (luring) every day 1-3x a day.
Once you’ve had a couple of successful luring sessions, try pointing instead of luring. Slowly shaping a hand signal that you do while standing straight up and not needing your hand directly in the dogs face.
By the end of the week you should easily have a dog that goes to Place and Off, if not distracted, every time you signal with your hand.
Remember to try to remove the food from your hand lure as soon as possible.
Week 2 Homework
If your dog will go to place on the hand signal 5/5 times then you can start saying “Place” before you give the hand signal.
Practice the steps in Phase 2 every day 1-3x a day.
The goal at the end of this week is to have your dog go to place on either the verbal or physical hand signal without food in your hands.
Week 3 Homework
Continue asking your dog to “Place” with either verbal or visual cues. They should respond equally well to each one.
Don’t hesitate to HELP them with a hand signal after your verbal command if they are distracted or confused.
Start fading the treats (intermittent reinforcement) when they are responding to the verbal command most of the time without needing help.
Start working on generalizing the “Place” by practicing the steps in Phase 3. Go back to 100% reinforcement in any new or distracting environment.
You may also be able to work on the implied stay if they are responding well to the verbal command.
Week 4 Homework
Start asking for “Place” randomly throughout the day or after a knock on the door.
Continue to work on saying the command only once, then following up with hand signal if they need help. Repeating yourself is not helping.
Continue practicing the implied stay and creating distance and duration.
The goal at the end of this week is to have a dog that understands “Place” means to go climb onto the object you are pointing at and stay there until released. Try for a 1 minute place-stay while you walk 5-10 feet away.
Week 5 Homework…and Beyond
You will continue to help them generalize “Place” and to work in more and more distracting environments.