How To Teach The Place Command!, by Sayitoncedogtraining on YouTube. 1 min 36 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 36 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Put the bed or mat on the floor in a quiet room. Let your dog sniff it and walk around it without any pressure.
Stand next to the bed and toss a treat onto it. When your dog steps on to get the treat, mark with a word like yes and give another treat.
Repeat a few times until your dog steps onto the bed as soon as you point or toss a treat. Keep sessions short.
Now wait for all four paws to be on the bed before you mark and reward. Ignore paws that hang off the edge.
Do not ask for a sit or down. Let your dog choose a position. Reward any moment your dog settles or lies down on its own.
Add a cue word such as place just before your dog steps on the bed. Say it once, then reward when the paws land.
Step back one or two paces while your dog stays on the bed. Reward calm behaviour, then return and release with a word like free.
If your dog gets up, stay calm and guide it back to the bed. Reward the moment all four paws are back on.
Build up to a minute or two of settling before you release. Practise in short daily sessions and add distractions slowly.
Tips and common mistakes
Reward the dog for choosing to lie down or settle on its own, not just for standing there.
Stay calm and quiet when your dog fusses or whines. Let it work through the moment instead of correcting every movement.
Keep sessions short and end while your dog is still succeeding.
Practise in a quiet room first, then move the bed to busier rooms as your dog improves.
Questions
Do I need to make my dog sit or lie down on the bed?
No. The only rule is that all four paws stay on the bed. Let your dog pick its own position and reward it when it settles.
How long should each place session last?
Start with a few seconds and build up slowly. Short, frequent sessions of a few minutes work better than one long one.
What if my dog keeps getting off the bed?
Stay calm and quietly guide it back. Reward the moment all four paws are back on, and make the next step easier.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
