Dog place training involves directing your dog to a specific spot, for example, their bed or mat, and having them stay there until you give them the green light to move. How long your dog takes to learn this depends on your dog’s age, their distractions, and ability to focus.
Jessica Gore, dog trainer, behavior consultant, and founder of Competent Pup, agrees, saying, “Success may depend on the learner, their environment, and their teacher.” According to Gore, most dogs can learn this basic behavior between one and three sessions—but it can take weeks to months to make cue consistent.
From “go to bed”, “kennel up”, “to your spot”, and “place”, what word you use doesn’t matter — as long as there’s clarity and consistency, explains Leigh Siegfried, dog trainer and founder of Opportunity Barks.
7 Steps to Teach Your Dog Place
Essential equipment for success:
- A designated “place” for your dog, like a training mat or bed
- A reinforcement system like high-value treats or your dog’s favorite toy
- Lick mats or long-lasting chews to give your dog more positive time on the mat
- Treat holder, either a pouch or a jar, depending on how fixated your dog is on treats
- A leash, especially when training place outdoors
1. Introduce your dog to their “place”
The goal for this step is simply to introduce your dog to their new “place”. Use a high-value treat or other reward to encourage your dog onto this spot.
Pro tip: “ If they don’t get all the way on after a few times, toss the treat to the back of the place location and lure them on until all four feet are on the place location,” suggests Hawkinson.
2. Ask your dog to move on and off their “place”
Toss your dog a treat away from their “place” so they have to get off the spot. Then, ask them to get back on.
Pro tip: “ An additional tool you can use when training this behavior is a leash,” advises Hawkinson. Using a leash allows you to regain control of your dog if they decide that they’re done doing the behavior before the training session is over. “You don’t have to hold the leash, but it’s ready to be stepped on at any moment.”
3. Add a verbal cue when they go to their place
Once your dog can consistently get on and off the “place” location, it’s time to add your verbal cue.
Pro tip: “ If we add it [the verbal cue] before now, we run the risk of that word “place” not having the integrity that we want it to have. Our dog is doing the work and now we can pair a word with it,” explains Hawkinson.
4. Reward your dog when they are on their place
Now is also the time to decide what you want your dog to do when they’re on their “place”. Dogs can sit or lay down. Once your dog gets into their position, reward them for that. From then on out, they don’t get a reward until they’ve laid down in their place.
Pro tip: “Know what you want when you tell your dog to go to their place,” says Hawkinson. “The hard part with this is that once you know what you want, you’ll learn what you don’t want when your dog does the thing you don’t want. The obvious is to stay put and be quiet, but is it ok if your dog stands, or has one paw off their place location?”
Step 5: Add distance and duration
Once your dog is in their “place,” start to slowly move away from them so your dog starts to understand that they need to remain there regardless of where you are. Then slowly increase the amount of time your dog is expected to remain on their “place.”
Pro tip: “With distance, each movement you make needs to have a purpose. If you’re unsure, your dog will respond accordingly, unsure if you’re playing or just unsure about what you’re doing,” advises Hawkinson. “Depending on how comfortable your dog is with you moving away, you may need to start with incredibly small movements and progress from there.”
Increase the duration by “progressively increasing the amount of time that your dog is on the place location and rewarding them accordingly when they don’t break. After you get to about 10 seconds, start to make the times random, throwing in occasional easy sessions, progressively getting longer and longer.”
Step 6: Test the behavior
Now, it’s time to test the behavior with distractions that could make your dog move. This stage helps your dog realize that regardless of where you are, or the distraction in front of them, they need to stay in their place. Start with something easy and gradually work your way up to more challenging distractions. For example, you might have another family member walk by or ring the doorbell.
Pro tip: “The majority of the time, when our dogs move from a stationary behavior or don’t listen, they’re doing it because they’re trying to keep themselves safe,” explains Hawkinson. She added that for some dogs, being closer to you is what keeps them feeling safe, while others might feel safer knowing who is coming through the door.
Step 7: Extend the behavior
Once your dog is confident carrying out the “place” command in one location — you can extend it to include different locations.
Pro tip: “If pup guardians have different ‘places’ for their pup, like a crate and a bed and a mat, then those can be called different names to help the dog understand better, rather than calling them all ‘place’ when they may be slightly different behaviors,” advises Gore.
Benefits of Place Training for Dogs and People
Place isn’t just a command for home — you can take it almost anywhere! “Think of ‘place’ as a portable safe zone that tells your dog: This is where you need to be right now,” says dog trainer Ashley Reely.
Here are just some of the scenarios where “place” can be used at home:
- When you’re coming home and need to leave the door open
- Keeping dogs that love to jump grounded
- Helping dogs with separation anxiety learn to be apart for short periods
- Keeping dogs off the couch when you have visitors
- Protecting people (particularly kids and elderly relatives) from canine hyperactivity and overexcitement
- Diverting over-enthusiastic doorbell reactions
- Keeping dogs that love to counter surf out of the kitchen during dinner preparations
- Getting your dog to sit still for photos
- Managing a household with multiple dogs
- Gives your dog a designated spot to calm down instead of getting the zoomies
And when out and about:
- Keeping your dog safe and stationery in busy places like campsites and cafes
- Giving your dog somewhere to sit during family picnics
- In hotel rooms to create a safe and comforting spot
- When you meet other people out hiking on trails
- To give your dog somewhere familiar to sit during visits to the veterinarian
- Building your dog’s confidence in various settings
Reely adds that because “place” gives dogs a safe zone, most of them take to it extremely well.“ If trained properly, dogs can even become a little too enthusiastic about their special spot, which is a good problem in the grand scheme of things,” she added.
One key to getting this command right is choosing where your dog’s “place” should be.
4 Tips for Dogs Struggling to Learn Place
Place training won’t always progress at the same speed for all dogs. “An eager-to-please Labrador might pick up ‘place’ faster than a free-spirited Husky,” says Reeley. Avoid comparing your dog’s progress to others. Your dog’s personal training journey and progress is what matters.
It’s also crucial to consider your dog’s existing level of training. “Canine learners that don’t have a basic training foundation, like a reliable ‘down’ behavior, may struggle at first,” advises Gore.
Use these expert troubleshooting tips to get your dog’s place on point.
1. Your dog won’t settle
“Dogs that bounce up like they’re on springs often need help learning to unwind,” says Reely. “The ‘place’ isn’t an instant fix — it’s a gradual association with downtime.” She recommends letting your dog have a good run or play session before training sessions, as this can improve their ability to settle.
2. Your dog doesn’t stay in their place long enough.
“If your dog treats ‘place’ like a game of musical chairs, it’s often a sign to up the ante on rewards. Keep those treats coming to reinforce the value of staying put,” says Reely. Try changing between higher-value rewards, like cooked chicken or liver treats, and lower-value ones.
3. Your dog is too easily distracted once in place.
“For the pups that find the world too interesting to ignore, consider introducing a special bone or chew during ‘place’ time,” recommends Reely. “It helps anchor them to their spot and makes staying put much more appealing.”
Sometimes a treat can be overly exciting and cause them to lose their focus on the task.
4. Your dog is taking too long to learn the process.
“Dogs are as individual as we are; some may take their sweet time understanding what we want,” said Reely. “If you’re feeling stuck, taking a breather and approaching training with a fresh perspective later is a good idea.” And if you’re still at a standstill, she recommends reaching out to a professional, as their guidance can help you get back on track with your training.
A Dog’s Place Can Become Anywhere
Your dog’s initial “place” can be a dog bed, a training mat, or a crate — as long as it’s comfortable. Siegfried suggests choosing a location where your dog naturally spends time. “Corners and cozy spots where a dog can really relax are optimal,” she adds. It’s a good idea to keep this location separate from your dog’s regular bed, which should be somewhere they can freely come and go.
Once your dog is confident with this command, you can give them toys and long-lasting chews to keep them occupied in their place. You can also extend the command to other designated “places” inside and outside your home. Kim Hawkinson, certified professional dog trainer and founder of On Point Dog Training recommends choosing spots like “a park bench, an examination table at the veterinarian’s office, or a tree trunk when out on a hike.”
