How to Teach Your Dog Place
Place is one of the first skills I teach almost every dog because any dog can learn it, and most dogs can learn it quickly. Puppies can learn Place. Senior dogs can learn Place. Working dogs, family pets, tiny dogs, giant dogs, busy dogs, anxious dogs and dogs who have had very little formal training can all understand the same simple concept.
When I say Place, all four feet go onto a defined surface and the dog remains there until I give the release cue. That is the physical rule.
I do not care whether the dog stands, sits, lies down, stretches, rolls onto his side, sits back up or changes position twenty times. Place is not a posture. It is a boundary. The dog is free to make himself comfortable inside that boundary, but he does not decide when the exercise ends.
Place means: this is where you are until I release you. What you do with your body while you are there is largely your business.
Any Dog Can Learn Place — And It Shouldn't Take Forever
I sometimes see Place taught as though it is an advanced skill that requires weeks just to become useful. I don't teach it that way. The physical rule is simple, the boundary is visible, and the dog receives the same answer every time he tests it.
With consistent practice, I expect most dogs to be working toward a solid 30-minute Place within a few days. From there, a healthy adult dog who understands the exercise can usually work toward one to two hours within about a week or so.
That doesn't mean every dog will be deeply relaxed in three days, because the physical skill and the mental state are not exactly the same thing. A dog can understand perfectly that he must stay on the cot while still sitting upright, watching everything and waiting for the next thing to happen.
But I don't want to spend three weeks practicing ninety-second Place exercises either. I want the dog understanding the boundary fairly quickly so we can start using Place for the bigger things: calm, impulse control, visitors, household movement, doorbells, distance, frustration tolerance and learning how to be included in family life without being in the middle of absolutely everything.
Why I Teach Place So Early
Place gives the dog a clear answer to a question that comes up constantly in a human household: Where am I supposed to be right now?
Without that answer, people spend an enormous amount of time telling dogs what not to do. Stop following me. Get out of the kitchen. Don't jump on the visitor. Leave the kids alone. Stop going to the window. Quit bothering the other dog. Get away from the front door.
That's a lot of talking and a lot of correction.
Place lets me give the dog one clear alternative instead. I tell him where to be, I make the boundary easy to understand, and then I let life continue around him.
That's why Place is such a low-conflict exercise for me. I don't need to argue about six different unwanted behaviors. The dog has an assignment that makes sense, and my job is simply to follow through consistently.
Place Works Because I Follow Through Every Time
If I put a dog on Place and he steps off before I release him, I calmly return him. If he steps off again, I return him again. If he waits fifteen minutes and decides perhaps I have forgotten what we're doing, he gets exactly the same answer.
I don't need to yell. I don't need to stand across the room repeating “Place” while he ignores me. I don't need a long correction or an emotional battle. I simply get up, use the leash if I still need it, return the dog to the surface and go back to whatever I was doing.
The dog quickly discovers that leaving Place before the release word does not accomplish anything. There is no lottery where sometimes he gets away with it because I'm tired or watching television. The answer is predictable.
I don't need to be louder or tougher than the dog. I just need to be more consistent than he is persistent.
Start With One Very Clear Place
When I first teach the exercise, I make the picture as easy as possible. I generally use the same clearly defined object consistently while the dog is learning. That might be a raised cot, a mat or a bed, but I am not changing the target every day and expecting a brand-new dog to understand immediately that all of those objects represent the same concept.
This is one reason I love raised cots for initial Place work. The edge is obvious. The dog can see and feel the difference between being on the cot and stepping off of it. There is very little gray area, which makes the boundary easier to teach without constant micromanagement.
For a puppy, senior dog or dog with orthopedic, spinal or mobility issues, I will absolutely choose another surface if an elevated cot isn't appropriate. The goal is a clear boundary that is physically comfortable for the dog, not a particular brand of furniture.
Raised Cots & Place Beds
I keep my current raised-bed and Place-cot recommendations on The Well Oiled K9, including the training equipment and affiliate resources I personally use or recommend.
In a Multi-Dog Home, Every Dog Starts With His Own Place
If I have multiple dogs, each dog initially gets his own Place. I don't want two dogs trying to figure out whether the same cot belongs to both of them while they're still learning the exercise, and I certainly don't want dogs competing for space or crowding one another.
Dog A learns his cot. Dog B learns his cot. Dog C learns his cot. Each dog gets a clear boundary and each dog's Place is protected from the others.
In the early stages, I may even keep those cots in roughly the same locations because I want the picture to be ridiculously obvious. Once everybody understands the concept, I can begin changing the picture and making Place more flexible.
Place Is Also a Safe Place
If I am going to require a dog to remain on Place, then I am also going to protect him while he is there.
Nobody bothers a dog on Place.
Children do not climb onto the cot, hug the dog or crawl into his face while he has been told he cannot leave. Visitors do not walk over and pet him because they feel sorry for him. Another dog does not get to wander onto his cot, steal something, loom over him or repeatedly invite him to play.
The dog has a responsibility to remain on Place, and the humans have a responsibility to make Place fair.
If I Tell the Dog He Cannot Leave, Everyone Else Leaves Him Alone
- Children stay off the dog's Place and do not pet, hug or climb on him while he is there.
- Visitors ignore the dog on Place unless I deliberately end the exercise and choose an interaction.
- Other dogs do not crowd, harass or invade another dog's Place.
- Nobody reaches over the dog, teases him, takes things from him or intentionally enters his space while he has been told he cannot leave.
- If the dog needs to be handled, I appropriately end or modify the exercise rather than trapping him on the mat while someone enters his space.
If I tell the dog he cannot leave, I owe him the protection of not allowing everyone else to invade the space I required him to remain in.
Teach Place and the Release Word Together
Place only works if the dog also understands what ends it, so decide on a release cue before you start. Okay, Free, Break or another consistent word can all work. The particular word matters less than the fact that it has a clear meaning.
I often begin with a simple exercise I call the Parade Across. Walk the dog across the Place surface on leash. As all four feet move onto it, say “Place.” Pause briefly, then give the release word as you move off.
Repeat several times. At this stage I am not worried about how long the dog stays there. I am establishing the language first: this word puts me here, and this other word gives me permission to leave.
That release cue becomes important later because I don't want the dog deciding for himself that he has been there long enough simply because something more interesting has appeared.
Then Let the Dog Learn the Boundary
Once the dog understands how to get onto Place, I put him there and allow him enough freedom to learn where the boundary actually is. I do not stand over him repeating Stay every few seconds, because Place already means remain there until released.
Eventually he steps off. That's useful. Now I can teach him something.
I calmly say, “No. Place,” and use the leash to guide him back onto the surface. Then I become neutral again. If he stays, life continues. If he tries again two minutes later, the answer is exactly the same.
The dog learns through repetition that the edge of the cot means something and that leaving before release simply results in being returned.
The Basic Place Conversation
Place: all four feet go onto the defined surface and remain there.
Dog leaves before release: “No. Place.” Calmly return him.
Dog remains there: life continues. You do not need to constantly entertain, talk to or reward him.
Release cue: now he is free to leave.
Don't Turn Place Into Sit, Down and Stay
One of the easiest ways to make Place harder than it needs to be is to put the dog on the mat and then start piling more commands on top of it. Sit. Down. Stay. Down again because the dog sat back up.
That's not how I use Place.
Place is a location. The dog can stand, sit, lie down, roll onto a hip, stretch, turn around and reposition himself as often as he wants. As long as he stays on the defined surface, he is still following the command.
For the deeper state-of-mind work, I often prefer allowing the dog to find relaxation on his own. I am not forcing his elbows to the floor and calling that calm. I give him the boundary and enough time to discover that standing around waiting is pointless and that lying down and relaxing is much easier.
No Chew Toys During the First Two to Three Weeks
This is one of the questions I'm asked most often: Can my dog have a chew toy while he's on Place?
Not during the early work.
For roughly the first two to three weeks, I do not give the dog a bone, chew, stuffed toy, lick mat or other activity to occupy him while he is learning Place. Before I start adding those things, I want the dog capable of doing the full two-hour Place without entertainment.
There is nothing wrong with chew toys. I use them. There is nothing wrong with enrichment. It simply serves a different purpose.
If I give a dog a two-hour chew and he stays on the cot for two hours because he is busy working on it, I have proven that he can remain in one location while occupied. I have not necessarily taught him how to quiet his mind while nothing is happening.
The goal of Place is not to occupy the dog's time. It is to quiet the dog's state of mind.
Once a dog can comfortably handle a full two-hour Place without needing entertainment, I have no problem occasionally giving him a chew while the family watches a movie or relaxes together. At that point the chew is something pleasant he happens to have. It is no longer the thing making Place possible.
Build to 30 Minutes Within a Few Days
Once the boundary is understood, start building meaningful time. During the first few days, you might work through several repetitions of different lengths: a few minutes, then ten, then fifteen, perhaps another short easy repetition, and eventually a full thirty minutes.
I don't need every repetition to be harder than the last one, but I also don't want to drag this out unnecessarily. Place is simple enough that most dogs can become quite competent quickly when the human consistently follows through.
Within a few days, I want the dog capable of a continuous 30-minute Place while I sit nearby, watch television, work on my computer, read or do ordinary things around the room.
The dog may still fidget or change positions. He may watch you. He may not yet have reached deep relaxation. That's okay. First we establish the rule and enough duration for the exercise to become useful.
Then Work Toward One to Two Hours
Once thirty minutes feels ordinary, begin stretching it. For a healthy adult dog who understands the exercise and is physically comfortable, working toward one to two hours within roughly a week or so is a very reasonable goal.
That does not mean your dog is sentenced to two hours on Place every night for the rest of his life. We are building capacity. I want to know that if real life requires him to settle while I watch a movie, host visitors, work from home, eat dinner, stay in a hotel or manage a busy household situation, the skill is already there.
Once the dog can do the full duration, the exercise becomes less about how long he can stay and much more about what can happen around him without changing his assignment or his state of mind.
Expect Some Resistance
This is where people sometimes assume the dog is confused when he is really just expressing a preference.
If your dog has spent every evening lying beside you on the couch while you watch television and you suddenly tell him that tonight he is staying on Place, he may challenge the new rule repeatedly.
He may walk toward the couch. You put him back. He may try again five minutes later. You put him back again. He may stare at you, sigh dramatically, stretch one foot over the edge or use every charming behavior that has historically convinced you to change your mind.
That doesn't necessarily mean the exercise is too hard or that your dog is emotionally distressed. Sometimes he simply prefers the couch.
And it does not mean he can never have the couch again. It does not mean affection is gone. It does not mean he has lost every privilege he enjoys.
It means that for right now, for as long as I told you Place, you remain on that mat.
I may sit on the couch. I may get up and make coffee. I may walk into another room. The kids may be playing. Another dog may come over to me for affection. None of those things automatically release the dog from Place.
This is one reason Place becomes so valuable: the dog learns how to be included in the space without needing to be in the middle of everything happening in the space.
Resistance Does Not Mean the Privilege Is Gone Forever
I want to be clear about this because structure is sometimes interpreted as though the dog loses all freedom and affection once training starts.
Your dog can absolutely get back on the couch later. He can receive affection. He can play. He can join you. He can have plenty of freedom when he knows how to handle that freedom.
But those things do not cancel the current instruction.
If I say Place while I watch a movie tonight, the fact that my dog would rather curl up against me does not require me to change the assignment. He can want something and not immediately have it.
That's frustration tolerance, and it is also communication. The dog learns that a familiar privilege does not automatically override what I have asked him to do right now.
Place Is the Boundary. Duration Changes the Mind.
A dog can understand Place long before he understands how to truly relax there. Place answers the physical question: Where do I stay? Duration Work addresses the much deeper question: Can I actually become calm while I am here and let the rest of the world happen without me?
I can have a dog who remains technically perfect on Place while sitting upright, tense, tracking every person, dog and sound in the room. Physically, he is doing the exercise. Mentally, he may still be very much on duty.
Eventually, I want the answer to become, Nothing is required of me right now. I can rest.
The Working Dog Who Needed Four Hours to Turn Off
I once worked with a former working dog whose handler had died. He had lost both his person and his job, and although the handler's wife and son desperately wanted to keep him, he was becoming increasingly difficult to live with.
He learned Place almost immediately. That was not the problem. He sat upright on the cot, tense and waiting for me to give him the next command. There wasn't one.
He became so tired that his head would droop as he began to doze and then snap back to attention. He almost vibrated with the effort of remaining ready.
I watched television. I read. It got later and later, but my intuition was telling me that this dog needed to get all the way through the exercise instead of being released while his body was technically compliant and his mind was still working.
It took about four hours before he finally lay down and genuinely let himself sleep.
Normally I might have praised that breakthrough, released the dog and started another repetition so the next shift could happen faster. But this dog had spent four hours fighting sleep because some part of him believed he needed to remain ready for work.
I wasn't waking him up.
He slept on that cot all night, and I stayed on the couch. After that, we never had another issue with the skill or with his ability to turn his mind off.
He learned the physical Place command very quickly. What took four hours was learning that he was allowed to stop working.
Read the Full Story: Duration Work & the Calm State of Mind →
Sometimes Your Dog Doesn't Need Another Obedience Command
That working dog is also one of the best examples I can give of why I say that sometimes your dog does not need more obedience training. He already knew how to listen. He understood structure and commands. Teaching him another obedience exercise would not have solved the actual problem.
What changed him was how I used a skill he already understood.
Place communicated something different: You have no job right now. You don't need to figure out what comes next. I will tell you when something requires you. Until then, let the world happen without you.
That's an important distinction in behavior work. Commands create a language, but collecting more commands does not automatically change behavior. Sometimes the breakthrough comes from using familiar skills differently and communicating something the dog has never been asked to understand before.
A Sit can simply be a position, or it can become impulse control at the front door. Recall can simply mean running toward a cookie, or it can become a way to interrupt fixation and reconnect the dog with the handler. Place can simply mean four feet on a cot, or it can become the structure that allows a hypervigilant dog to stop participating in everything.
Once You Have Duration, Start Moving Around
Once the dog can give you meaningful duration, stop making Place dependent on your physical location. Stand up and sit back down. Walk across the room. Fold laundry. Go into the kitchen. Move behind the dog. Sit in another chair.
If the dog gets up because you stood up, calmly return him to Place. Your movement was not the release cue.
Then start stepping briefly out of sight. Walk around a corner and return. Step into another room for a few seconds. Gradually increase the amount of time the dog cannot see you while maintaining exactly the same expectation.
Eventually it should not matter whether I am sitting beside the dog, walking around the room or briefly out of sight. Place remains Place until the release word.
Then Bring the Front Door Into the Exercise
Once the dog understands duration and can tolerate your movement, the front door becomes one of the best places to start making Place functional.
Do not wait for an actual visitor to ring the bell and hope the dog somehow knows what you want. Practice it before you need it.
Put the dog on Place and walk toward the door. Touch the knob and come back. Open the door an inch. Close it. Open it fully and stand there. Step outside briefly and return. Walk to the mailbox. Pick up a fake package. Come back inside.
Once those pieces become boring, add knocking. Have a family member or helper knock while the dog remains on Place. Then add the doorbell.
With enough repetition, I want the dog beginning to associate the sound itself with the Place routine.
Doorbell → Place.
Not: Doorbell → lose your mind.
Practice Fake Visitors Before Real Visitors
Once the dog can remain on Place while the doorbell rings and the door opens, recruit someone who understands that they are participating in a training session.
The visitor enters and completely ignores the dog. No eye contact, no excited baby talk, no walking toward the cot and no “Dogs love me!” while reaching toward a dog who has specifically been told he cannot leave.
The person comes inside, sits down and becomes part of the environment.
For a social dog, I may eventually release him and allow a greeting. Sometimes I wait much longer. Sometimes I release the dog and send him somewhere else. For a fearful, reactive or aggressive dog, I may decide there is absolutely no reason for him to greet the visitor.
Place is not automatically the waiting room before access to the guest.
Sometimes the much more important lesson is that a person can enter the house, sit down, stand up, walk around and leave without ever becoming the dog's responsibility.
A Dog Can Be Included Without Being in the Middle of Everything
This is one of the things I love most about Place. Management does not always have to mean shutting the dog away from the family.
The dog can be in the room while the kids play without chasing them. He can be present while guests visit without climbing into everyone's lap. He can remain nearby while another dog gets attention without inserting himself into the interaction. He can be outside with the family without needing to participate in every game.
He gets to be part of the environment while learning that being present does not mean everything happening around him belongs to him.
The Herding Dog, the Kids and the Swimming Pool
I once trained a herding dog owned by a professional football player. The family had children, a swimming pool and a dog whose herding instincts were fully activated whenever the kids were outside playing around that pool.
The dog chased the children around the pool. The children loved it. The dog loved it too.
That did not make it safe.
A fast herding dog racing around the edge of a swimming pool while excited children are running, jumping and playing is an accident waiting to happen. A child can be knocked down or pushed into the pool. A dog can collide with someone or go into the water unexpectedly. Everybody can be laughing right up until somebody gets hurt.
It was also a very real liability risk for the family.
So we created an extremely simple household rule: if the kids were in the pool, the dog was on Place.
That didn't mean the dog had to be locked inside away from everyone. His Place allowed him to be outside with the family. He could see the children, hear everything going on and remain part of the afternoon. He simply wasn't allowed to join the activity by chasing kids around the pool.
There were very limited exceptions. If the owner specifically wanted that dog released while children were swimming, one adult needed to be supervising the dog. Not watching the children while occasionally glancing at the dog. Supervising the dog.
That meant another adult still had to be responsible for the children.
Two jobs required two adults.
The system worked exceptionally well because the expectation was so clear. Kids in the pool meant dog on Place. The dog remained included with the family without being allowed to turn a fun afternoon into a dangerous one.
That's What Real-Life Place Looks Like
The pool dog is exactly why I don't teach Place just so someone can say their dog knows a mat command.
I want a skill that solves real problems.
There are many situations where the dog does not need to be shut away completely, but he absolutely needs to stop participating. Place gives us that middle ground.
The family can be together. The children can play. Guests can visit. Another dog can move around. People can eat dinner. The dog is still part of the environment, but he is no longer creating risk, chaos or constant management in the middle of it.
That is particularly useful for herding dogs, dogs who chase movement, dogs who insert themselves into children's play, busy multi-dog households and dogs who believe every activity happening within fifty feet requires their assistance.
Use Common Sense When the Consequence of Failure Is High
The pool story also illustrates an important limit of Place: I never confuse obedience with a physical safety barrier.
If a dog breaking Place could put a child, visitor, another dog or the dog himself in serious danger, I want appropriate supervision and management in addition to the command.
At the pool, that meant a dedicated adult supervising the dog if he was released. In another situation, it might mean a leash, gate, fence, closed door, crate or other physical layer.
Place is an extremely useful skill.
It isn't magic.
Place in a Multi-Dog Household
After each dog understands his own Place individually, I begin working the dogs in the same room on separate cots or mats. Each dog still has his own protected boundary, but now we can start using the skill dynamically.
I might release one dog while another remains on Place. I can call one dog to me while the others stay settled. One dog can go outside without the entire pack forming a parade toward the door. One dog can receive affection while another remains relaxed on his cot.
The dog who is free does not get to wander onto another dog's Place and bother him. The protected-space rule still applies.
This can dramatically change the rhythm of a multi-dog household because one dog's movement no longer automatically becomes everybody's movement.
Place Is Also Impulse Control
The dog may want to follow you, greet the visitor, join the kids, chase the other dog or see what's happening at the front door. He can experience those impulses without acting on them.
Wanting something does not automatically create permission.
That's the same skill we use around doors, food, greetings, freedom and countless other situations. The dog learns that he can want something, wait, remain calm and eventually receive another instruction instead of immediately acting on every urge.
Place, Long Down and Duration Are Different
I keep these as separate exercises because they each serve a different purpose.
Place gives the dog a defined physical boundary. Stay on that surface until released.
Long Down is a specific settling exercise beside the handler, usually using a limited amount of leash while the human does something boring.
Duration Work is the deeper state-of-mind work: teaching the dog how to truly come down, stop waiting for what happens next and understand that normal life can continue without requiring his participation.
Place and Long Down can both help us develop Duration, but they are not the same exercise and they do not need to become duplicate articles.
Place Is Not Enough of a Safety Plan for an Aggressive Dog
Place can be extremely valuable when working with dogs who are reactive or aggressive because it creates structure, predictability and a known location for the dog. But I will not pretend that obedience eliminates bite risk.
If your dog has bitten a visitor, redirected onto a handler, seriously attacked another dog or demonstrated that he may cause serious injury, Place should be one part of the safety plan — not the only thing preventing another incident.
If Breaking Place Could Mean a Bite, Add Physical Safety
A dog with serious bite risk may also need a leash, secure gate, closed door, crate, properly conditioned muzzle or another layer appropriate to that particular situation.
A dog who stays on Place 99 times out of 100 can still cause enormous harm on the one repetition that fails. Match your safety plan to the consequence of the mistake.
Eventually, Place Is Wherever I Put You
The raised cot is not the actual skill. It is the teaching tool.
Once the dog fully understands Place, I begin changing the picture. I may move his familiar cot into another room. Then I may use a different cot. Later I can use a dog bed, bath mat, beach towel, platform or another clearly defined surface.
Eventually, a dog who truly understands the concept knows that when I point to a defined area and say Place, that is his Place until I release him.
It does not have to be the blue cot in the living room for the rest of his life.
When traveling, Place might be the dog bed in a hotel room. At a friend's house, it might be a mat I brought with me. Outside, it could be a bench or platform. On the beach, I can literally draw a square in the sand and make that the boundary for a dog who thoroughly understands the concept.
The cot teaches the boundary. Eventually, Place becomes wherever I tell you Place is.
Place Should Make Your Dog's Life Bigger
I don't teach Place because I want a dog parked out of the way all day. Quite often, the opposite happens. A dog who understands Place can safely participate in more of family life because we have a way to include him without allowing him to be in the middle of everything.
He can be outside while the children swim without chasing them around the pool. He can remain in the living room while visitors are over. He can be nearby during dinner. He can travel. He can hang out while other dogs move around the house. He can learn how to watch the world without believing every movement requires him.
And because Place is protected space, many dogs eventually begin choosing it on their own. The cot becomes a familiar place where they know how to settle and where nobody is allowed to bother them.
Place starts as four feet on a defined surface. Used well, it becomes communication, impulse control, a protected resting space, a way to include a dog safely in family life and one of the best tools I know for teaching a dog that he does not need to participate in everything.
Place Training FAQ
These are the questions I hear most often when people begin using Place. Open any question for the answer.
01 Can any dog learn Place?
Yes. Place is one of the simplest skills I teach because the physical rule is so clear: remain on a defined surface until released.
Puppies, adult dogs, seniors, working dogs, family pets, small dogs and giant dogs can all learn it. If a dog has orthopedic, spinal or mobility limitations, I change the surface to something physically appropriate. The concept remains the same.
02 How quickly should my dog learn Place?
The basic boundary should make sense quickly. With consistent practice and follow-through, I expect most dogs to be working toward a solid 30-minute Place within a few days.
A healthy adult dog who understands the exercise can usually work toward one to two hours within about a week or so.
True mental relaxation may take longer for some dogs. Understanding the boundary and completely quieting the state of mind are related, but they are not exactly the same skill.
03 Does each dog need his own Place?
Initially, yes. In a multi-dog home, I want each dog learning on his own clearly defined Place. That removes confusion and prevents dogs from crowding, competing for or wandering onto another dog's cot while everybody is still learning the rules.
Later, once the concept is thoroughly understood, Place becomes much more flexible. I can indicate another cot, mat, bed or defined area and tell an individual dog, “Place.”
04 Does Place always mean the same cot?
Not forever. In the beginning, I generally use the same object because consistency makes the boundary much easier for the dog to understand.
This is one reason raised cots are so useful for teaching Place. The edge is obvious, so the dog can clearly see and feel the difference between being on and off the surface.
Once the concept is solid, I begin changing the object and location.
05 Can Place really be anywhere?
Eventually, yes. At home it might be an elevated cot. The scale at the vet. Traveling, it might be a mat or hotel-room dog bed. Outside, it might be a bench, platform or towel.
I can even draw a square in the sand at the beach and use that defined area as Place with a dog who fully understands the concept.
The cot is the teaching tool. The boundary is the actual skill.
06 Why do you like raised cots for teaching Place?
Because they make the first lesson extremely clear. A raised cot has an obvious edge, so there is very little ambiguity about whether the dog is on Place or off Place.
That clarity can speed learning and reduce unnecessary conflict. Once the dog understands the concept, I do not need the raised cot forever.
07 Does my dog have to lie down on Place?
No. Place is a boundary, not a Down command. Your dog may stand, sit, lie down, roll over, stretch, turn around and change positions as often as he wants as long as he remains on the defined surface until released.
For state-of-mind work, I often prefer letting the dog discover relaxation himself rather than constantly telling him how to position his body.
08 Can my dog have a chew toy on Place?
Not during my initial Place work.
For roughly the first two to three weeks, I do not use bones, chews, stuffed toys, lick mats or other activities to occupy the dog on Place. Before I add those things, I want the dog capable of doing the complete two-hour Place without entertainment.
The goal is not to keep the dog busy long enough to remain on the mat. The goal is to teach him how to quiet his state of mind when there is nothing else to do.
Once he has mastered that, having a chew on Place occasionally is fine.
09 What if my dog keeps getting off Place?
Put him back every single time. Calmly say “No. Place,” use the leash if needed and restore the boundary.
Do not stand across the room repeating the command while allowing the dog to ignore it. The clarity comes from consistent follow-through, not louder words.
10 Why is my dog challenging Place when he already knows it?
Because knowing the rule and liking the rule are two different things.
If your dog normally lies on the couch beside you and you ask him to spend tonight on Place instead, he may test whether you really mean it. That does not automatically mean he is confused or distressed. He may simply prefer the couch.
He can have the couch again later. He can get affection later. For right now, though, Place means remain there until released.
11 Can children pet the dog while he is on Place?
No. Place is protected space. If I have told the dog he cannot leave, children do not climb onto the cot, hug him, pet him or crawl into his face.
If I require the dog to remain there, I owe him the protection of making sure other people respect that space.
12 Should visitors greet my dog while he is on Place?
No. Visitors should enter and ignore the dog. If I later choose to release a socially appropriate dog for a greeting, that's a separate decision.
A fearful, reactive or aggressive dog may remain on Place or be moved to another secure area without greeting the visitor at all.
Place is not automatically the waiting room before access to the guest.
13 Can another dog visit a dog who is on Place?
No. The same protected-space rule applies to other dogs.
A dog who is free does not get to climb onto another dog's cot, crowd him, steal something from his space or repeatedly solicit play while that dog has been told he cannot leave.
14 When should I begin leaving the room?
Once your dog understands the boundary and can give you meaningful duration while you move around nearby, begin stepping briefly out of sight.
Start with seconds and gradually increase the time. Your movement, including leaving the room, does not become a release cue.
15 How do I teach Doorbell Means Place?
Build the basic Place skill and meaningful duration first. Then rehearse the door routine before you need it during a real arrival.
Practice walking to the door, touching the knob, opening it, stepping outside and returning. Add fake knocks, then the doorbell, then helpers for staged visitor arrivals.
With enough repetition, the doorbell can begin predicting Place rather than predicting a frantic charge toward the front door.
16 When can I stop using the leash?
When you rarely need it for follow-through.
I don't remove the leash because a certain number of days have passed. If the dog remains reliably on Place while you move around, leave the room and add reasonable distractions, allow the leash to drag under supervision and begin removing it during easier sessions.
If reliability drops, put it back on and strengthen the skill.
17 Can Place help with visitors and children?
Absolutely. One of the greatest uses of Place is allowing the dog to remain included in the environment without being in the middle of everything.
Children can play, guests can visit, people can move around and household life can continue while the dog remains in a clear, protected area.
If the dog presents a genuine bite, chase or injury risk, Place should be combined with whatever physical management that situation requires.
18 Is Place enough for a dog with a bite history?
No.
If breaking Place could result in a serious bite or attack, add physical safety appropriate to the risk. That may include a leash, secure gate, closed door, crate, carefully managed transition or properly conditioned muzzle.
Place is obedience. It is not physical containment.
Keep Building From Place
Duration Work: Teaching a Calm State of Mind →
Resistance From Your Dog During Training →
When Place Isn't the Whole Answer
If your dog understands Place but remains hypervigilant, fearful, reactive, aggressive or unable to settle, I don't automatically assume the answer is more repetitions. Sometimes we need to look at how the skill is being used, what the dog is communicating, what is happening in the environment and whether training is only one part of what is keeping that dog stuck.
