Dogs are social animals and are happiest when they are with their humans. By giving your dog his own place, you can allow him to stick around when there is a lot going on or when company arrives. He will no longer need to banished to the back room or to a crate but can remain happily in the room without bothering anyone.
From your dog’s perspective, the place is a cozy bed where he can relax, sleep or take his favorite toy. When your dog is not feeling well or is stressed, the place provides a quite spot for him to retreat to. If you have small children in the house, teach them that your dog’s place is off-limits to them.
If you are currently using one end of your sofa as your dog’s place, this does not count. The place must belong solely to your dog and serve as a location away from people that he can be sent to. If you are trying to wean your dog off the couch, an inviting place of his own is essential. If you have multiple dogs, they should each have their own place. Locate your dog’s place in an out of the way corner of a much used room such as the kitchen or living room. You want your dog to be a part of the family but out of the path of foot traffic.
Place can consist of a commercial dog bed, a thick blanket or a small rug. The more comfy you make your dog’s place, the more he will be inclined to go there. A bed that is slightly elevated off the floor is optimal. An elevated bed clearly establishes that the place has a boundary. The dog is either on it or off it.
How to:
Put the place or bed in the center of the room. Stand on one side of the place with your dog sitting next to you on a leash. Holding the leash, gently lead him onto his place. When all four feet are on the place, treat and praise. Say “Place”. Next say “free” or OK” and gently lead him off the place. Lead your dog onto the place and free him from it from the same side. Example: dog gets on and off place from the left side. Repeat several times. You want to establish from the beginning that your dog is to stay on the place until directed to do otherwise. The command “Stay” is implied.
If your dog starts to get off the place before you free him, block him with your body saying, “Nope”, pause and repeat the word “Place”. You may also use the leash to direct him back onto place. Keep the leash in your hand at all times and be prepared to block him with your body/legs. The key is to get him back on the place as quickly as possible. When all four feet are back on, praise. Hold of for at least 20 seconds before feeding a treat.
Try walking around the place. The dog can be sitting, standing or lying down on the place as you do this, so long as all four feet are on it. Praise calmly and intermittently return to your dog to give a treat for staying on the place. When your dog has mastered the above, slowly start adding some distance between you and your dog. Remember, start with small distances. Set your dog up to succeed. While your dog is staying on place, periodically walk back to him and give him a treat from your hand. Continue to praise as you walk away again. The very act of saying, “good… good….good” will greatly help to verbally anchor your dog in place.
Next try keeping your dog on his place with some distractions. Try sitting on the floor near the place. Skip around the place and so on. Ask people to walk in and out of the room as your dog holds his place.
Slowly increase the time that your dog will stay on place. If your dog is young and energetic, a one or two-minute duration could be a good start. Try to work up to a ten minute duration over the course of a week. It is fine for you to pull up a chair next to the place and read or watch tv, but keep one eye on your dog and be prepared to block him should he release himself. Always remember to release your dog from the place. If you do not, he will leave whenever you are not looking at him or when he decides to get up. Eventually, you will not need to use the lead to guide him back on the place but it is important to wait until he is 80% responsive to the command “Place”.
Put the command “Place” into your everyday living or it will not work when company shows up. When your spouse or kids are at the door, send your dog to his place until they are well into the house. Send your dog to his place with a bone for the duration of a short television show. Make your dog go to his place during mealtimes, etc.
