How to accustom a dog to a place?

By teaching the dog to leave or return to the place, you solve certain problems with the behavior of the pet, when it is necessary to isolate him, teach him to discipline, control his behavior. When you send a dog to a place, you are not using it as a punishment or a game – this is a serious command, and you need to treat it responsibly.

Where can this skill come in handy?

1. The skill is included in the program of the general training course and in the competitive standard for this course;

2. Teaching a puppy to a new home is not complete without arranging a convenient and comfortable place for the puppy to get used to;

3. Control over the behavior of the dog, its movement, often the exclusion of obsessive behavior can occur when the command “Place” is given to the dog;

4. Teaching a dog to an aviary, booth, cage or container is faster if the dog is already familiar with the “Place” command;

5. A dog trained in the “return to place” technique can be left for a long time near a certain thing belonging to the owner, in the laying position.

When and how can you start practicing a skill?

Let’s consider the initial variant of accustoming a dog to a place, since working out this technique in the conditions of a training school under the program of a general training course will require knowledge of several disciplinary techniques from you and from a young dog. The house training option is the most popular, so let’s start with the first steps to practice this technique with a puppy and a young dog.

What’s the first thing to do?

Arrange a place for the puppy in a cozy corner, if possible not on the aisle, away from heating appliances, not in the kitchen and not on the balcony. It is quite understandable that sometimes it is not possible to fulfill all these requirements, nevertheless, try to create some semblance of comfort for the puppy.

As a place for a dog, you can use just a bedding or rug, a mattress, a couch, a special bed for dogs or a light foam box lined with durable fabric. You should not immediately purchase expensive mattresses or bedding, because a puppy may not always like them. Manufacturers of pet products offer a wide range of different options for dog resting places, among which you are sure to be able to choose the one that suits you. It is clear that you need to focus on the future size of the dog, but at first a place to rest, even if in the future the puppy grows into a large dog, you must choose based on the current size of the puppy with a margin of 3-4 months – later you will need a bedding, rug or bed change to a larger one.

Where to start developing a skill?

First, teach the puppy to the nickname and establish contact with him. A place for a puppy should be associated exclusively with a positive and enjoyable pastime, so you can’t send a puppy to a place as a punishment for an offense or allow rudeness towards him when he is in this place.

Pick up a playful puppy that fell asleep in the wrong place and take it to the place, while reminding him with the “Place” command where you are sending him. After putting the puppy in place, stroke, calm down and stay close for a while, preventing him from moving to another place.

If it is necessary to reinforce the puppy’s positive perception of his place, periodically remind him where his place is by giving the command “Place” and encouraging the puppy to run to him, showing him a treat in the immediate vicinity of the bedding or bed. The moment the puppy is in place, give him a treat, pet him, saying “okay, place”, and treat him again with a treat. Repeat this procedure several times a day, and reinforce each successful attempt with a treat.

Gradually move away a short distance from the place and command the puppy to return there. Reinforce the next successful attempt to return to the place again with a treat and stroking. After a while, put a piece of treat in place and encourage the puppy to find it, after giving the “Place” command.

Use assistants to hold the puppy so that you put a treat in front of him, and then encourage him to return to the place by walking a certain distance.

The quality of mastering the skill depends on the frequency of repetitions of the technique and your actions.

After a while, teach the puppy to lie down on the spot after returning and again encourage him with treats and stroking. The command should be given clearly, demandingly and always at the moment when the puppy is focused and can perceive you.

A place for a puppy is a safe, cozy area where he is encouraged, stroked, and affectionately spoken, so the puppy quickly gets used to it and after a while begins to come to the place on his own, already without a reminder.

Possible errors and additional recommendations:

1. Never send a dog, much less a puppy, to the place in a rude manner, using this action as a punishment. Moreover, never punish a dog that is in place for an offense;

2. Do not try to forcefully remove the dog from the place, if she does not want to, use affectionate words and the “Come to me” command for this purpose;

3. When practicing this skill, you need consistency, do not complicate the technique before the dog has mastered the previous skills;

4. Create a positive perception for the dog of the place by using treats and petting with affectionate words;

5. Do not unnecessarily disturb a dog that is in place, and do not allow family members to do this;

6. Do not misrepresent the “Place” command. Additionally, when sending the dog to a place, you can use a hand gesture to show the dog the direction of movement;

7. The place should be cozy and comfortable for the dog, then neither you nor the pet will have problems with accustoming to it.

November 8, 2017

Updated: December 21, 2017