PlaceDog goes to a designated spot and settles there
Mat targeting plus duration. The dog goes to a bed or platform and stays there through real-life distractions: a doorbell, cooking dinner, guests sitting down. It is the calm-in-chaos skill.
Also known as: Settle, Go to Place
At a glance
- Tier
- 2 · Intermediate
- Time to fluency
- 3–8 weeks
- Practice
- 5× per week, 10 min each
- Equipment
- A dog bed, raised cot, or non-slip mat, Small soft treats
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach place
Lure
Send the dog to a raised bed or platform and reward for staying
- Start with the mat/bed skills the dog already has from mat_targeting and kennel
- Use a raised platform (ottoman, dog cot). The edge gives a clear boundary
- Reward rapidly for staying, then thin gradually
- Build duration before adding distractions
Hand Signal
Point to the place with a sweeping gesture
- Point and wait. The dog should go from mat targeting experience
- Once on place, use the stay palm to add duration
- Walk around the room while the dog holds. Vary your path
Verbal Cue
The word sends the dog; a release word ends it
- Say the word from increasing distances
- Add real-life distractions one at a time: doorbell, food on the counter, a guest arriving
- Always return to reward on the spot, never call off it
- Use it during meals, meetings, and deliveries. That is what it is for
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not go to a designated spot or leaves immediately
- In progress
- Goes to place on the word from across the room and settles for 2 minutes
- Mastered
- Holds place through a doorbell, guests entering, or food being prepared
Common mistakes
- Adding distractions before duration is solid
- Only practising in quiet conditions, then expecting it to work during a party
- Calling the dog off place to reward instead of going to them
- Using a mat that slides on the floor, so the dog feels unstable