The PetCot Company: Dog Training 101: Place Training Made Easy!

For many reasons, it's essential for any dog owner to take the time to properly train their dogs. There are many tricks that can be taught that have many different purposes and benefits. The most important reason to train is to prevent your dog from becoming injured or injuring others. So this week, we're going to focus on one of our favorite commands: "Place." Place training is simple to teach and has many benefits for both dog and owner:

Benefits of Place Training

Besides it being a convenient way to keep track of where your dog is and what he's doing, there are other more important benefits to place training. So let’s talk about the benefits of the "place" command.

It can keep him from jetting out doors
It helps stop dogs from barking at the door by giving them a quiet place to go to
It can keep him from running after vehicles
It can keep him out of the way if he is constantly underfoot
It gives him a comfortable place to be when you go somewhere else; vacation, the ball field, your friend’s house etc.

Teaching Your Dog Place Training
It’s not difficult to teach a dog the "place" command, but it will take some time, patience, and consistency. Here are some easy steps to try:

Lure Your Dog to His Place
Start off by standing close to the bed or mat that will serve as your dog's place. Give him the command "place," and then use a treat to lure him onto his spot. As soon as all four feet are on the mat, praise your dog or click the clicker and give him a treat. Repeat this several times. Most dogs will go to the bed or mat on command after a few short training sessions.

Have a Release Cue
Remember to give him a release cue, such as "Okay" or "All done," so he knows when he’s allowed to get off the bed. You shouldn’t force him off it, though – if he’s comfortable, by all means let him hang out!

Extend the Training

Once your dog is consistently going to and lying down in their place once you give the "place" command, gradually increase the distance and/or the duration until your dog will reliably go to his "place" (without a treat) and stay there until you release him. You can go even further with this training by changing up the location of your dog's place. For example, you can designate a spot in each room of your home to be your dog's place. This will teach your dog that no matter where they're at, they must still follow the same rules.

Now that you know the benefits of place training and have some easy steps to follow to train this simple, yet important command, you better get to it! Make sure you've got a place for your dog to call his own by getting a few premium raised dog beds. Our PetCots are perfect for place training and dogs love them! Not only are the comfortable and easy to clean, but they're durable as well - making them the perfect petbed choice for puppies and active chewers. Visit our website today at www.PetCot.com to order your PetCot beds and other products!

Taking Comfort and Care to a New Level for Pets!