Enjoy learning? Us too! Therefore, we are strengthening our friendship with Diana Makarovaitė, founder of HEPIDOGO dog training school, dog trainer herself and the owner of Ipa and Baron (who are also proud animalistus clients!) and from now on we'll start sharing with you some really useful tips and tricks!
The PLACE command must be known by every dog. With this command we can create a safe and comfortable place for the dog. This command instructs the dog to go to a defined space and stay there. Diana happily shares some ways this command could be applied:
- Teaching your dog to be relaxed while being separately from you at home. Similarly, the command brings clarity when having guests over. If the dog cannot calm down for long, take an item (such as a crate, bed, blanket, etc.) that will be used for the command's execution.
- Teaching your dog to calm down in stressful situations or locations. The ability to calmly stay in a confined space is a really useful skill when visiting cafes or public places. The dog can observe the surroundings but stays calmly in the designated spot.
- Teaching your dog to control his emotions, for example, when the doorbell rings. You can teach the dog to go to a spot and wait calmly for the command FREE instead of running towards the door. Similarly, you can work on situations where you are eating at the table, so the dog can rest calmly in its place instead of begging for food with puppy eyes.
- Creating a feeling of security. It is crucial to understand that if the dog went to its place, it wants space and peace, even if it went there without being asked. When the dog is resting in its crate, it should not be disturbed, petted, or asked to do anything. The dog's place is a safe space where it is untouchable, and only pleasant and relaxing things happen.
The PLACE command could be taught on different objects. Start with something that the whole dog can fit on, for example, a dog bed.