How to teach your dog to go to its place
"Go to place!", can become a very important command for the well-trained four-legged friend. When guests come to visit who don't do much with dogs or are afraid, your dog will lie where it won't be stressful for anyone. Also, if you are working in the house and cannot use it to look after your four-legged friend, it lies on its place exactly correctly - if you can rely on it that it remains there. So you train your dog to go to its place and to stay there as long as it is necessary.
Where is its place at all?
First of all, the dog needs to know where to go if it is to take its place. Set up a blanket or dog basket, always in the same spot. Habit is the key word to success here. If your dog knows where it can and should lie on a regular basis, it will go there of its own accord when it is looking for rest and is not otherwise occupied. Give your dog time to learn to love its place. When it goes there voluntarily, praise it and say, for example, "Are you going to your spot?" That's how he learns the word. Then reward it, because that's how it associates that place with something positive.
Name the place
Now you call your dog to you, to its place. You do this with the usual command, for example, "Here!" When it comes and lies down on its blanket or in the basket, you say, "Go to your place!" Once that works well, you move away from the spot and stand somewhere else. Now tell your dog to go to its seat and praise it profusely when it does it right. It is not important yet that it stays right there, but it must understand that you want it to go right there, even if you are not standing there. If necessary, you can point to its place if your dog does not understand immediately.
In your place - and stay!
Now your dog has to learn that he also has to stay in his place. To do this, call him back here, have him sit or lie down, and tell him that he has to stay. Some dogs understand right away and relax because they already know their place and will go to that place themselves when they need to rest. If so, praise your dog and you've already done it. For some it takes a little longer and you still have to stand next to it or send your dog back to his place when he gets up. Resolve the command afterwards so your dog can learn that he can't just get back up whenever he feels like it. This way, he will become more confident over time and know that he must stay in his spot when he is sent there.
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