Why the Place Command?
Teaching your dog a PLACE command is one of the most useful behaviours you can train. It is a command that will create a low arousal state in your dog, which will affect the energy levels within your living space. The placemat serves as an incompatible behaviour for many unwanted behaviours including:
Rushing to the door,
Jumping up on people,
Begging at the dinner table,
Redirection of destructive behaviours,
Invading personal space,
Rambunctious play in the home,
or the Inability to settle down.
The command PLACE directs your dog to an object, with a defined parameter to stay on. Unlike the sit/stay or down/stay, the rules for PLACE are only that the dog is to adhere to the boundary of the mat. No commands are ever attached to the place mat.
The dog can choose to lay down, stand up, or move around as long as all four paws remain within the boundary of the mat. Put simply, PLACE means “go-to-the-spot-I-tell-you-and-relax-there-until-I-release-you.”
Many people make the mistake of choosing a plush mat for place, but this is a mistake as there is no clear criteria you can make for your dog.
The dog can have half their body on and half their body off, all while thinking they are still adhering to the command.
This is due to the fact that the plush bed easily blends into the floor, with no distinct elevation change. Your dog needs something with defined boundaries, a clear distinction between the floor and the object. The elevation change makes using our placemat a “black and white” behaviour for the dog.
To get off the mat the dog must consciously step off. Our CANINE PLACEMAT has all of these things in mind, making rules and communication clear between you and your dog to avoid any “grey” areas!