The Place Command: The One Dog Training Skill Every Busy Dog Owner Is Missing

If your dog cannot go to a spot and stay there on cue, you are missing one of the most useful obedience commands in dog training.

For busy executives, doctors, founders and high income professionals, the Place command is not a “nice to have”. It is one of the few dog obedience skills that gives you immediate control, calm and focus in your home and office.

This is the command that turns your dog’s chaos into structure.

What Is The Place Command In Dog Training?

In practical terms, the Place command means:

You send your dog to a designated spot

Your dog lies down or settles there

Your dog stays there until you release them

The “place” can be:

A dog bed

A raised cot

A mat, towel or blanket

A specific corner of your office or living room

When you teach the Place command correctly, your dog understands that this is their station. It becomes a mental “off switch” that tells them to relax and stay put.

This is why you will see experienced dog trainers talk about Place as a foundational obedience command, not a trick.

Why Busy Professionals Need The Place Command

You already have a packed schedule. Your dog’s job is not to add more meetings to it.

Without the Place command, most dogs:

Pace around your desk while you are on calls

Wander in and out of the camera frame on Zoom and Teams

Bump your chair, cables and laptop

Jump up on you or whine for attention right when you start talking

That constant background noise drains your focus. You may not notice it until you remove it.

With a clean Place command, you can:

Point to the dog bed and quietly say your cue

Have your dog calmly lying down, out of the way

Focus on your work without wondering what your dog is doing behind you

Same dog. Different rules. Very different workday.

Using The Place Command When Guests Come Over

Dog owners love saying “But my dog is friendly, everyone loves them”.

That is fine when the goal of the visit is to hang out with the dog.

It is not fine when:

You have clients or colleagues over for a serious conversation

Your guests are not dog people or are nervous around dogs

Someone is dressed for an event and does not want paw prints and hair on their clothes

Crating the dog can feel too extreme for some situations. Letting them run the room is the other extreme.

The Place command is the middle ground.

You can:

Send your dog to their mat or bed

Let them calmly watch from a distance

Release them to greet people when you choose, under your rules

The result is simple: you control the environment. Your dog does not.

The Command Does Not Have To Be “Place”

Your dog does not care which word you use. They care that it is consistent.

In my own case, I taught my male Rottweiler, Force, the word “Pillow”.

“Pillow” is his version of the Place command.

When I say “Pillow”:

He comes off my bed

Goes onto his own dog pillow

Lies down and settles for the night

That is all the Place command is:

A clear, simple rule that tells your dog where to be and what to do.

You can use “Place”, “Bed”, “Spot”, “Pillow”, whatever feels natural. The training and structure behind it are what matter.

How The Place Command Improves Your Relationship With Your Dog

Structure is not the opposite of love. It is how you make living with a dog sustainable.

When your dog understands the Place command:

They are not guessing what you want

They are not constantly testing boundaries for attention

They have a clear job in busy moments

That reduces:

Whining

Pacing

Jumping

“In your face” attention seeking

Your dog becomes calmer because you are finally communicating clearly. Your bond improves because both of you can relax.

That is the part most owners underestimate.

Why Most Owners Never Get This Far

The idea of the Place command sounds simple. The execution is where people fall apart.

Common mistakes I see in dog training:

Letting the dog break Place constantly with no consequence

Not proofing the command around real life distractions

Only practicing Place for a few seconds at a time

Mixing it up with random words and inconsistent rules

Then the owner says, “Place doesn’t work for my dog”.

No. It was never really trained.

This is exactly where working with an experienced online dog trainer saves you months of trial and error.

If Your Dog Needed This Since Yesterday…

If you are reading this thinking:

“That is exactly what I need in my home, my office and my life”

then good. That awareness is the first step.

I help busy dog owners all over the U.S. , Canada, and Europe use the Place command to reduce chaotic behavior and build real obedience, through structured online dog training sessions.

We work:

Live, via video

In your real environment

Around your real schedule

👉 Click here to book a FREE 30-minute video consultation with me if your dog needed the Place command since yesterday 🤣

We will look at your dog, your space and your routine, and I will show you what needs to change so your dog has a clear “Place” and you finally get some mental bandwidth back.

-Marc Windgassen

No Drive... No Joy