I like the place command. I teach it, I used it, I do believe it is practical in certain situations. But I use it for seconds or minutes, rather than hours on end. For things like answering the front door, when guests come in, eating a meal, taking boiling water from one side of the kitchen to the other, when kids are running around, when Uncle Steve drool becomes too long and I’m afraid if he shakes, it’ll get into the food. The longest I would use it is maybe a half hour, or maybe during down time for a movie night.
I like it because there is a boundary, clearer than just a stay. I like it because we can use a comfy bed for it or add a bone to chew on it. I like it to help with self control. I like it to help teach calm.
I hate it when I see it used as the sole or main way to reduce behavioural issues (which it does not). I hate it when I see it used to try and reduce the activity of naturally high drive, busy dogs. I hate it when I hear of dogs either on place or in their crate, and this is how they have to live their life.
On my own dogs? I don’t use it much. Mostly for the boiling water thing or if one of the terriers is obsessively supervising my vacuuming skills, or again, if the drool has surpassed a foot long. And come to think of it, in daily life, I don’t use obedience much either, just when I want to practice something in short bursts or again, the boiling water thing.
My preference over all, if you teach your dog nothing else, teach them how to self regulate, and that with calm comes good things. At that point, you’ll rarely need place, or any other obedience inside the house.
As I write this, my crazy, high energy, get into trouble sometimes, steal shoes to note when she has to go outside Patterdale is laying quietly at my feet … on place no less. I didn’t ask her to, she knows once I’m busy or relaxing, she might as well join in. And it just so happens that she’s been heavily reinforced on place (these fantastic dollar store foam tiles) while I sit. Not usually when I ask her to, just when she chooses to.
She’s bad sometimes … but she’s got a wicked sense or humour that I can truly appreciate, so that trumps the badness in my books. She’s a nut of a dog, but has learned how to self regulate and that calm is important and rewarding. She’s learned, as all the dogs do from day one, that demanding, pushy, bratty, attention seeking behaviour will not get her anything that she desires. She’s learned that calm gets her the good stuff. This is the easiest way to teach self regulation. I couldn’t imagine making her place for hours on end. It would be a disaster in the making. I think she would explode. If I don’t have that much staying power, how can I expect my dogs to? Well, I mean Steve will choose his bed (or drinking water) over any other activity always, but I digress. He is a bulldogge.
Bottom line, use place strategically in those situations where it is warranted, but don’t over use it in order to try and intrinsically change who your dog is or to try and make them into the low energy dog who they will likely never be. If you don’t want a dog moving around your house and being a dog, may I suggest a stuffed animal instead?
Here is a link to the post that I sorted me to write this.
Smart Dogs Canine Training Milton 