Your Most Versatile Command

The most important command for a dog to know is definitely “come.”  It can literally mean the difference between life or death.

However, I have to say that the most versatile command is “place.”  From practical applications to tricks, there are simply so many ways to use “place!”  “Place” simply means “keep all four feet on that until I tell you otherwise.”  Let’s take a look at a few ways it can be used…

Grooming:  Keep your dog stationary while brushing, bathing, or wiping dirty paws

Vet Office:  Have an easy way to tell your dog to jump up onto the exam table or scale

Visitors:  Prevent your dog from sniffing, jumping on, or otherwise harassing your guests

Quiet Time:  Instead of a crate, use “place” to enforce a calm, quiet time

Meal Time:  A great way to prevent begging, table-surfing, and other annoying behavior while the humans are eating

Sidelines:  Teach you dog to chill on the sidelines while kids are playing outside with a ball or inside with a puzzle

Travel:  Make traveling easier by having your dog “place” on a towel in the boat, car, or train

Photo Ops:  Cute photo opportunities when your dog “places” on a log, large rock, statue, or other unusual item

Parlor Tricks:  Impress your friends by teaching your dog to “place” on a skateboard, baby stroller, large ball, or other creative object

If your dog already knows “place,” I hope this gives you some new ideas on implementing it.  If your dog hasn’t learned “place,” I hope this gives you incentive to start the process.  Happy training!