Teach Your Dog to Go to Place & Stay: A Step-by-Step Guide for Calm, Settled Behavior 🐾
Doberman laying on a raised cot practicing the “place” cue, while maintaining a down/stay
🐾 Why “Place” is One of the Most Useful Tools You’ll Ever Teach
Imagine this:
Your doorbell rings.
Your dog rushes toward the door, barking, spinning, or jumping…
But instead of chaos, they pause, trot over to a mat, and lie down calmly — without you needing to say a word.
This is the power of teaching your dog “place.”
Unlike basic obedience cues like “sit” or “down,” place teaches your dog to go to a specific spot, settle, and remain calm — even with distractions like guests, deliveries, or dinnertime excitement.
It’s more than a cue or command.
It’s a lifestyle skill that brings structure, predictability, and peace to your daily routine.
Whether your dog is excitable, anxious, or just needs clearer boundaries, place work helps them learn:
Where to go
When to settle
And how to feel confident doing nothing at all
In this guide, you’ll learn how to teach your dog to go to place and stay using simple, reward-based steps that actually work. I’ll walk you through setup, real-life scenarios, troubleshooting tips — and even share my favorite tools for success.
Let’s get started.
🧰 Recommended Tools to Support Your Training
While place and stay can be taught with minimal equipment, the right tools make a huge difference — especially when building consistency and reliability in the real world.
Below are my top recommendations for mats, tethers, and accessories to make your training smoother, cleaner, and more effective.
Heads up: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something I’ve shared, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend tools and products I personally use or love. Read my full disclaimer here
🛏️ Place Mats & Cots
1. Indoor Portable Mats
Great for indoor use when you want to move your training sessions to different rooms— non-slip bottom and easy to clean
→ Best Portable Comfort Option
→ Best Non-Skid Portable Option
2. Elevated Cot with Airflow
Perfect for dogs who run hot or need clear mat boundaries. The raised frame helps define “place” visually and physically.
→ My Favorite Elevated Cot
3. Travel Mat
Ideal for public outings, dog-friendly patios, or on-the-go training. Roll it up, toss it in a bag, and bring “place” anywhere.
→ My Favorite Travel Mat
🧷 Tethers & Management Tools
1. Indoor Tethering System
Use this to gently restrict your dog’s movement during practice or guest arrivals. Great for safety and success.
→ Best Tether to Attach to Heavy Furniture
→ Versatile Leash with Attachment Points
2. Light Leash/ Drop Line
Use a lightweight leash when we begin to introduce “stay” with added distractions. This provides a way to control your dog if they wander off.
→ My Favorite Lightweight Option
3. Walk-Through Baby Gate
Block doorways or create guest-free zones while still allowing visibility. Helpful during early place training.
→ Top-Rated Gate
4. Long-Lasting Chews for Stay Duration
Support calm, focused stays with chews your dog can enjoy on their mat.
→ Browse My Favorite Yak Chew & Yak Chew Holder
→ Browse My Favorite Bully Stick & Bull Stick Holder
🧍 Getting Started: Body Language & Mechanics Matter
Before teaching your dog the word “place,” we want them to learn the concept through clear body language and environmental cues — without using your arms to point or lure.
Dogs are natural observers. If your body is oriented with purpose, they’ll begin to follow your intention without needing verbal or physical prompts.
🦶 Step 1: Load the Mat
Start with your dog nearby and a handful of small, soft treats.
Walk calmly over to the mat and stand with your toes touching the edge.
Keep your shoulders, hips, and feet all facing the mat, as if it's the most interesting thing in the room.
Stare at the mat — seriously! Gaze at it with quiet, magnetic focus.
📍 Don't say anything.
📍 Don’t point.
📍 Just let your stillness and curiosity do the work.
Your dog will naturally feel drawn to investigate the mat.
The moment any part of their body touches it, immediately mark with a “yes!” and place a few treats directly onto the mat. The placement of the treat matters — We want the dog to sniff and investigate the mat in this early stage. If they expect treats appearing on the mat, they will naturally spend more time sniffing and lingering there.
Then calmly walk away, toss a treat a few feet off the mat, and reset to try again. Go back to staring at the mat and waiting for them to return.
🔁 Step 2: Build Repetition & Meaning
Repeat this process 5–10 times in short sessions. Each time your dog steps onto the mat, they get rewarded on the mat — and then released with a treat toss. Our goal is to magnetize them to the mat. They should be eagerly and quickly returning to look for their next reward.
You’re teaching:
Mat = reward happens here
“Yes” = you did the right thing
“Free” = now you can move
This builds a powerful association without any commands — just calm observation and intentional movement.
🛏️ Step 3: Add the Auto-Down on Place
Once your dog is confidently stepping onto the mat, it’s time to shape what “place” actually means — not just go to it, but settle on it.
We want the word “place” to eventually imply:
➡️ Go to your mat and lay down calmly until released.
Here’s how to start conditioning that behavior:
🐾 What to Do:
Stand close to the mat like before.
When your dog walks onto it, mark with a “yes!” — but don’t deliver the treat just yet.
Pause briefly, then lure them into a down position using the treat in your hand.
Once they’re lying down, deliver the treat on the mat
Then release them as usual and repeat.
🔁 Why This Works:
By marking the moment they step onto the mat, you’re reinforcing the first half of the behavior.
But by delaying the treat until they lie down, you’re shaping the full sequence — and helping them naturally understand that “place” also means lie down and settle.
After a few sessions, many dogs will begin offering the down on their own, anticipating the full routine.
🗣️ Step 4: Adding Distance & the Verbal Cue
Once your dog is confidently magnetized and stepping onto the mat during your quiet body-led repetitions, it’s time to start layering in the verbal cue: “Place.”
But timing is everything.
🎯 When to Say “Place”
You’ll only begin using the word after your dog clearly understands the behavior.
Saying it too early — before the action is reliable — can water down the meaning.
Now that your dog is offering the behavior easily:
Begin by saying “place” right before your dog steps onto the mat.
If they follow through, mark with “yes!” and reward on the mat.
If they hesitate, wait quietly. Don’t repeat the word or add pressure.
🐾 Pro tip: Say it once, then let your body stay in the same mat-facing position.
Dogs will often finish the job on their own when they realize your gaze is still pointed to the mat.
↔️ Start Adding Distance
As your dog becomes more fluent, start increasing your distance from the mat in small increments.
Take a step or two back from the mat and say “place.”
If your dog hesitates, step forward again, look at the mat, and give them a moment.
Celebrate any success and reset with a treat toss + release cue.
The goal is for your dog to begin responding to “place” even when you’re further away or in different areas of the room.
🚦 If They Don’t Follow Through...
No need to repeat yourself or add pressure. Instead:
Pause.
Step closer to the mat again.
Wait silently, continue looking at the mat, and give them a fresh moment to reorient.
If your dog is still engaged, they will try to figure out what to do in that awkward pause moment.
If your dog is no longer engaged and wandering off, grab their leash, go back and go back to an easier step.
Avoid saying “place” more than once — we want the word to carry weight, not become background noise.
🛋️ Step 5: Building the Automatic Down
Eventually, you’ll want your dog to go to place and lie down — without needing to tell them.
This is called the automatic down and it’s a powerful way to help your dog shift from “standing still” to fully relaxing on their mat.
But we don’t force it. We wait for it. We shape it.
Why It Matters
Dogs who are standing in “place” are still alert, braced, and ready to spring into action. But dogs who lie down are physically and emotionally settling — which is the real goal of place work.
A calm body = a calm nervous system.
And a calm nervous system can make better choices.
🍖 How to Encourage the Automatic Down
Once your dog is consistently stepping onto the mat, now instead of immediately saying “yes!” when they touch the mat, wait patiently to see if they offer a down on their own, without immediately jumping into luring them.. They should remember the pattern we have created when luring in our earlier steps— no treats released until they are settled.
If they do lay down, mark with “yes!” and reward generously on the mat.
You can even drop several treats in a row to really reinforce it — this is called a “jackpot reward.”
If they don’t lie down right away, that’s okay — go back to luring them into a down and give it time and reps.
👉 Pro tip: Stand still and ignore them slightly. Often when the excitement dies down, the dog will lie down naturally.
⏳ Don’t Rush the Process
At this stage, avoid saying “down” or physically luring them into a down position.
We want this to be their choice, not your command.
Let’s give them a chance to problem solve.
This builds:
Confidence
Emotional regulation
True relaxation, not obedience under pressure
Once they start offering it regularly, you’ll see the shift:
They walk to their mat, lie down, and breathe deeper — because now, they know what this space is for.
✋ Step 6: Introducing “Stay” — The 3 D’s
Now that your dog is eagerly going to their mat and settling, it’s time to layer in the next piece: settling.
We want your dog not just to lie down — but to stay relaxed on their mat while the world moves around them.
This is where we introduce The 3 D’s of Stay Training.
During this stage it is best to practice with a light weight leash, or a drag line, attached to their collar so you can guide them back if they are overly distracted.
➡️ My favorite light weight leash can be found here
🅓 1: Distance
Start to take a few steps away from the mat while your dog remains in place.
Take 1–2 steps back → return → “yes” → treat on the mat
Gradually increase distance as long as your dog remains calm and settled
If they get up, reset calmly and take a smaller step next time
🔁 Repeat this until you can move around the room and your dog holds their stay. Start off easy, with a shift of your weight, then maybe a half step, then a full step, then two. Be unpredictable. Go back to rewarding short distances away as well as longer distances. Turning your back can be challenging, so make sure to stay close when you first attempt this — they often will attempt to follow you at this stage. Keep it easy with short sessions, and the rate of reinforcement high.
💡 Trainers Tip: If your dog breaks the stay two times, do not let it happen a third.
That is how the wrong patterns develop. Use that as information to go back to easier steps.
🅓 2: Distraction
Once your dog is confident with distance, begin to add real-life distractions:
Light knocking or playing quiet recorded door bell sounds on your phone
Picking up keys
Moving around quickly
Someone walking past
Tossing a toy nearby (for advanced stages)
💡 Start mild. Build slowly.
Only add distractions your dog can handle without breaking — and reward generously when they stay calm.
🅓 3: Duration
Now increase the amount of time your dog stays on their mat.
Start small (5–10 seconds) and work up to 1–5+ minutes over time.
Great ways to build duration:
Give them a long-lasting chew while on the mat
Use an indoor tether to keep them nearby as you work
Practice while you cook dinner, fold laundry, or check emails
🧩 Pro Tip: Mix the D’s Gradually
Only work on one D at a time when introducing stay.
If you increase duration, keep distractions minimal.
If you add a distraction, stay close and reward quickly.
Too much too fast = confusion or frustration.
🔧 Step 7: Troubleshooting Stay
Even with great training, your dog might struggle to hold “place” at times — and that’s completely normal. What matters is how you respond when it happens.
Here’s how to handle it when things don’t go as planned:
❌ If Your Dog Gets Up Too Early…
Don’t panic, scold, or repeat the cue.
Instead:
Calmly say nothing, take a breath, and walk them back to the mat
Wait for a few seconds of them staying on the mat — If your dog broke the stay after 10 seconds, try to reward around the 5 second mark before they break the stay a second time.
Reward on the mat to reinforce the stay
This time, wait a little longer before releasing or rewarding again.
This teaches:
“You get rewarded for staying… not for getting up early.”
🕒 Don’t Reward Too Quickly After a Mistake
If your dog breaks stay and you return them to the mat, avoid immediately rewarding just for being back there.
✅ Instead, build a couple of seconds of calm
✅ Then mark and reward
✅ That creates a clearer boundary: stay = reward, break = reset
🧠 Stay Calm & Keep Sessions Short
If your dog is struggling repeatedly, it might be a sign that:
The session is too long
You’re asking for too much distance or distraction too soon
Or your dog is mentally tired and needs a break
Keep sessions short, successful, and positive. It’s okay to end on a win and come back later.
🎯 Think 3–5 minute mini-sessions, not marathons.
🚪 Step 8: Using Place When the Doorbell Rings
This is one of the most powerful uses for place training — teaching your dog how to stay calm when guests arrive.
But we don’t start with a real delivery or a surprise knock.
We practice on purpose to help your dog succeed.
🧩 Step-by-Step Plan
Recruit a helper (friend, neighbor, or family member)
Put your dog on leash and have your high-value treats ready — Read about high value options here
Cue your dog to “place” before the doorbell rings
Have your helper ring the bell or knock
If your dog stays on the mat → “yes!” and reward generously
If they break → calmly walk them back, pause and reward once they reset after a few seconds, not immediately after the mistake.
Repeat the knock/bell 5–10 times per session to desensitize
💡 Don’t open the door yet — the goal is to build calm before adding more stimulation. Eventually, when the door sounds become less stimulating, you can practice the 3 D’s by working your way closer to the door, and eventually opening it. Do no rush to this step.
🔒 Tip: Use a Leash for Safety
Even well-trained dogs can get excited with real visitors.
Keep a leash nearby and consider tethering your dog to a sturdy object or using a baby gate. This prevents door-dashing and helps them succeed during early practice.
💬 What to Expect
Don’t be discouraged if your dog breaks place several times at first — that’s totally normal.
With repeated practice (in short, structured sessions), they’ll start to hear the doorbell and automatically go to their mat, anticipating reward instead of reacting.
It’s not magic. It’s muscle memory.
💛Final Encouragement + Next Steps
Teaching your dog to go to place and stay isn’t just a training goal — it’s a gift you’re giving your dog (and yourself).
You’re creating:
A space for them to feel grounded
A structure that makes your household calmer
And a shared language of trust and communication
It won’t happen overnight. But with consistency, compassion, and the steps in this guide, your dog will come to love “place” — not as a command, but as a place to exhale.
Even 5 minutes a day makes a difference.
Keep it light. Celebrate the wins. Revisit the basics as often as needed.
📞 Need Extra Support?
Every dog learns differently. If you’re feeling stuck or want a customized plan, we offer virtual and in-home dog training sessions to help guide you and your pup every step of the way.
💬 Let’s Connect!
Have you started place training with your dog yet?
Leave a comment and tell me what’s working — or where you’re getting stuck. I’d love to cheer you on and answer questions!
About the Author
Jackie Audette is the founder and head trainer at Channeled Canine Coaching based out of Alpharetta, GA, and virtually servicing clients worldwide. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and a Certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI), with over a decade of experience working with pet dogs, service dogs, and complex behavior cases. Jackie holds a bachelors degree in Animal Science and specializes in modern, reward-based training that builds trust and real-life results.
