How do I teach my dog space?
All dog owners ask themselves this question at least once in their lives.
«Place» is an important command and should work as smoothly as possible.
Especially in public transport or public places, it is an advantage if your dog can reliably lie down quietly.
We have created a step-by-step guide that will take you and your dog by the hand and paw.
In a nutshell: Teach space – this is how it works
you want yours Teach puppies space or do you have an adult dog that has never learned the command?
With these step-by-step instructions, your dog will learn the command in no time.
- Have your dog perform a «sit.»
- Grab a treat.
- Guide the treat down in front of your dog’s chest until it rests between his front paws.
- Once your dog moves his head and shoulders down and is completely on the ground, reward him.
- Say the command as soon as you give the treat.
For more tips and guidance, check out our dog training bible. This saves you a tedious search on the Internet.
Teach your dog space – you still have to consider that
Actually, the trick is so easy for us to understand, but your dog won’t lie down?
Is he ignoring the treat in front of his chest?
Would he rather jump around and play with something?
How to solve these problems:
Dog doesn’t want to lie down
In general, there is only for this four different reasons:
- your dog is the ground too hard
- your dog doesn’t understand the command
- your dog is closed many other things on your mind
- your dog has Fear
Too hard floor
Sensitive and old dogs are reluctant to lie down if the ground is too hard. The joints already hurt anyway.
So find one carpet or a matwhere you can practice with your dog.
Dog does not understand command
If your dog doesn’t understand the command, you were too quick. Start all over again calmly and go (using our step-by-step guide below) through each step slowly.
Dog is distracted while training
Puppies or active dogs in particular sometimes have too much on their mind or are exposed to exciting environmental influences.
Make sure yours training environment calm is and your dog play or romp between training can.
Dog is afraid when lying down
Just think about the following:
If someone attacks you and you are lying flat on your stomach, how much time does it take you to get up and react?
If you stand, however, your reaction time is significantly shorter.
So is your dog.
Restless (guard) dogs in particular do not like to lie down because they would not be ready immediately in the event of an attack.
In these cases you have to for a quiet, familiar and safe training environment care for.
How long will it take…
… until your dog can make room.
Since every dog learns at a different speed, the question of how long it takes can only be answered vaguely.
Most dogs get the point after just a few tries. However, it will take longer for your dog to lie down reliably, calmly and immediately.
Expect that you around 5 to 10 training sessions of 10-15 minutes each will need until your dog is absolutely safe.
Utensils needed
Treats! Food helps enormously with training.
However, since most of these are not particularly low in calories, you should use them more sparingly during training.
In the beginning, however, the treats are a good help in directing the dog’s head in the right direction.
Step-by-step instructions: Teach the dog space
- You start with your dog in the sitting position.
- Then grab a treat and place it down between the front paws just in front of the dog’s nose.
- If you hold the treat too close, your dog will try to grab it from your hand. On the other hand, if you hold it too far away, he will run after the treat.
- As soon as your dog lowers his shoulders and head and is completely on the ground, you can reward him.
- Choose a command. “Place” is the most common.
- Have your dog do the trick again and say the command out loud once your dog is completely on the ground. At the same time you reward him with the treat. This is how your dog will associate the command with the pose.
Explainer video
Conclusion
«Down» is a command every dog should know. In dangerous situations or in public places, it is a huge advantage if your dog reliably remains lying down.
In addition, any dog, no matter how old, can learn this trick.
For more tips and guidance, check out our dog training bible.