It is refreshing to walk into a friend’s house that has a calm and relaxed dog. What if your dog was able to lay down in a particular spot while the rest of the family and guests sit for dinner. It makes the entire household feel serene. But how do you achieve this goal? What does it take to teach your dog to “go to your spot” and relax? Here are some tips on how to teach your dog this command by utilizing tasty treats.
Prepare an area for relaxing containing a doggy mat or bed. Next, call your dog over to the location and say, “Go to your spot,” while holding a treat near your dog’s nose. Allow your dog to smell and see the treat, then toss the pet treat to the mat. Your dog will automatically follow the treat. Once this occurs, react by clapping your hands, step away and call for your dog to move off the dog bed.
Repeat this technique. Your dog will associate going to the mat with a grain-free dog treat. Thus, your dog will stay or remain near the mat. Eventually, you shall replace the pet treats with hand signals cuing your dog to “go to your spot.” Your dog will begin to understand. To make this command stick, try removing you and the dog a distance from the actual area and practice with the treat again. Your dog will begin to digest this information. Therefore, if you are ever in a different room, and need your dog to “go to your spot”, then your dog will exhibit the desirable action requested.
Teaching your dog commands is not difficult. It takes lots of repetition, tasty pet treats, and patience. If you have all three of these factors, then you are on your way to building a happy, healthy life for your pup and the entire household.