Luring and Place

The goal

Place means getting onto the bed and staying there until FREE. Your dog can stand, sit, lie down or change position while remaining on the bed.

Practise the pattern

1. Lure your dog onto the bed.
2. Once they are fully on, say YES and reward them there.
3. Before they step off, say GOOD and reward again on the bed.
4. Use GOOD and rewards to build time on the bed.
5. Say FREE and encourage them off.
6. Reset and repeat.

Add the cue and fade the lure

Once your dog follows the lure reliably, say PLACE just before you lure. After enough repetitions, say PLACE and pause, giving them a chance to move onto the bed before helping.

For other lured behaviours, follow the same order: lure into position, mark YES and reward there. Add the word before the lure once the movement is reliable.

Keep it achievable

Keep sessions short. If your dog steps off before FREE, reduce the duration and reward sooner. Finish with an easy success.

Supporting resources

Our Markers handout · Loading a Marker handout