Dog begging at the table? How to teach it to settle on a mat while you eat

If your dog presses against your leg every time you sit down to eat, it has learned a reliable strategy: proximity pays. Place training replaces that strategy with a better one. The dog goes to a designated mat, lies down, and stays there until released. It is not punishment. It is a job with a clear start, a clear end, and a reward for doing it well.

The learning principle behind place training