You can teach grown dogs to go to a place board, half-crate, or pre-identified area on command. This serves to balance e-collar pressures because the action involves pressure for the dog to move away from the handler rather than toward the handler. This “kennel” command is useful for loading a dog into boats, blinds, and crates. You will do initial force on casts using this command and introductory work on jumps. This is a versatile command.

You can begin work on the kennel command once the pup knows sit. Use a place board about 12” x 12” and 2” high. Your pup will outgrow several puppy place boards so don’t make them too fancy—I bet an old college text book will do to start.

Use a treat to lure him on the board. When he climbs up give him the teat. Pause and allow him to explore and then climb off.  Repeat.

When your pup is readily climbing up on the board add the cue.  Say “kennel” just as he begins to climb up.

Begin to tell your pup to sit when he is on the place board. He has enough success now that you can stop giving the treat for climbing up and only treat for the sit when he is up. Very quickly you should be able to drop the sit command and his “kennel” will mean kennel up and sit.

Call him off a place board to a remote sit near the board and then cast him to kennel again. AS he learns this pattern you can teach him all the directional casts–left and right over, left and right backs.