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Send away training is one of the most useful advanced obedience skills you can teach your dog. It combines distance control, precision targeting, and off-leash reliability into one clean behavior: you point, your dog goes to a specific spot, and stays until released.
Competition trainers use send away for advanced obedience routines, but the same skill helps everyday owners manage their dogs from a distance. Your dog can send to a raised platform at the dog park, target a mat in a busy cafe, or settle on a designated spot at a friend’s house. The platform gives your dog a clear physical target to aim for, which makes the learning process faster and more reliable than training without one.
This guide walks you through a five-step method that builds send away from scratch. You’ll start with platform charging and progress through distance, direction, distractions, and platform fading. Each step builds on the last, so by the end your dog can send to any target you name from anywhere in the room.
What Is the Send Away Command?
Send away is a cue that tells your dog to travel to a specified location and stop there. Unlike the place command—which means “go to your bed and stay there until released”—send away focuses on the movement itself. The dog moves to the target, gets rewarded for reaching it, and is released. There’s no prolonged stay component in the basic version.
The command is useful for dog sports like rally, obedience, and agility, but it also has real-world applications. You can send your dog to their mat when guests arrive, direct them to a platform in the yard for a photo, or guide them to a specific spot at the vet’s office. The more precise your dog’s send away, the more control you have in any situation.
Most dogs pick up the concept in a few sessions because the target platform provides clear feedback. When all four paws are on the platform, your dog knows they’ve done the right thing. That clarity accelerates learning and builds confidence.
Why Use a Target Platform?
A target platform is a raised, flat surface—usually 6–12 inches off the ground with a non-slip top. It gives your dog a distinct tactile boundary. When your dog steps onto the platform, they feel the edge under their paws and know they’ve arrived at the target. That physical feedback is far more reliable than a flat mat or a marked spot on the floor.
Platforms also improve precision because the target size is fixed. A 2×2-foot platform gives your dog a specific area to aim for, and you can tell immediately whether they hit the target or missed. With a flat mat, your dog might land with only two paws on it and still think they succeeded. The platform eliminates that ambiguity.
If you don’t have a dedicated training platform, you can use a sturdy ottoman, a plastic crate with a flat top, or a commercial agility platform. The key requirements are stability (it shouldn’t wobble), a non-slip surface, and a clear edge your dog can feel. Avoid soft surfaces like pillows or thick cushions that compress under your dog’s weight.
Step 1: Charge the Platform
Before you can send your dog to the platform from a distance, they need to understand that the platform itself is rewarding. Charging the platform means teaching your dog that standing on it earns treats, with no other criteria attached.
Place the platform on a non-slip floor in a quiet room. Stand next to it with a handful of small, soft treats. Lure your dog onto the platform and say “yes” or click the moment all four paws make contact. Drop a treat on the platform so your dog stays there to eat it. If your dog hops off immediately, that’s fine—just lure them back on and reward again.
Repeat this 10–15 times in the first session. You want your dog to think “platform equals treats” before you add any distance or direction. Most dogs catch on within 2–3 minutes. When your dog runs to the platform eagerly as soon as you approach it, the platform is charged and you’re ready for Step 2.
Trainer Tip: Use high-value treats for platform work—small pieces of chicken, cheese, or freeze-dried liver. The platform should be the best thing in the room. If your dog is lukewarm about the platform, the treats aren’t valuable enough.
Step 2: Add Distance Gradually
Once your dog loves the platform, it’s time to add distance. The key is to increase distance in tiny increments so your dog keeps succeeding. Start with your body one step away from the platform. Point at it and say your chosen cue—“platform,” “go place,” or “target.”
Your dog should step onto the platform easily at this distance. Mark and reward. If your dog looks confused, go back to Step 1 and charge for another 5 repetitions. You can also use a hand target at the platform edge to guide your dog onto it if they need extra help.
Increase distance one step at a time over multiple sessions. From one step to two steps is a small enough jump that most dogs understand immediately. The jump from two steps to four steps is too big—your dog will break position and wander. Stay at each distance until your dog sends to the platform confidently 8 out of 10 times before moving farther back.
Work up to about 10–15 feet before moving to Step 3. At this distance your dog understands the game: cue + point = run to platform and get a treat. The distance itself isn’t the goal right now—accuracy is. A perfect 5-foot send is more valuable than a sloppy 20-foot send.
Step 3: Introduce Directional Cues
So far you’ve been standing next to the platform or in the same general area. For send away to work in the real world, your dog needs to find the platform from any angle and any position in the room. Move the platform to a different spot and practice the same send exercise from various locations.
Start with the platform on your left side and send from the right. Then move the platform behind you and send from across the room. Practice sends where your dog has to turn around completely to find the platform. Each new angle is a new skill for your dog, so don’t expect perfect performance on the first try from every angle.
If your dog struggles with a particular angle, shorten the distance. Make it easy and build up. The point of this step is to teach your dog that “platform” means the actual physical object wherever it is, not “go to that specific spot on the floor.”
Step 4: Add Distractions
A send away that only works in your living room isn’t very useful. You need to proof the behavior by practicing with distractions. Start mild: have someone walk across the room while your dog is mid-send. Practice with a favorite toy sitting near the platform. Try it with the TV on or the back door open.
If your dog breaks off the send to investigate the distraction, that’s normal. Reset your dog, reduce the distraction level (move the toy farther away, have the person walk more slowly), and try again. Reward only successful sends where your dog touches the platform without veering off.
Gradually increase distraction intensity. Practice outdoors in your yard, then at a quiet park, then at a busier park. Each new environment resets the distraction level—your dog will need practice in each one before the send away is reliable everywhere. Plan for 3–5 sessions per new environment.
Trainer Tip: If your dog consistently breaks off toward a specific distraction (another dog, food on the ground), you’re pushing too fast. Drop back to a distraction-free environment for one session, then reintroduce the distraction at a lower intensity (farther away, behind a barrier, shorter duration).
Step 5: Fade the Platform
Once your dog sends to the platform reliably at 15–20 feet with moderate distractions, you can start fading the platform itself. The goal is for your dog to send to any location you designate—not just the one platform they’ve been training on.
Start by replacing the platform with a flat mat of similar size. The mat doesn’t have the raised edges your dog is used to, so they may overshoot or undershoot at first. Keep the distance short (5–10 feet) and reward generously when your dog’s front paws land on the mat. Gradually shape toward all four paws on the mat.
Next, practice with a folded towel, a cardboard square, or a marked area on the floor. Each new target teaches your dog that “send away” means “stop at the thing I’m pointing at,” not “stop at the raised blue thing.” Eventually your dog will stop at any target you point to, even a bare patch of ground.
Some trainers keep a specific platform for formal training and use other targets for general use. That’s fine—your dog can learn that “platform” means the raised surface and “go spot” means anything. Just be consistent with your cue words so your dog knows which one you’re asking for.
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting
Moving too fast. This is the most common error. You add 10 feet of distance at once, or move the platform to a new room and expect the same performance. Your dog wasn’t ready. Drop back to the last successful distance or environment and progress more slowly.
Using the same treat every time. Platform work is demanding, and your dog needs to stay motivated. Rotate between 3–4 high-value treats and throw surprise jackpots (5 treats in a row) when your dog nails a difficult send. Predictable treats lead to predictable boredom.
Not pointing clearly. Your point is your dog’s directional guide. A vague arm wave or pointing with a treat in your hand confuses your dog. Point with your full arm extended, index finger toward the target, and hold the point until your dog reaches the platform. Practice your point before you practice the send.
Repeating the cue. Saying “platform” over and over while your dog hesitates teaches them that the cue means “maybe later.” Say the cue once, point, and wait. If your dog doesn’t move, reset and try at a shorter distance. Multiple repetitions of the cue weaken its meaning.
Rewarding partial sends. If your dog steps onto the platform with two paws and you mark, you’ve taught a two-paw send. Hold out for all four paws every time. If your dog consistently offers two paws, the platform might be too small or your dog might not feel secure on it. Try a larger platform and check the non-slip surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my dog won’t stay on the platform?
If your dog hops off immediately, you moved too fast. Go back to charging the platform: reward every second your dog stays on it. Build duration before adding distance. Use a platform with a non-slip surface so your dog feels secure.
Can I use a dog bed instead of a platform?
Yes, a firm dog bed works as a target, but raised platforms are better for precision because the edges give clear tactile feedback. If using a bed, choose one with a distinct shape so your dog can feel when all four paws are on it.
How long does it take to train a reliable send away?
Most dogs learn the basics in 3–5 short sessions of 5 minutes each. Distance and distraction proofing takes 2–4 weeks of consistent practice. Working breeds and experienced dogs may pick it up faster; young puppies need more time building the foundation.
Is send away the same as the place command?
Not exactly. The place command means “go to your bed and stay there.” Send away means “go to that specific spot right now”—the dog sends to the target, gets rewarded, and is released. Send away is a precision obedience movement, not a settle-and-stay behavior.
Next Steps
Tonight, grab a platform or a sturdy ottoman and run through Step 1 with your dog. Keep it to 5 minutes—you want your dog wanting more, not checking out. Repeat the charging session tomorrow morning, and by tomorrow evening your dog should be running to the platform eagerly.
Once the platform is charged, add one step of distance each session. Don’t rush. A solid send away at 5 feet is more useful than a sloppy send at 20 feet. Track your sessions in a notebook: note the distance, distraction level, and success rate for each session. When you hit 80% success at one level, you’re ready for the next.
If you hit a plateau, go back to the last successful step and rebuild from there. The platform method is self-correcting—if your dog struggles, the platform tells you immediately where the gap is. Trust the process, keep sessions short, and your dog will learn to send away to any target you choose.
