A woman attempting to train her clingy puppy has left internet viewers in stitches.
Talia Vaughan Grijalva (@taliavaughangrijalva) shared a video of her attempting to place-train her pup, and his vocalizations have stirred a viral reaction. The clip has since garnered over 174,000 likes and more than 1 million views.
“Ask me how place training is going,” she wrote as the text overlaying the Staffordshire bull terrier pup, sitting on a blanket with a leash on, making deep, husky bark sounds. With many comparing him to a dinosaur, the owner captioned the post: “What in the Jurassic Park.”
Place training—sometimes called “go to your place”—is a useful obedience exercise that helps dogs learn to settle calmly in a designated spot, such as a bed or mat, until released.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) says that the goal is to teach pups impulse control and provide them with a sense of structure and security. By consistently guiding a dog to their “place” and rewarding calm behavior, owners can help manage household chaos, prevent unwanted behaviors such as jumping or begging, and create a reliable cue that keeps their pets relaxed even in busy environments.
The star of the viral video, a Staffordshire bull terrier, is known for being an affectionate and intelligent breed with a big personality. According to the AKC, Staffies are muscular yet compact dogs that are courageous, loyal, and especially loving toward their families. They thrive on companionship and benefit from clear boundaries and consistent training. Because of their strength and energy, exercises such as place training can be particularly helpful in teaching them patience and focus.
TikTok users were quick to react to the video, flooding the comments with humor and relatability. “Congratulations! You got yourself a velocidoggor!” said one user.
“And that’s how you know you got a Staffordshire terrier lol [laugh out loud],” shared another.
Some defended the training method, with one person writing: “I came here to see how many fake pet lovers there are who will be saying that’s cruel. What’s cruel is not teaching your pets rules and then they hurt or worse. Recall and place training will save your pet’s life.”
Another viewer posted: “I have never heard of ‘place training’ need to look into it, my 3 month old is driving me insane, for myself the ‘puppy blues’.”
A third added: “Place training for a Stafford is pretty standard practice I would think, I love the raptor sounds.”
Newsweek reached out to Talia Vaughan Grijalva for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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