Potty on command?

[sycamore]

I have trained my BC, Sycamore, to go potty on command. I take her outside and she'll wait until I tell her to 'go potty'. One trainer told me it couldn't be done and said it was simply coincidence but a friend of mine had trained her Airedale to also go potty on demand. Very convienant when taking the dog for a walk and you want them to relieve themselves in a certain area or place in the yard. Has anyone else ever trained their dog to 'go' on command or am I just dreaming ?

[OurBoys]

No you aren't dreaming. I haven't exactly taught our boys to potty on command but I know a couple of people who have. One of them is into agility and because dogs can't use the bathroom on the course, it comes in real handy!!

[Aerie]

Recon and Eilidh both know this - came from having to live in an apartment for 6 months (ok, well, Eilidh was only there a few weeks, but she still learned it!) that has a super SUPER tiny bit of grass and an owner that had about 2 seconds of time between class and work - so the girls had to learn to go when I told them to go.

 

Recon will still go outside and do her business with no prompting, but she'll also respond immediately to the "potty" command. Very useful.

[vickim]

I have taught Whisper to potty on command--useful when I travel with her. Also first thing in the morning, when I don't have all the time in the world to inspect every tree that might have been visited by pesky raccoons in the night.

 

I learned the concept back in high school from a friend who raised border collies and did puppy walking for seeing eye dogs. Learning to potty on command was one of the many things that had to be taught to those puppies.

[Samantha J]

Yeah Holly will do it. My mum thinks it's funny as when Holly and I have had a play session in the garden and i am finished i stop say *Ok that's it do wee wee's* she stops, drops her ball or whatever and immediately does a wee and goes in.

I must admit i am quite proud when she does that

 

She will do her wee's etc in the garden on her own and whilst walking if she needs to go will pull slightly when she see's grass. If it is public grass i let her go but someones property i say *wait* find her some grass then *do wee* and she goes. Also that is good as Holly comes everywhere with us on our holidays and sometimes there is no grass so we tell her to go when we want her to go on something like some gravel etc. She won't go on pavements etc unless we tell her it's ok. I am impressed with her as we have never really taught her it that much, she just picked it up. It works for us and means we can take her in shops etc and be confident she won't let us down.

[Pipedream Farm]

"Hurry up" is what we use. Renee uses it before she takes her dogs out to work; no sheep time until after "Hurry up" (or at least faking it). We use it while on the road (at rest stops); we don't want to be waiting around while the dogs check out every smell.

 

Mark

[Samantha J]

"Hurry up" is what we use. Renee uses it before she takes her dogs out to work; no sheep time until after "Hurry up" (or at least faking it). We use it while on the road (at rest stops); we don't want to be waiting around while the dogs check out every smell.

 

Mark

 

 

That's funny, the faking it, i think Holly does that sometimes if we ask her to go before she is going to do something fun, she is excited and pretends i think sometimes just so she can go quickly.

 

 

I am curious - when working do they ever stop for a wee or other whilst in mid work. Or are they concentrating so much they don't need to go? Or maybe just trained not to be allowed to go once at work.

[Shetlander]

One trainer told me it couldn't be done and said it was simply coincidence but a friend of mine had trained her Airedale to also go potty on demand.

 

What trainer is that? Training a potty command is hardly a new concept. Geeze.

 

I've been using "hurry" for over 20 years with all my dogs.

[BustopherJones]

Annie not only responds to command, but does specific actions based on keywords as to the type of potty to do.

[PSmitty]

All of mine respond to "go potty, hurry up", too. My youngest is the best at it, in fact, he can be commanded to do either "job", since I say different things for both.

 

Yes, standing outside saying "potty" and "peepee" is embarrassing! I wish I had used different words.

[Samantha J]

Yes, standing outside saying "potty" and "peepee" is embarrassing! I wish I had used different words.

 

 

lol

 

I confess i chose weewee's and poopies, (even making the poor hubby say those words too!!) yes Holly knows the difference too.

[painted_ponies]

That trainer must not compete much. Just about every dog I know who spends much time on the road is trained to potty on command.

 

We used to have a lot of fun with my friend's Irish Wolfhound, who had the pee on command thing down pat. We'd crouch at ringside and say "Pee, Flynn" as she came gaiting by. She'd slam on the brakes and do it every time.

[KellyR]

Kaleb would potty on command 'Go Potty' worked just fine.

[Anda]

Ouzo tries to fake no. 2 if I am too insistent He would even scratch the ground/grass with his back legs, as if he's done pooping, when I know very well all he did was pee! Then looks at me all happy, "you see, I did it!". Yeah, right.... This is the same dog who at 2.5 months old would try to fake going potty on the balcony just so he can get his treat reward for asking to be let outside and going

 

He never has a problem with peeing, even after he's out of the very last drop of available liquid, he still makes attempts to dry-mark bushes

[Pipedream Farm]

I am curious - when working do they ever stop for a wee or other whilst in mid work. Or are they concentrating so much they don't need to go? Or maybe just trained not to be allowed to go once at work.

 

 

To do so during a run at a trial is a fault with deductions. I make sure mine are empty prior to a run so this won't be an issue. We don't have chores that last long enough that they would need a break; if we did as long as the pit stop didn't impact the job at hand I wouldn't care.

 

Mark

[IronHorse]

All 3 of mine know to pee or poop on command.

 

I use "puddle up" for pee ( for the girls)

I had to teach Thunderbolt to pee on command by useing "mark it" otherwise whenever I had all 3 of them together he had a tendency to pee on the girls. We had to make some adjustments for when a friend of ours is around who is named Mark, every time any of us 2 footed animals called him by name it would confuse Tbolt and after a couple of wet legs we all decided including Mark that his name around Tbolt would be Sam.

 

For a poop I use "dump out". (lulu has never quite caught on to this command yet, for some reason she thinks it means go find a ball to drop at my feet,but then she believes that is what the mystery of life is all about *Balls* I honestly believe that by the time that dogs life is over she will have fetched more balls then she had heartbeats.

[OurBoys]

We had to make some adjustments for when a friend of ours is around who is named Mark, every time any of us 2 footed animals called him by name it would confuse Tbolt and after a couple of wet legs we all decided including Mark that his name around Tbolt would be Sam.

 

[Root Beer]

I never really taught mine to potty on cue, but I sort of did inadvertantly.

 

When I am going to let them out to potty at home, I say "outside!" So, when I needed them to go in other places, I would say "outside". At first I often had to wait a while before they went, but all three of my originals know this now. Dean is getting there. If I take him with Speedy and Speedy goes on cue, Dean will follow Speedy's lead.

[MrSnappy]

We have "go potty" and "go other potty" commands. Mr. Woo studiously ignores these commands, but the others are quite good at it. "Other potty" is for defecating and if they don't comply, it means they don't have to go. Red Dog is the most compliant and will valiantly make an effort to squeeze one out even if he doesn't have to, just because I told him to

 

We also have a potty box on the deck for emergency and late night potties, and they know the command "In the box" so they don't just pee on the deck itself.

 

Mr. Woo, however, will not use the deck at all unless he is in dire straits. He seems to regard the deck as part of the house, and won't potty there.

 

RDM

[Meg's mum]

Meg knows that "GO SQUAT" means piddle, sometimes it takes a little encouragement, like "HUT, HUT" which means hurry your little furry butt up. She knows that "GO POOP" means just that. She will stop to squat in mid play - often ON her ball .

 

Sometimes when I'm trying to make sure she is ready to be left in the house, or go to bed, I get bit impatient on the 'poop' command. Meg has figured out that her little 'victory' kicks that follow and normal poop are useful as a signal that she 'just doesn't have to go' and its time to move on to something else.

[Samantha J]

To do so during a run at a trial is a fault with deductions. I make sure mine are empty prior to a run so this won't be an issue. We don't have chores that last long enough that they would need a break; if we did as long as the pit stop didn't impact the job at hand I wouldn't care.

 

Mark

 

 

Thank you

[Kayleegator]

Little Kaylee has been taught from day 1 that one back corner of our yard is where 'Go Potty' happens, with 'Good Potty' when she does. It's been several days since the last accident in the house: knock wood, I think she's got that part down. We are still working on 'Go Potty' outside of the yard, i.e. on walks: she'd rather hold it until an unsuspecting pedestrian comes walking by and then says 'Cute Puppy!' which will make her pee instantly, sigh.

[Guest TheRuffMuttGang]

Mine know "go potty" and "go poo." I have sent my dogs with people to flyball tournaments, etc, and they always comment that they wish their dogs would go on command so quickly.

[Kat's Dogs]

Yup, Dazzle goes on command too. Although if I tell her to and she either just went or really doesn't have to go - she does fake it. But it certainly is a helpful command. Most guide dogs or other service dogs trained to do this as well.

[DakotaSpirit]

My golden retriever was very good at the "go potty" command. Everytime I wanted to take her for a walk, we would go to the front yard and I would give her the command. She was NEVER hooked up to her leash and allowed to go walking until she squatted and either went or pretended to. I know alot of the time it was pretending so she could get going.

 

Spirit is picking up on the command. I will let him out the door and tell him to go potty and he'll run to his usual spot and relieve himself. Unfortunately I was not smart enough to think of using another command for pooping so it is always a quick pee for him. Gracie is young yet and I am also working on the "go potty" command with her. I have always found the command very useful especially when I am taking them out in public and don't want them going to the bathroom wherever they think they want to. I hate when someone lets their dog(s) mess in our yard and leave it for us to clean up.