Potty Training On Command

Writen by Tyler Brown

How cool would it be if you could say one command and your dog would know to immediately go to the bathroom wherever he or she may be? I'll answer for you, it would be very cool. This is taking potty training to the next level

Teaching your dog to go to the bathroom on command is not only a fun thing to teach your dog but can also be quite useful. How many times have you taken your dog out to the bathroom in inclement weather and wished that he would just go so you could get back inside? I find this command to be very useful as well when you are traveling. When you pull over at a rest stop you can give this command, he does his business, and you are back on the road.

Before we get started there are a few prerequisites. First, your dog needs to be housebroken and second he needs to be primarily an indoor dog. An outdoor dog can go to the bathroom whenever he wants and so you never get the chance to train him.

Does your dog meet the above requirements? Ok, let's get started. First, determine what is a good motivator for your dog. If possible, I will always use food as a motivator for this exercise. Find out what food is most motivating for your pal. Personally, I use pieces of hot dog as they are cheap and they are easily swallowed. Some dogs just aren't driven by food, however. If your dog is one of these, how does he feel about toys? Does he go crazy for a ball or a Frisbee? If so you can use that. From time to time I come by a dog that wont chase a ball to save his life and would rather take a nap than take a piece of hot dog. For a dog like this, the best motivator is going to be praise. By praise I mean plenty of 'good boys' and patting and rubbing.

Once you have determined what is going to be the best motivator you can get started. If your dog is housebroken he is probably on some sort of schedule. He is probably accustomed to be taken out at certain times. When you are teaching him this command keep him on this schedule. At his next scheduled potty time take him out to his usual area and start repeating the command 'potty time'. You don't have to use the command 'potty time'. Some people just feel silly saying that to a dog. Use whatever command you want. I have used several commands such as 'bathroom', 'take a break', 'hurry up', 'do your business' and more. Keep repeating the command 'potty time' every two to three seconds. When your dog goes to the bathroom immediately reward him with food, toy, or praise. Simple as that!

Now, in the beginning your dog is going to have no idea what 'potty time' means. For him it is just going to be background noise. That is fine, just stay consistent with the command and reward. After a while your dog is going to start making a connection, "Hey, every time I hear that command and do my thing, I get rewarded! This is pretty awesome!" If you do your job right he is going to connect your command with the act of going to the bathroom and getting rewarded.

Let me give you a few things to remember at this stage. In the beginning make sure that every time you take him out to the bathroom that you are prepared. Being prepared means having his reward and making sure that you are giving him that command every few seconds. If for some reason you don't have his reward handy, DO NOT give him the command. If you are giving him the command but then not rewarding him for compliance then your are tricking him. You are showing him that there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In the beginning stages he must believe that when he goes to the bathroom on command he just won the lotto.

After time he will now go to bathroom on command in his normal area. The next step is to take him outside his normal area and repeat the same steps. Take him to the park and tell him 'potty time' every few seconds. When he does, get him that reward. Keep doing this at home and at other areas.

If you are consistent it won't be long before he is now going to the bathroom on command every time. You are ready for the next step.

The next step is to gradually reduce the rewards that he gets. Every fifth time instead of giving him food just tell him 'good boy' and pat him on the head. Next it is every fourth time you withhold the treat. Then every third time and then every other time. Soon you will be giving him a little praise every time he goes to the bathroom and only rarely giving him the treat.

Be consistent and within a short time your dog will be going to the bathroom on command every time.

Author Tyler Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their dogs. Go to dogbehavioronline.com for more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog trainer.