# Can your dog pee/poop on command?



## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Okay, Cadence is now 6.5 months old...... but he still has no idea what "go pee" and "go poop" mean. I don't know if he's being stubborn, or if he just really doesn't know what they mean. Ever since the day I got him, I've repeated the words "go pee" whenever he pees and "go poop" whenever he poops. But... whenever I bring him out to do his business, he just pees and poops whenever he likes (NEVER when I ask him to ). 

This is frustrating because he likes to mark random bushes around, so he doesn't fully empty his bladder when he pees. Therefore, if we're just out for a potty break and he pees only once...... he tends to have to go again pretty soon because he didn't empty his bladder fully before. If we go on a long walk instead, he'll sometimes just decide not to mark anything, and his bladder doesn't get emptied fully. I feel like a tape recorder gone bad sometimes, repeating "go pee" over and overrrrrrrr again. 

If your dog can pee on command, how did you get him/her to do it? How long did it take for your dog to do it consistently?


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

With the puppies we foster for service dog schools, we are expected to teach them to eliminate on command. I start as soon as we go out the kennel door when we pick up a 7 week old puppy. I think some of them pay more attention than others. You have the whole routine, say removing the cape, walking to the far edge of the parking lot tot he grass, and then the command. If they don't comply, we walk until they do. Often it comes as an accident while walking. At 6 months, I am not sure they have good control over their bowels. Even if they understand they should have their bowel movement out there on the grass, I am not sure they can. They need more walking to stimulate their body first. 

The dog guides are not supposed to eliminate in harness. Their training for that starts with us removing their identifying cape as a young puppy.


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

Yes, my dogs can both pee and poop on command. It makes traveling with them so much easier. You can command them to do their business so they can jump in the car without worrying they will have to go 10 minutes down the road. Just like kids. 

Carsten doesn't always go poop on command, guess sometimes he just doesn't have to go. Oliver always goes. He is such a good boy.


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## momtoharley (Jan 2, 2010)

For those that do go on command--can you explain what that looks like, exactly. Our pup (just 10 weeks old) goes pee as soon as we go outside. He knows that that is what outside is for, and will immediately go to the door when he is finished (sometimes after one pee, sometimes after 3 pees). If he has to poop, he is very fast at this. I say "get busy" for pee and "go poopy" for poop; I give the 'command' repeatedly until he goes. Then I praise and rewards with a treat. 

Last night, as soon as I opened the door to take him out, there was lightening and thunder (the only time during the entire 'storm' that there was lightening or thunder). He freaked, and I thought it was reasonable not to take him out in a storm, so I shut the door and we stayed inside. I could tell he had to go, so I offered a pee pad (he used to use this, but hasn't in about 2 weeks). I gave the command, but he wouldn't go. Not a minute later he peed on the floor. I didn't punish this, as I understood he tried to go outside (just yesterday he started going to the door on his own to let us know he needs to go) but couldn't. 

So...if your dog pees on command, will he/she pee ANYWHERE you tell them to, or is it just that the pee really fast when they are outside?


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

Gracie is 6.5 months old and is getting the idea od pottying on command. she gets distracted sometimes but generally will start looking for a spot on command now. I use get busy for both mainly because I don't care to be out in public going "go pee/poop." 

Stick to one potty training method at least for now. Follow a strict scheule. When the dog starts to do it's business repeat your word or phrase in a quiet voice and praise (maybe even treat) when finished.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Cracker will go pee on command, poos when she needs to. I think it's harder to teach a bowel movement on cue. I use "go pee" and "do your business". She does both pretty quickly when we go out as I only ever gave her 'free' play when she was done her business. Now that I know she will go pretty much immediately upon getting to the "potty area" I can let her off lead first, but in the beginning she was leashed.

It is important to remember though that at less than a year pups still don't have complete command over when things happen in their bods. Timing the cue for teaching it is important too...when teaching it, you use the cue AS THE PUP is performing the act, not prior to and not after. As soon as the squat happens, say the cue. Timing in training anything is vital.


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## Dreadog (Jun 12, 2009)

Hoku knows what "go potty" means and "go poop." She is not a frequent pee'r or pooper, but I find if I am walking her and say "go potty" she atleast squats. Also, the other day our routine changed, and I wanted her to go poo in the backyard, whereas 99% of the time she does it during our morning walk, so when she tried to come in without going I made her go back outside and I said, "go poop" and she did right away!

I am almost positive if i told her to go in the house she wouldn't, but I am not going to test this theory.


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

Cracker said:


> It is important to remember though that at less than a year pups still don't have complete command over when things happen in their bods. .


I think it is activity level more than anything else, especially with bowel movements. If walking around doesn't empty them out, I walk around some more until it does before taking a puppy in somewhere.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

It's harder to teach a bowel movement on command partially because if there's nothing in there to eliminate, there's nothing in there to eliminate! Most every critter (people included) can summon some urine if given the opportunity, but feces are a different story.

Alvin knows the command "go potty" and will do what he needs to do when given the command. He will pee nearly every time, but will only poop if he needs to.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

lucidity said:


> If your dog can pee on command, how did you get him/her to do it? How long did it take for your dog to do it consistently?


Every time he's about to pee or poop, I'd say "go potty".

Then when he does, I say "good boy!" in a happy voice and we walk or play or whatever.

I just kept doing that and he made the connection on his own.

After that was done, I'd start making him look at me before he pees/poops. Now he'll look at me, even if we are walking, when he needs to go. 

This is nice so I can pick and choose where he goes (i.e. not in someone's yard, etc) and he'll go to it when I give him the cue. Or I can "freeze" him, direct him to another spot, and then say "go potty", etc.

Sometimes he'll stop and be staring at me like PLLLLEEEASE let me pee on this! Kinda cute how he'll stand over it too like he's protecting it. 

I love all this mostly because it added another way for us to communicate. I'm being on that - communicating with him as much as directing/guiding him on what to do next.

I don't know how long - wasn't really timing it, per se. Maybe a few weeks I guess. It would depend on how much you take the dog out to do his business too (number of repetitions).

A side effect of this is that he'll come and sit next to me if he doesn't have to go. He'll go out and sniff around, and then come back if he doesn't find a spot he likes or doesn't need to go (and just wanted to sniff LOL). It started because I kept telling him "go potty!" when he didn't need to and, not knowing what else to do, he just came to me and sat and looked up at me like "I don't have to, but I don't know what to do now."


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

FilleBelle said:


> Alvin knows the command "go potty" and will do what he needs to do when given the command. He will pee nearly every time, but will only poop if he needs to.


Same here - I only taught the one cue (go potty) and he'll do what he needs to. I figure, I don't know which he needs to do, so I'll name them both the same thing and let him go to it!


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

Elka has commands for both and will do them when I tell her if she needs to. If she doesn't need to, then she will look at me and then start sniffing around. I trust her so that's fine.

Having commands for these is helpful when traveling, but it's also super helpful for fostering. Elka does the majority of the house-training, and being able to ask her to go pee while the foster is watching (especially if it's a puppy) can really speed things along, nice especially now with the rain outside.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

both on command tho you do have to time the poop thing correctly. I will "match" a dog to get them to poop (especially before entering the ring and I know they have not gone!). 

Peeeeee means just that.. and Crap Crap means just that and she will do both. 

If we are going in the truck I even tell her, "We cannot go until you Pee first!" and she does. Yeah.. Like what parents tell their kids.


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