How to Train Your Dog to Ask to Go Outside
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Introduction
One of the hardest parts of potty training is getting your dog to let you know when he needs to go out. Imagine how nice it would be if your dog could come to you and tell you in plain English that he wants to go outside and take care of business. Of course, he can't exactly walk up to you and say, "Hey dude! I gotta go outside." But at the same time, there is no reason why he can't be trained to let you know in another way that he needs to pee.
The good news is that there are several different ways you can use to train your pup to "ask" you to take him outside. We all know how hard it can be sometimes to tell that our four-legged friends are trying to let us know he needs to go out before he ends up making a mess. This could be because some dogs are better at telling you of their needs than others.
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Defining Tasks
Of course, it could be that your dog is already trying to tell you, but you simply aren't getting the clue. It is possible that you just don't understand his efforts. There are several signs he might already be using such as standing by the door, whining, growling, or wagging his tail. He might also start pacing, sniffing at things like furniture legs, or scratching at the door.
The goal is to teach him a specific method of letting you know that he needs to go out and take care of his business. Of course, if you see any of the above-listed signs, you should probably go ahead and take him out as quickly as possible. It could be that he is trying to train you to recognize the fact that he needs to go out.
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Getting Started
Before you start trying to train your pup to let you know he needs to go outside, he needs to have been potty trained at least to the point at which you can take him out every couple of hours or so and he will use the bathroom instead of making a mess in the house. There are a few things you may need as part of your training program, including:
- Treats
- A bell
- A leash
- A toy or noisemaker
The only other things you need are plenty of time and patience. Your dog will appreciate you being patient as he learns this new skill and so will you when you no longer have so many messes to clean up.
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The Ring the Bell Method
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Buy a bell
Buy a bell that you can hang on your door handle. It must be hung low enough that it can easily be reached by your pup when he needs to let you know it's time to go out.
If he is scared of the noise
If your pup appears to be afraid of the noise at first, you can dampen the sound a bit by putting a little tape on it until he gets used to it.
Each time you take the dog outside
Each time you go to take your pup outside, gently take his paw and ring the bell with it. Then take him outside immediately. When he goes potty, be sure to praise him and give him a reward.
Repeat the process
Continue to repeat this training process until your pup understands he needs to ring the bell each time he needs to go outside.
Rewards are part of the process
Each time your pup gets it right, be sure to reward him with treats and plenty of praise. Be patient and prepared to spend plenty of time working on this training. While it may take a while for your pup to learn this trick, it will pay off in the end.
The Bring Your Leash Method
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Place the leash
Place your pup's leash in a location that will make it easy for your pup to reach it when he wants to let you know he needs to go out. Choose a location near the door for the best results.
Here, hold my leash
Each time you go to let your dog out, give him the leash to hold in his mouth. If he holds it, give him a treat, praise him, and let him out. If he drops the leash, put it back in his mouth until he will hold it for a few seconds, at least long enough to get out the door.
Give him space
Now that your dog is used to holding his leash with both of you next to the door, it's time to give him a little space. Give him his leash and then start to walk away slowly. Stop when you are a few feet away and call him to come to you with the leash. When he does, give him a treat.
Over and over and over again
Keep repeating the above training until your pup has become comfortable with this activity. He may even start to follow you with the leash in his mouth.
Just walk on by
In this case, increase the distance slowly over time until your dog will bring you his leash each time he needs to go out. Be sure to reward him with praise and treats. Of course, be sure you take him outside every time he brings you his leash. This will reinforce the behavior to the point where he no longer needs to be treated, but will always bring you his leash when he needs to go out.
The Bark to Tell You Method
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Take a toy
Grab one of your pup's favorite toys and wave it around to get him excited enough to bark.
Reward time
Reward your pup with a treat when he barks. Be sure to train your pup to bark no more than 2 to 3 times by giving him the treat after the third bark. The last thing you want to do is encourage your pup to bark too much.
Each time he barks
Each time your pup barks give him a treat and praise him.
To the door
Once your dog has learned to bark on command, take him to the door and making him speak. When he does so, be sure to praise and reward him immediately. Then take him out.
And in the end
The rest is all about repetition. Practice this training as often as possible. The more you practice with your pup, the faster he will master this trick and the fewer messes you will have to clean up.
By PB Getz
Published: 12/07/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Mango
Golden Retriever
12 Weeks
Question
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0 found this helpful
In the morning when we take him out his create in the living room (no attention just say “come on”) to the kitchen to outside, as soon as we get to the kitchen he runs back to the living room and refused to go outside and wees on the floor. This has only started yesterday before he would follow to the door, get him to sit then we open the door and go out. We don’t even get to the door now before he runs away and doesn’t listen to us. What can we do to get him to come outside to toilet in the morning again? Do we stop him from sitting and just go straight out? Do we put a lead on him before taking him out the create? Do we need to give him more attention when we first greet him? He’s had no bad experiences outside. If he has weed in side we say no and pick him up and put him outside and he finishes off fine. Please help. We’re first time dog parents.
July 7, 2022
Mango's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hell Leana, I would clip the leash on while still in the crate, then rush pup outside without the sitting, so pup is already outside before they have a chance to decide they don't want to go out. I would also start giving pup a treat after they go potty outside if you aren't already, so pup looks forward to that. Finally, pay attention to pup's body language while outside, there might be a sound or smell in the area pup is afraid of, even if nothing happened to pup, that's just scary because it's new. The sound of someone working in the yard or on building nearby, another dog barking, or the smell of another dog next door who is new, or an animal that comes into your yard at night - If pup is fearful, you will want to spend some time playing and doing fun things that involve toys and treats times other than just potty trips, to help pup like being outside again and gain confidence around the new experience. Once pup gets over the hesitation about going outside, you can add the sit back in, but I would keep the leash on pup when you open that crate for a while longer still. Puppies also go through several fear periods the first year, so pup might be extra sensitive to unfamiliar things due to that right now. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
July 8, 2022
Crosby
Airedale Terrier
4 Months
Question
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0 found this helpful
He will not let us k ow when he has to go out. We tried the bell n he played with them all the time. He will not poop outside. I know when he has to but he run a from me until he is far enough away from me then he poops in the floor
June 2, 2022
Crosby's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Pam, Most dogs won't let you know they have to go potty outside until they have been accident free for about three months - from you keeping a schedule and moderating their freedom, so pup not alerting you is normal. Pup has to see your home as an area that's supposed to be kept clean first. The bell simply teaching pup how to alert once they are willing. I recommend following a combination of the tethering and crate training method to get pup to the point where they associate your home with cleanliness and become motivated to alert to go outside. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 3, 2022