How to Train Your Dog to Pee and Poop on Command

When the dog happens to toilet, you praise him and offer a treat. Over time you add a label to his action, so the dog understands what is being rewarded. Ultimately, the dog will hold onto his toilet in order to 'spend' it on command in return for a treat.

Identify those times the dog is most likely to need to toilet, such as after sleep, after eating and drinking, or if he hasn't been out for a while.

Take the dog to the toilet spot, but make sure you have him under control on a collar and leash. This stops him wandering off and getting distracted. Let the dog sniff around, but ignore him and don't interact.

You may need to wait for 5 - 10 minutes, but when the dog does go, praise him and say an enthusiastic "Yes", as he reaches the end of his toilet and give him a tasty treat.

Once the dog is watching you while he toilets in anticipation of a treat, start adding the command word. This labels the action and helps him understand what's being rewarded.

Once you have built a firm foundation whereby the dog recognizes the cue word and knows which action is required, try giving the command just ahead of him toileting. This reinforces his learning and is the final step ahead of you telling to go on command.

When training your pup to pee or poop on demand, don't rush back indoors as soon as he performed. A hasty retreat means he doesn't get to play outdoors, which is a disincentive for doing as he's asked. Instead, praise him for peeing and then indulge him in a short game so he doesn't link going to the toilet with going straight back inside.

There's a lot of waiting involved in training this command. You have to wait for the dog to feel the natural urge to empty his bladder or bowel, which can take a while. During this time, be sure to ignore the dog so that you don't accidentally distract his mind from the job in hand. Praise, play, and interaction comes after he's gone, as part of the reward.

Imagine you cue word is "Go Potty" and a friend's toddler visits and asks to "Go Potty". Your partially trained dog recognizes the words and squats on the lounge room carpet. Do NOT punish him, as this will confuse him and put training back. Instead, congratulate yourself on making good progress and be sure to work on the location for toileting as well as the cue words.

Yes, it's boring standing with your dog on a leash, but at least you'll be there when he toilets. Don't give in to the temptation to leave him out in the yard unattended as he'll learn nothing and may play, forget to go, and return indoors to relieve himself.

When the dog toilets, don't praise him straight away or he may get so excited he stops midstream. Instead, wait until he's nearly finished, and then make a big fuss.

Clicker training involves learning that the clicker signals he's earned a reward. The beauty of the clicker is that you can label the exact moment he does the desired action, which makes things clearer in his mind. Then you progress as in the method above, clicking when he toilets as a 'down payment' or 'promise' of a treat.

The first step is to link the noise of the clicker to get a reward. To do this, scatter some treats on the floor. As the dog eats each one, click. The dog soon associates the clicker with a treat.

Now the dog links the sound of a clicker to getting a treat, switch the order of things around. Click and when the dog looks at you or the floor for a reward, then toss him a treat. The dog learns that the clicker means he gets a treat.

The next step is to label peeing and pooping as a rewardable action, by pressing the clicker as he goes. Now he realizes his bodily functions are a currency which he can spend for a reward.

Now when he toilets, add the command word and then click. Again, he is learning that he earned a treat and the name of the action required that hit the jackpot.

When he is regularly going toilet on command, phase out the clicker. Do this by not clicking (but still rewarding, as this reinforces the command word) every single time he toilets.