Yes, it’s possible. You can teach your dog to potty on cue.
Why “cue” and not “command”? There is a difference. “Command” implies force. If I “command” you to do something and you don’t, my next step is to “make” you do it. The consequences of disobeying a command are unpleasant—a punishment, a taking-away of privileges, a reduction in rank. (It’s all very military.) Consider what you might do to a dog who “refused” your “command” to potty.
There is nothing you can do to the dog that would make him eliminate except to frighten him or hurt him so severely that what was in his bladder and bowels evacuated automatically. That’s right—you would have to terrify or hurt the dog to make him potty. And that would be every single time you wanted him to eliminate, by the way. This is not a good approach!
“Cue” implies choice. For example, an actor in a play hears the dialogue that comes before the words he is supposed to speak. That’s his “cue” to say the next line in the script. During rehearsal, if he misses his cue—does not speak when he should—he will likely get some negative consequences from the director and the rest of the cast, whether it’s dirty looks or a conversation about being “off book” by the next rehearsal. But even if he misses his cue onstage during a performance, he will not be literally punished because, in fact, no punishment in the universe can make him say the right line at the right time. He pretty much has to want to get his lines right and “on cue”!
You cannot frighten or force your dog to potty when you want.
But you can teach the dog that eliminating “on cue” is a good thing!
Keep in mind that the responsibility for teaching the “potty” cue or cues is entirely yours. The dog has no responsibility here at all. You have the challenge of showing him that attention and response to your cue will be rewarding to him. You also have the challenge of not showing your dog how frustrated, impatient, or angry you can become when your efforts do not result in quick success.
Teaching a dog to potty on cue can be a long-term project!
Ideally, you start on the first day your dog comes home.
Puppies learn the potty cue very quickly if you work on this behavior from the first time you, their new human family, take them outside to eliminate.
Carry the puppy to the spot where you would like him to eliminate. Chances are, a puppy will potty within a few seconds of hitting the ground. Wait for that moment. Maybe the puppy will want to sniff around first, especially in an unfamiliar environment. Let him. Do nothing to try to “prompt” the pottying. Let nature take its course.
- Keep the puppy on a leash or long line at first, especially if you have a large yard.
- Stay with the puppy but do not hover over him.
- Watch him very carefully so you don’t miss the moment!
- When the puppy potties, time your verbal praise to the actual moment he is urinating or defecating.
- Make your verbal praise quiet, calm, encouraging.
I prefer two cues—one for urinating, one for defecating. My cue is, “Go pee!” or “Go poop!” At first, I use the “cue” word as my verbal praise, too. I say, “Good pee!” when the puppy is urinating. I say, “Good poop!” when the puppy is defecating.
You may choose a single word, like “potty,” to cover both behaviors. That’s up to you . . . but trust me when I say that if you’re going to train elimination on cue, you might as well differentiate between the two. You’re going to be there anyway!
Your choice of words to use for praise and cues is also completely up to you. It’s likely that you’ll sometimes be saying these words, using these cues, in public places, and you may want to go with a more socially acceptable cue like “Hurry up!” Your choice may depend on whether or not you have kids in the family and what words they’re comfortable with. Remember, they’re going to have to use the same cues with the dog themselves.
Once you have decided on cues, stick with them. So choose wisely!
At this first stage of teaching the potty cues, what’s most important is your timing. You must be there, you must be aware, you must time your praise to happen as the dog is eliminating. Taking the dog to the spot where you would like him to eliminate is also key, especially with a puppy who’s just joined your family. You can establish the habit of eliminating in a particular location, too!
So far, I have mentioned only verbal praise. If you consider using treats or toys in addition to praise, let me remind you that, for dogs just as for humans, the actual emptying of the bladder and/or bowels is the primary reward. Like us, dogs just feel better after they’ve pottied! It’s a self-rewarding behavior. With most puppies and many adult dogs, treats and toys may be more distracting than they are useful at this early stage. But again, that choice—using treats or toys in addition to praise—is up to you.
Try verbal praise without treats or toys first, then decide as you go on whether or not to add a more visible, edible, or playable-with reward later in the process—or switch up to keep the dog’s attention. You may find that your dog is distracted by additional rewards when you start, but they may work very well for him as training continues.
What happens next when you’re training a puppy to eliminate on cue?
How do you deal with an adult dog who’s already a member of your household?
How do you deal with an adult dog who is new to your family and home?
How do you move from praise while the dog is eliminating to cueing the dog to go?
Next week, we’ll continue talking about teaching a dog to eliminate on cue!
