Dog Owners: Do you tell your dog to do his business?

Abc15379

At the last two apartments we've lived in, we've had neighbors who stand outside and order their dogs to take a crap. All day and night we hear "Rocco, go poo-poo!" over and over, in either a sing-song voice or a shout, depending on the level of frustration. Now I had dogs when I was a kid, but developed an allergy in junior high, so I have limited experience. But even when I took my dogs out, it never occured to me to direct them that way. I mean, it's not like they can understand what you're saying. Do you do this? Am I missing something?

BC&MM

Actually, we trained our dog to go on command. So when it is raining or we are in a different location. I can say "Dakota, go potty" and she will. We started this when we were potty training her and it works great. When I am in a time crunch, I don't have to wait for her to think about doing her business.

fabbate13

Guilty.  But in my defense, I only say it once.  And it's usually something like "hurry up and take a crap, it's cold out here...."

Mrs_Liberto

BC&MM:

Actually, we trained our dog to go on command. So when it is raining or we are in a different location. I can say "Dakota, go potty" and she will. We started this when we were potty training her and it works great. When I am in a time crunch, I don't have to wait for her to think about doing her business.

Yep, we did this with Ripley and I'm glad we did. She has the worst combination of puppy/beagle ADD ever, and will easily become so distracted by something in the yard that she forgets what she went outside for in the first place.

Mrs.EliK

Yes I tell mine to go potty.  In her puppy classes they said to have a saying for #1 and #2.  Supposedly they start to put the meanings together and it gives them the idea to go. The instructor said she tells her dog to "go potty" for peeing and "do your business" for pooping.  

jCamsquared

Your dogs don't understand what you're saying? I mean not all of English of course, but really they don't understand anything? They are not trained at all?

Anyway, I have heard of training dogs to pee or poop on command, but I think that's a bit crazy. However, sometimes when we take them out on leash (they usually are loose in our backyard) they get distracted so saying 'go out' reminds them and they will do their thing. 'Out' is the word we use to ask if they have to go, so they definitely associate that with the act.

buckin

Yes, if I'm in a hurry. Dogs get distracted. They go outside for all manner of reasons and if they get a smell and start tracking that smell, or nosing in a hole for a varmint or any number of shenanigans my dogs are bound to get into, then they are sidetracked from doing their business. If I have to leave to go to work and they didn't get a chance to potty then a) they will be miserable all day or b)they will mess in the crate/house.

So by directing them with key words it focuses them on their task and gets their mind off of whatever distracted them in the first place. It's not meant to make their bowels work but to direct their focus to a task just as you would by asking them to sit and focus on you when they get too excited over a new person or dog. 

mrsadamc 05

I don't say anything outside but inside I will say to him, "Do you have to do business?" or "Do you want to go outside and do business?" 

I started this when we were training him and it's stuck. 

And I like business better than poop or pee. 

tamerbelles

Mrs.EliK:

Yes I tell mine to go potty.  In her puppy classes they said to have a saying for #1 and #2.  Supposedly they start to put the meanings together and it gives them the idea to go. The instructor said she tells her dog to "go potty" for peeing and "do your business" for pooping.  

This. Rowdy already is catching on to our signals. A lot of training books and sites (that I've looked at) recommend either using a certain word/phrase or having a signal of some sort for all commands. 

BC&MM

I think it was the best thing ever. I wish now that I am pregnant, we used a different word from potty since I assume I will use that word with a kid. But days like today where we are getting storms, I love it!

Shyski

We also train all our dogs to go on command. It helps when they are in unfamiliar locations where they might be 'shy' or uncertain about going. A command reassures them and lets them know we have a goal - sounds funny but true. 

We have a gravel bed in our backyard so we say 'go to your gravel'. That way, when we're are in public it's not so rude sounding.  

Abc15379

Ok, so I get that commands are taught in classes, but aren't they typically one word commands? These dogs never had classes, and it seemed odd to me that the owners yell it repeatedly. Like I have to shut the window,lol. From what you guys are saying, it isn't something you say 100 times, right?

buckin

Commands are not necessarily taught in classes. People have done it themselves without ever attending a class for years.

While one word commands are best, phrases can be used as well. If they are yelling it then the dog either doesn't listen, doesn't know the comman or has severe attention disorder, or the owners are just impatient people. 

I have been known to yell at my dog a repeated command (which is usually shut up or come here NOW) because he is so preoccupied with barking at a jogger or chasing a rabbit that he just flat out ignores me. Instinct (and bad behavior) are sometimes hard to overcome even if they know the commands.

leslie13510

Little Dog is trained to do both on command.  I lived in an apartment with her and if she didn't go before I had to leave for class then she had to hold it all day.  Not fun for either of us.  It was much easier when she could pee and poop on command so she would do both before I needed to leave for the day.  Pooping only happened if she had to go.  If she didn't need to, she'd sit and give me one whiny bark to let me know.  Peeing happened every.single.time. even if it was only a few drops that came out. 

Big Dog is trained to pee on command, but not poop.  He actually picked up "go potty" all on his own from watching Chloe do it.  We've always had fenced yards with him so there was never any real need to teach him how to go on command.

BC&MM

We didn't learned it in a class. And I don't say it a million times. I don't use it for every day use unless I need to leave quick. She is capable of going to the bathroom herself. I usually just wait till we are on the grass and say it and usually within a minute she does it.

ValentineBB

fabbate13:

Guilty.  But in my defense, I only say it once.  And it's usually something like "hurry up and take a crap, it's cold out here...."

LOL.  This is me too.  In the winter I'm normally yelling, "Jake if you don't crap right this second I'm going to leave you in the snow." Then he looks at me all wounded and poops.

Daisy's mom

Absolutely! Daisy knows "go potty" and she'll do whatever on command.  We trained her since she was 3 months old and it works.  She also gets a praise "good girl" every single time.

Shyski

You shouldn't say it a million times. The best way to train is to only say it once when the dog is going. That way they connect the behaviour with the command. Reinforce it with a treat and they catch on fast. Soon enough, you can say it and it will trigger the dog's body to go. They train racehorses to do this for drug testing. Voice commands can be very powerful things.

heather_09_15_07

buckin:

Yes, if I'm in a hurry. Dogs get distracted. They go outside for all manner of reasons and if they get a smell and start tracking that smell, or nosing in a hole for a varmint or any number of shenanigans my dogs are bound to get into, then they are sidetracked from doing their business. If I have to leave to go to work and they didn't get a chance to potty then a) they will be miserable all day or b)they will mess in the crate/house.

So by directing them with key words it focuses them on their task and gets their mind off of whatever distracted them in the first place. It's not meant to make their bowels work but to direct their focus to a task just as you would by asking them to sit and focus on you when they get too excited over a new person or dog. 

this

Dangley

Lol, I'm sure this is what my neighbors are saying about me!

We recently moved and haven't yet installed a fence, so we can't leave our 2 large labs outside to roam the neighborhood. In the mornings, I get impatient when they just sit and stare out in the yard. I'll keep telling them "Go - Potty!". They just look at me and wag their tails, so they either don't know what I'm saying or are just being little asses.

From the looks of previous posts, I should really consider training them on this command. But that would take patience...ha!

WaitingOnTwoPinkLines

Just as PP have said, my dogs are trained to go on command. Their phrase is "Go Potty" & all three of them will pee on command every time, or at least try. If they have to poop, they will do that, too.

 We travel with our dogs a good bit, and it's nice to be able to go to a rest area, tell them to go, and they go.

Oh, and sometimes I am guilty of telling them to go too many times. Especially in the morning if I'm running late - they tend to dawdle and it drives me crazy (they hate getting their feet wet, so they tip-toe back and forth looking for a spot that's less wet!).

Most trainers recommend teaching a keyword/phrase - it helps with potty training. 

boxermama24

Just like any other command you teach a dog, going potty is another command that they are fully capable of understanding.  The command we give is "hurry up."  It does not need to be repeated.  It does require training.