You’ve followed the simple steps to prepare your dog to learn to eliminate on cue. You’ve gone out with the puppy or dog, on leash or on a long line, every single time the dog was “full” (in need of pottying). You’ve taken the dog to your designated “potty area.” You’ve waited good-naturedly for the dog to eliminate. When the dog did eliminate, you’ve “named” and praised the action: “Good poop!”
You’ve stayed outside with the puppy or dog after he has eliminated and you’ve played with the dog, or simply offered him companionship while he enjoyed himself bopping around your yard. You’ve then allowed him some freedom in the house as well, for a limited amount of time, since you knew he was “empty.” Or, if you knew he wasn’t “empty,” you’ve crated him immediately.
You’ve determined whether or not to add treats, toys, or games (like fetch) as a reward once the dog has eliminated, depending on how those rewards work for your particular canine. You know that the ultimate reward to the dog for eliminating is the actual elimination itself, just as it is for humans. You’re keeping track of your dog’s elimination “schedule” so you can more easily anticipate his needs, and so you can plan to be there, in general, when he needs a potty break.
You’ve been patient. You’ve stuck with the program. You’ve praised with your cue word as the elimination happens (a skill in itself, let me tell you!). You’ve also been wondering all this time how the heck you were going to make the praise become the cue!
Now you’re hoping I’ll tell you exactly how long this stage of the training takes. How many times should you praise with the cue word before you use the cue simply as a cue? How many days does this “cue” thing take?
You’re going to be really disappointed when I can’t answer those questions.
It takes as long as it takes.
Have you ever potty-trained a toddler? Every single one of them is different. What works with one child may not with another. Even twins can be radically different from each other! Guess what? It’s exactly the same with puppies and dogs, Even litter mates can differ greatly in their behavior. That’s nature’s way and there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it. Enjoy the differences!
Before you move on, is your dog:
- Going directly to the designated potty area every time you go out?
- Eliminating immediately once he’s reached the designated area?
In other words, does your dog appear to “get” the new process? Is it becoming habitual for him to leash up, walk out with you, go to the designated area, then potty right away? Do you think he’s starting to connect your praise with his “product”? You can’t know for sure, of course, but check out his behavior. Do you get the impression that your dog sees you as part of the picture of his pottying activity?
I repeat: you can’t know for sure. Yet.
But if you feel that, yes, your dog is getting into the habit of pottying almost immediately in the designated area when you take him out, it’s time to try a little experiment.
You know the signs that he’s about to potty (or at least you should; you’ve been watching him closely all this time). Wait for that second when he’s about to potty—he’s “assumed the position” and the “product” is about to come out—and very quietly say just the cue word, without the praise word. In that split second before the “product” leaves the dog’s body and hits the ground, say “Pee” or “Poop” or whatever you’ve chosen as your cue word. Not forcefully, not loudly . . . just calmly and quietly.
Pee comes out?
Poop comes out?
Praise your dog.
Did the dog not eliminate?
Don’t blame the dog, don’t blame yourself. Nobody did anything wrong. You might need to practice praising as he eliminates a little longer. No big deal. You have patience! If you get frustrated or angry, your dog is likely to feel some emotional reaction. That’s not going to help either of you. Chill. Give it another few days and try again.
Did the dog eliminate right after you said the cue?
Praise, but don’t have a party! Praise in exactly the same way you have been praising all along. Don’t frighten or overexcite the dog with too much emotion. You can celebrate after you go back inside with him, certainly (give him extra hugs and snuggles, maybe?). You can jump up and down with the rest of the family or post the news in your status on Facebook, but don’t frighten or overwhelm your dog with too-effusive praise right after he has eliminated.
What next?
Continue to “cue” in that second before the pee comes out, before the poop drops.
Once you are getting a consistent response with that timing—in other words, once the dog eliminates every time right after you say the cue—look for the moment before that moment. Look for the behaviors that come just before the pre-poop, the pre-pee. With male dogs who lift a leg, for example, cue just before his foot leaves the ground.
Your goal is to move the timing of your cue further and further away from the actual moment the elimination occurs.
Eventually, you will say the cue as you step out the back door, as the dog starts to head to his elimination area. In your back yard, that cue will come to mean to the dog: “Go to your elimination area and eliminate immediately.” In the long run, you will be able to stand at the back door, let your dog out off-leash, say the cue, and watch your dog run to his elimination area and do his business!
At any time during the process, you may find it’s necessary to go back a step or two, to strengthen the behavior you want from your dog. Don’t feel that’s a failure. Whatever you do to bolster your dog’s response to the cue is for the best, even if it means going back to earlier stages in the training process. Keep in mind always that there is no way you can possibly force your puppy or dog to eliminate on cue. Instead, it’s your job to show the dog how especially rewarding it is to respond to that cue immediately.
And remember—it’s not rewarding because the human thinks it should be rewarding. It’s rewarding only if the dog feels rewarded. Every dog is different. Your job is to figure out what your dog finds rewarding, and to offer him a chance to get that reward for doing what you’ve cued.
Also remember that what’s rewarding to a dog on one day or at one stage in training may not be rewarding to him on another day or at another stage. It’s also your job to figure out what works now and what doesn’t work now, and to stop doing what doesn’t work! That can change daily.
Next week, we’ll take cued elimination on the road. I’ll talk about teaching your dog to eliminate on cue away from your home. Yes, it’s a matter of convenience for you. For your dog, though, it’s a passport to travel away from his most familiar places into a world where it’s very important that he knows when and where to do his business. Once you’ve got elimination on cue at home, you’ll be ready to take on that new adventure!
