Having a dog that will go potty on cue is fantastic for many different lifestyles. Whether you have a big backyard or live in a city apartment, being able to ask your dog to go potty at a specific time is simply going to be helpful.

Many young dogs get “lost in the sauce” so to speak when met with all the fantastic distractions of the real world. Especially in those “teenage years,” juvenile dogs can even get so distracted that they forget to do their business.

If you have the ability to remind your dog to go potty with a verbal cue, you can help avoid indoor messes and hasten the process of a potty break when you’re running late in the morning.

Can You Train a Dog to Poop or Pee on Command?

Teaching a dog to poop on command or pee on command is not only entirely possible, but very quick and easy to train. All that you need to get across to your dog is what a cue means, and that a reward will come after.

Because your dog already knows how to do the thing you’re asking (go do their business) there is no period of luring, shaping, or shopping for the behavior. Still, training your dog to poop or pee on command is an entirely reward-based protocol and is usually picked up very quickly.

In fact, because we teach our client dogs structured walking, going on command is almost a core part of our training. When your dog is in a heel next to you while out on a walk, they need the information of when it’s okay for them to leave your side and when you’d like them to take a moment to do their business.

How Do You Teach Your Dog to Potty on Command?

Teaching your dog to do their business on command is actually quite simple. All that is really needed is for you to start saying the command right before your dog naturally does their business, and follow that behavior up with a reward. Something tangible and tasty like a high-value treat will definitely help hasten the process.

First, pick a verbal marker that you don’t mind having to say in public. Some common verbal markers my clients have used for this command:

• “Go potty.”
• “Go pee-pee.”
• “Potty.”
• “Get going.”
• “Go.”
• “Potty time.”

Watch for any indication that your dog is going to potty soon. Usually, once the nose is to the ground and the dog is walking around without any clear direction, they are looking to potty soon. If you’ve trained your dog to have a potty spot that they use pretty consistently, seeing your dog go over to that spot is another great indicator to help you anticipate and give your command.

Right when your dog begins to squat or lift their leg, say your chosen verbal marker (the words you’ve picked for your “go now” command) in a calm, neutral voice. You want to say your command in a very matter-of-fact way at this point because we don’t want to amp your dog up and distract your dog from actually going.

Once you’ve given your dog the chosen cue word and your dog has done their business, reinforce that with food (ideally something that your dog thinks is tasty and awesome).

Even if you’ve long since faded out food rewards for going potty, use them again now for going after that cue word. We want going potty after the command to stand out to your dog and be noticed and learned.

Do this over a few days or weeks consistently, and your dog should quickly begin to associate the cue with doing their business.

At this point, you should be able to go outside and tell your dog that you’d like them to eliminate, and then reward them for responding to the cue. Younger dogs, especially puppies, may need continued reinforcement to make sure that the skill is carried successfully into adulthood.

After you’ve practiced this, you can start to reduce or “fade” the treats by offering them for every few successes, but remember to continue to reward in some capacity, even if that is only verbal praise.

Should You Use a Different Command for Poop vs. Pee?

Some dog owners (and trainers) do sometimes use different verbal cues for asking their dog to go pee vs go poop, with mixed results.

I personally don’t, and just ask dogs to do whatever they can when asked.

The reason not to load two different commands for making your dog pee and poop is that it can be difficult to anticipate the difference to make sure the cues are well-associated with the desired result.

Also, it can be unreasonable on our dogs to ask them to produce a bowel movement on command. I think most humans would find it difficult to poop on command, and asking your dog to force a bodily function that they don’t have full control over is going to leave both dog and owner frustrated, and set everyone up for failure.

Instead, I recommend just having a cue for “do what you can,” and continue to keep in mind your dog’s individual habits and schedule when you encourage them to do their business.