How To Train Your Dog To Go To The Toilet

Imagine waking up in the morning without the prospect of another dog poo to clean up. Sounds pretty good, right?

Teaching your dog to do his business on command can be tricky, but it is definitely worth it. It means you can avoid any toilet breaks in areas where it is not appropriate.

A Bullmastiff going to the toilet outside

A Bullmastiff who knows what to do and where to do it

The most effective way to train your dog to go to the toilet is to learn his routine. Your dog will need to urinate as soon as he wakes up, so immediately take him outside onto the spot that you want him to use and wait there until he relieves himself. He will also need to urinate and defecate shortly after eating. Make sure that you use the same exit each time so that he gets used to where he needs to go. Once he has done his business, congratulate him with a dog treat and lots of praise. If you keep repeating this process, your dog is likely to stand at the door that you use to go outside whenever he needs to go again.

Puppies will want to urinate more frequently, usually every hour or two. Take your puppy outside to the same spot each time and give him a treat and lots of praise as soon as he has relieved himself. They may also find it difficult to hold it in to start with, so be prepared for a few little accidents.

Two dogs playing and running around the garden

A dog soon learns that toilets only exist outdoors

Never shout at your dog if he does something wrong, just simply correct the behavior and reward him when he does it right. He will learn a lot quicker this way. If you use a phrase for each toilet action, for example “be quick’, and repeat it when your dog is doing his business, he will soon begin to associate what he is doing with the sound of these phrases.

Teaching a puppy to go to the toilet outside

Once your dog has learnt what each phrase means, you should be able to use them as commands to prompt him to go when you need him to. This is particularly helpful before a car journey.