TEACHING YOUR DOG TO ELIMINATE ON COMMAND
Teaching your dog to defecate or urinate on command is actually
just a process of creating an association.
The command I use is, "Get Busy." But you can use any word or
phrase that you please.
You're probably wondering why anyone would want to teach their
dog an elimination command. And probably the best answer to
this question is that it enables you to establish both a time
and a place for your dog to eliminate.
For example, if you decide to go to bed early, and you don't
want your dog to be uncomfortable for the next 7 or 8 hours,
you can very easily take him outside and tell him to "do it
now," because, "You won't have a chance to do it later since
I'm going to bed."
Having an elimination command also allows you to tell your dog
WHERE he should urinate or defecate. For example, if you're
taking your pup for a stoll and he indicates that he needs to
eliminate... you don't want him to merely stop and do his
business in the middle of the sidewalk. What an elimination
command allows you to do is to walk the dog over to some
bushes, or behind a building and tell him, "Here! Here is where
you can 'get busy.'"
How to teach the "Get Busy" command
Just like with any other command, your goal is to associate the
phrase, "Get busy," with the action of either defecating or
urinating.
Here's what you need to do in 5 easy steps:
(1) Take note of the usual times your dog needs to defecate or
urinate.
(2) Take him to the usual spot where he likes to eliminate and
walk him back and forth, repeating the phrase, "Get busy, get
busy, get busy."
(3) When he begins to eliminate, continue saying, "Get busy."
After five or six different occasions, your command will start
to link with the behavior.
(4) A half second after he finishes, praise him.
(5) Repeat this process every time your dog needs to eliminate,
and you'll soon find that he will begin to understand and at
least make an attempt to evacuate the contents of his bladder
on command.
About The Author: Adam G. Katz is the author of the book,
"Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To
The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History."
Get a free copy of his report "Games To Play With Your Dog"
when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine
at: http://www.dogproblems.com
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