Those wishes are now reality and I'm spending hours daily because of that wonderful situation.

With making them go potty I just began. Good gracious! I was near to give it up before I finally could mark.

For putting it on cue it is too early. I anyway think your good example is much more effective than a command.

Probably I'll use "gschschsch" for peeing and "plop" for the more solid things.

I never defined any particular word for pee or poop.

Putting a word to a command would be like Peanuts, the cartoon listening to adults.

It would all just be WA, Wa, Wa to them.

If the dog truly understands markers it shouldn't take to long but it all still requires patience.

So, you would not differnciate the different activities. Great, makes things easier. But how do you know, when their job is really done? When they have pooped o peed once, this doesn't mean that they are finished. Maybe there is more on the way.

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

So, you would not differnciate the different activities. Great, makes things easier. But how do you know, when their job is really done? When they have pooped o peed once, this doesn't mean that they are finished. Maybe there is more on the way.

The reason I do use 2 different commands is for the express purpose that I want them to take care of ALL their Business on EACH outing -- This is because I work outside the home weekdays & do NOT relish coming back after hours to find any accidents in the house...

And I disagree that dogs only hear "blah-Blah-BLAH" when we give somewhat similar sounding commands & are unable to distinguish (as a typical example) between "Sit" and "Sit Up" or "Sit Pretty" for instance -- If mine only urinate OR defecate of a morning, then I can Emphasize the Complimentary command until they either follow through on it OR their Body Language tells me that they are "good to go" till late afternoon...

Keeping to a strict SCHEDULE is most Helpful -- Dogs learn a time-of-day ROUTINE quickly & will easily tailor their Relief Habits to fit in with the demands of your "CLOCK" (barring any intestinal upsets or urinary infections, of course) ... I always feed them at the Same Hour every day & they invariably "take care of business" TIMELY

Here's how I train them to follow the potty commands like Pavlov's Dog:

When I take my dog outside to relieve itself, I watch her/him every second -- The instant they give me Any Clue that they're about to "do their duty" (sniffing the ground, circling, pacing back & forth, squatting, cocking a leg, etc.) then I simply SAY the Appropriate Words in an encouraging voice (I do NOT use an "imperative tone") so the dog will subliminally link its OWN internal sensations Associated with Elimination to MY words of the moment ... This works according to the Universal Principle that everyone understands: IF one has anything "in the pipeline" whether one feels a pressing urge to "do something about it" or NOT, just Hearing the SOUND of running WATER will usually Trigger the physical Desire (just like turning on the bathroom tap while sitting your toddler on the training toilet)

Hi, Candy. Yes I am doing it the way you describe. I also have an exact daily routine. When we start the early morning walk, they are usually searching soon for a place they find appropriate.

More difficult is the second time during the day. I have only started with this now. If it is better to have one command or two this confuses me a bit. Bob does it with one and you with two.

But the main problem for me is, that I cannot know if the job is finished or not. They normally do it two or three times in succession but with some interruption. Actually it would not be so severe if an accident happened, as they are outside dogs. Nevertheless I want to train them for this.

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

Hi, Candy. Yes I am doing it the way you describe. I also have an exact daily routine. When we start the early morning walk, they are usually searching soon for a place they find appropriate.

More difficult is the second time during the day. I have only started with this now. If it is better to have one command or two this confuses me a bit. Bob does it with one and you with two.

But the main problem for me is, that I cannot know if the job is finished or not. They normally do it two or three times in succession but with some interruption. Actually it would not be so severe if an accident happened, as they are outside dogs. Nevertheless I want to train them for this.

One command or two is mostly a matter of personal preference, in accord with the dogs' housing set-up ... Also since your dogs live outside all the time, it's not as important to "clean them out completely" on every Potty Break -- You will eventually master the art of Reading your dogs' Body-Language which is how you will learn when they are "DONE"

Candi said
"Here's how I train them to follow the potty commands like Pavlov's Dog:

WOW! Do you really make them drool before they go?

Just couldn't pass on that one.


Christina, there are as many ways to train a dog as there are dog trainers.

I found no need to do it any other way but that absolutely doesn't mean my was is the better way.

Could be I've just been to lazy to go the next step. or just didn't think of it when I started doing it.

I do it that way because I've had success and I would say that Candi has had success with her method.

Hi, just can't pass that one, like Bob.

I also do not think that Pavlov studied the canine behaviour of how to make them go potty, though he might investigated this today.

Who know, maybe they begin to drool on the hind side at certain spots as I heard they look for places where it already stinks (for us, for them I guess it is a pleasant smell) However, I don't know if this is true.

Bob, yes I'm almost sure you were simply to lazy . On the other hand I guess, if a dog lives outside it is not very important. There are such a lot of priorities to train. But if my dogs were living in the house, I'd certainly do it Candi's way.

The vast majority of my dogs have been house dogs but it's just been the last two that I've gotten into marker training.

That's only been about 12 or so yrs.

I think I've had maybe 5-6 over the years that were 100% outdoor dogs.

For the 50 or so yrs before my two GSDs I was petty hard core.

Markers, Ellis style will forever be my go to method of training.

Sure, for me too. I've got nearly all of his DVDs. But you know, this is great but not the same thing as being supervised and corrected.