Hurry up, would ya?! Puppy Potty Training 101

Of all the cool tricks my past dogs have done, none impressed young kids more than the Hurry Up command. I've had dogs that could sit up and beg, run madly in circles around my legs, open mailboxes and retrieve the contents but nothing, NOTHING impresses kids like having a dog poop and pee on command.

Most people are content with a dog being mostly house trained (having the occasional indoor accident). Professional working dogs must "finish up" before entering competitions or a client's home. Buster and Buffy both worked as demonstration dogs for my training school both on and off the kennel campus and the last impression you want to make on a potential client is a lifted leg in their living room or a huge Rottweiler-sized dump in their front yard. Also, you can be DQed in competition for an on-field elimination. As some competitions have hefty entrance fees you would be remiss to let your dog piss a few hundred bucks away. In addition, you will take a good amount of ribbing from your fellow competitors who will have trouble concealing their glee that your awesome female Rottweiler -who kicked their Dobie's ass in the the last season of French Ring- will not be able to compete in the day's bite work. Not that I know this from experience or anything! Hence, for serious dog folk we came up with the Hurry Up command. Named more for the comfort of human handlers' psychology when standing in below freezing weather, the command is simply to go Number One and Number Two. Outside.

"How do you teach such a fascinating and amazing command, O Dog Trainer?" you ask.

Unfortunately for this command there is no short cut. Diligence and determination on the handler's part is required. You must take your puppy out time and time again on a schedule that is appropriate for their age. Go to the same spot every time. Root yourself like a tree holding a 5-6' leash (your dog WILL be able to find an appropriate place to leave his leavings in 12' circle regardless of his size). Say, Hurry Up like a mantra. Say NOTHING else: no names, no curse words, no complaining about the weather or the time. Remain calm even if it is raining, snowing or the wind is at 50 mph. Your dog does and will pick up on your tension, tense up himself and... well, nothing will get moving if you catch my drift. When your dog starts to go (and he will; just be patient), ever so softly say, "Hurry Up, that's it." Praise gently when he is done with Part One; lavishly when he is done with Part Two.

Come rain or shine your dog will have to eliminate so keep making those trips to the curb. Your dog will get it eventually. Repetition, successful potty-ing outside and comprehensive praise go a long way with any dog.

As your dog gets better at this, extend the time between trips to the curb to encourage him to "hold it." Until then, keep the dog on a leash and near you indoors. Now, the leash is not a magic poop-suppressor; it just serves to keep the dog close enough that you can catch him eliminating in the house and correct that dog awful behavior. How do you correct it, you say? Stamp on the floor (again keep the intensity level appropriate for the dog's disposition) and say No. This should interrupt the dog, cause him to tense up and stop the flow and buy you enough time to get him outside and command Hurry Up.

Mistakes in the house are training opportunities, not natural disasters, so try to be as kind and patient as possible. With a bit of scheduling and consistency you CAN train your dog to "go" on command but they will make some mistakes. In fact while I was writing this, Daisy pooped by the back door and I missed it (Sheesh! She pooped twice already this morning! How much poop can this 4 and a half pound puppy make?!). Since I missed the act, there is no correction as dogs live completely in The Now.

Ah, well! Nobody's perfect. And she will poop again.

Good luck and good training to all you out there!