Teaching Your Dog to Eliminate on Command
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"Park!"
This command is important for your comfort. Ever been outside with your dog on a cold winter’s night, wanting her to do her thing, but all she wants to do is lick the icicles and run around in the snow? Or maybe you’re almost late for a business meeting and you’re outside. You know your dog will need to go out before you leave her in her kennel, because you’ll be gone for several hours, but she wants to play. What do you do? Are you going to let your dog be boss? Or are you going to train her to “Park?”
Training your dog to eliminate on command isn’t as hard as you might think, if you use the Clicker Training method. Next time your dog lets you know it’s time to go outside, grab just a couple of things.
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Clicker Method
Throughout the entire tricks section, I use the clicker method for training dogs. The clicker method, in my opinion, is the best method available to use, because it enables the dog to know exactly what it is being treated for. Also, the clicker method lets children and multiple people train the animal, making it incredibly "user friendly." For more on this, please see THE CLICKER METHOD.
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The Need To Know
Next time “Cassie” lets you know it’s time to go outside, take her on a leash. Wait until she starts to eliminate. Don’t say, “No!” or do anything before that. Let her sniff around, play, and do stuff. Also, it’s important to click/treat AFTER she’s done with her business. That way, she’ll be rewarded for finishing everything. Don’t click right when she starts to eliminate or in the middle of the process, because she’ll stop and run to get her treat. And remember to say, “Park,” at the same time you click.
So, you’ve clicked and treated Cassie for Parking. Do this every single time for a while. Once every other day or so, test and see if Cassie will park when you command her to. If she doesn’t, that’s ok; keep rewarding her behavior every time. But if she does, give her a Jackpot.
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Tips:
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Take Cassie to a certain spot to park every single time.
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Make sure your treats are always something that Cassie really wants. It wouldn’t even have to be something to eat - it could be a stick in the yard that draws her attention, or a favorite toy. Just so she’s interested in what’s in your hand.
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If Cassie has told you she needs to go out, take her out, and don’t go inside until she has parked.
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Also, don’t let her do anything else outside, like chasing butterflies, until she’s done her business.
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