It can be hard to get your dog to pee in the yard. Luckily, ECAD can teach you how to train your puppy to urinate on command.
Okay, pet parents. Getting your dog to start peeing in the yard can be a challenge so ECAD is going to let you in on a little secret of ours. Training happens! Your precious pooch is always learning. Training is happening before and after your dedicated training hours, when your pet is on and off leash. If you think your puppy is not learning, think again, because they are. This can be good or bad; you could be teaching your puppy bad habits and not even be aware of it. Therefore, for today’s tip, we are going to use ECAD’s theory that “Training Happens” to train your puppy to eliminate on command.
The Get Busy Command
“Get Busy” means to eliminate on command.
When to use: Use it every time you take your dog outside to eliminate.
Teaching Method:
- Designate an area where you would like your dog to eliminate.
- Every time you take your puppy out, take them to that spot while they are on a leash.
- Plant your feet and do not follow your dog around the yard while they sniff all over. Your puppy gets the length of the leash, and that’s it.
- Do not give up. Chances are your puppy has to go potty, but all the smells are distracting to them. So remain in your spot until your puppy eliminates.
- The moment your puppy begins to relieve themselves, repeat the command, “Get Busy,” until your dog has finished.
- As soon as your puppy has finished, PRAISE! Use a lot of enthusiasm and energy to tell your pet how amazing they are for eliminating outside in the designated spot.
- Repeat steps 2 through 6 consistently every time you bring your dog outside.


Note: Your dog should eliminate when they go outside before you do anything else. For example, if you are planning to go on a walk, your dog must first “Get Busy” before that happens.
The training of a command like “Get Busy” happens through repetition and association. Eventually, “Get Busy” will become a useful command. If a dog gets rewarded for a behavior, they will be repeat that behavior. The trick is to convince your dog to do a certain behavior, like “Get Busy”, so you can reward them several times. Once they have done it and been rewarded, you can associate the word “Get Busy” to the act of eliminating.
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All training tips in this series are from ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities), a non-profit organization dedicated to training service dogs for veterans with disabilities. Learn more about ECAD.