Any dog, any age can learn this behavior. All it takes is you - the owner - taking the time and patience to make it work.

Don't deviate from the outlined steps and I assure you, your dog will start saving you time right away.

The first thing you need to know is your dog's schedule. If you have a new puppy, this is pretty easy - the schedule is what YOU make it.

The prime times for a dog needing to go to the bathroom are:

* When they first wake up (Doesn't matter if it's from a nap or from sleeping overnight)

* Right after eating and drinking a SCHEDULED meal

* After heavy playtime

If you're starting this training out with a puppy, follow these easy steps. This DOES work for older dogs as well.

* Always LEASH him/her to take him outside or CARRY him. Even if your yard is fenced. The idea is to get the dog to the exact spot you want them to go on.

* As you're leaving the house to go outside, always say the same thing to him. "Outside?" Just say it once, they can hear you and after a while, they know it means going to "Pee and Poop".

* Always leave by the same door for several weeks of the training. After the puppy has the idea and is doing what you want, you can change this up a bit to see if he understands "Outside" means going to the designated area no matter HOW you get there.

* Take him to the SAME DESIGNATED area for going to the bathroom. If the area has an enclosed feel about it, so much the better. This can be accomplished with a temporary pen or with cheap fencing from a home improvement store.

* Put the puppy into the enclosed area - taking it off of the leash, but making sure they can't get out of the enclosure without your wanting it to. If you don't have an enclosed area, make sure you have a long enough leash - the retractable kinds work well - so he can nose around for the perfect spot. But not so far that he is out of the designated area. Needless to say, make sure the area is large enough for the dog to walk around a LITTLE bit.

* WAIT for the puppy to start relieving himself. (Doesn't matter which one). As SOON as he starts going, keep repeating in a LOW MONOTONE VOICE: "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up". Of course, you don't need to use these exact words. Use any phrase you want to. I have a friend who uses the phrase "Pee and poop, pee and poop, pee and poop". The only problem with this is that if you're next to someone else and they don't know the training technique, you're basically saying "Pee and Poop" in front of a stranger! Don't worry about your choice of words, your dog will NOT go in the house if you yell at your kids to "HURRY UP!" The phrase becomes associated with the area, and the action of being taken outside.

* Keep repeating the phrase you've chosen until the puppy is done. Then very CALMLY praise him. And I DO mean CALMLY. A calm praise is one where you gently stroke the puppy's head and say "Good girl" or Good boy". If you're the type to always give a treat to your dog, then ONE small treat is okay. I cannot stress enough that this praise must be CALM.

* Follow this whole thing with something the puppy really enjoys. Playtime in the yard, chasing a favorite toy, whatever you know the puppy REALLY enjoys.

The key to this whole training is when you first take the puppy outside, you are going for one thing and one thing only. To have him go to the bathroom. You don't give up and let them run around the yard and play and go ahead and do their business anywhere.

If the dog hasn't gone and you are tired of waiting, take him BACK INSIDE and wait for a half hour. Ideally, you have a secure location where you know they haven't gone to the bathroom and can put them there. A crate is ideal for this, especially if you have used crate training. Then, take him back to the secure area, starting with "Outside?", the same door, etc. Eventually, you will have several successes in a row and the dog will understand that if they go, they will get a praise and a fun activity from Mom or Dad.

Success will come if you do this when you know the dog has to go anyway. You should have an idea of when they need to go or if you don't, see the examples above that indicate prime times for a bathroom break.

I have had 13 dogs live with me over the years and 7 of them learned the "Hurry Up" command.  (I didn't know about the training for the others).  Believe me when I tell you that the times I was in a flaming hurry but had to "walk" the dog and instead pointed to the area and said "Go Hurry Up!" - well it's just priceless.