How can I teach my dog where she can and cannot urinate outside?

Hi there,

This issue isn't so much about where my young dog can and cannot go to the toilet in the garden - but in a few weeks' time I'm going to be taking her on a train journey for the first time. I'll obviously make sure she toilets before we set off, but after an hour's train journey we have a quick switchover to another train, then another twenty minute journey.

We won't be leaving the station during the switchover and I know she CAN hold her bladder, but as she's used to being able to urinate anywhere 'outside' and I'm a little worried she might choose to 'go' in the station! Does anyone have any advice on how I can encourage her to wait until we arrive at our final destination before she does go, please! I'm hoping to make our train journeys together a regular thing, so any advice on train travel with a dog will be gratefully received.

Has she been on a train before?

No, she hasn't. She's a calm and well-behaved dog, not very big, and we've worked on 'lie down' while people step over her etc., so pretty confident about the train itself, just this slight worry about the train swapover!

Then I would take her on the train a couple of times in the lead up to your trip. Do you have a "cue" for wee/pooping?

She can go on command, and I'll get her to do so before the journey, but she also goes whenever she wants as long as she's outside.

Will you have time to take her somewhere to pee before you get on the 2nd train? That was always my option with Rupert if there was time. Other than that I just kept him very close when walking to the platform and didn't allow him to stop and sniff at all. Once on the right platform he was in a sit by my side or lying down so no opportunity to toilet in the wrong place.

I would do a few short train journeys before going on this long one though, just to make sure she's not going to be terrified of the motion, the noise, the smells, the cramped conditions etc.

My dogs travel with me all the time, if it helps, none has ever toileted in an inappropriate place except...........

1 When one was ill
2 In the show ring at Crufts (insert blush, rolleyes, etc emoticons)

I am a bit of a control freak so my dogs are used to waiting until cued to empty.

You can minimise errors by carrying her (if she is small enough) to an appropriate area (you can usually find a bit of gravel, grass, etc at the extremities of platform or go out of the station and re enter depending on the urban/suburban/ruralness of the location)

I would just carry them onto the next train so she has no chance to potty?How long is the total train journey?
Coco did a 5 hour train journey once at 3months and did fine..