I wanted to add
I dont have my dogs asking all day - but if the need is GREAT then that is different. They have to learn to hold it for notmal stuff, I walk them often enough and I dont need bugged every time they feel like grass munching (and I dont let them into the garden unsupervised - I have evil neighbours)
SO as puppies I let them ask
Then as they get older they stop asking because they get out regularly enough - but if they NEED to get out due to icky tummy then that is totaly different to having a tiny wee then a play every 20 min

Exactly, I think anyone sane would realise that in an emergency you react to your dogs and hopefully your observational skills are such that you are able to differentiate between attention seeking and an urgent need to evacuate.............................

What about it?

Why is that any different from urinating?

When my daugher was being toilet trained (she was out of nappies during the day by 10 months) all done with exceptionally quickly with very few accidents.

As a teacher, if a child needs to go, it needs to go, and of course by the time a child gets to school one hopes that they are already toilet trained by the age of 4!

Although speaking to some of my friends who are infant teachers it appears that some parents have not taught their children to be toilet trained, how to undo their clothes or wipe their bottoms, but that is their failure as parents.

I would always hope that I have the time, energy and inclination to be in charge of my dog's toileting.

I like to control when and where they go, so they never toilet inappropriately,

In my house, other people's houses, hotels, in public etc.

That is part of my job as an owner.

The same way as I control their feeding regime ie what they eat, where, and when.

And all sorts of other behaviours.

I DO want to control my dogs in that way, as this means that they have so much more freedom than many other dogs because I never have to worry about the possibilities of them being a pain.

But each to his own.

My back door is open most of the day anyway so the dogs have no need to ask to go out, they just go. As for dogs being trained not to ask to go out it's not something I would ever consider, mine know if they bark during the night I will go and investigate and let them out, better that than clearing up any dodgy tummy accidents
Mine only have access to my large Patio as the rest is seperated off so they don't ask to go out unless they need to.

Bandit used to ask, Millie does not, I don't have a problem with a dog asking to go out, if it needs to go to toilet, it needs to go.

I also take them out if they have not been out for a considerable time.

Just like potty training my kids if they danced around shouting wee wee, then I would take them to the toilet, I would not expect a toddler to be in tune with MY regime 24/7...and wait till I said they could go !

That is the problem with waiting for your dogs to ask to go out. They quickly learn to ask to go out to play/patrol/dig/bark etc.

Also what happens if they ask and you are out or don't notice.

If one of our dogs has a bad tummy they will whine or bark or paw at the door. Because they are not in the habit of doing it regularly it is a clear indication that they are not feeling well or they would just wait to be let out.