1 Answer

Guide dogs are trained not to relieve themselves while they are working. They will only relieve themselves when they are out of their working harness and their handler has given them the command to urinate or defecate.

A guide dog that relieves itself while it is working either has a serious health condition or is in need of major retaining. If it is an ongoing problem, the dog may need to be retired.

The guide dog handlers I know all can tell if their dog is trying to relieve itself. There is a lot of tactile communication from the leash and the harness handle and the person usually knows what the dog's body position is and how it is moving. A dog that is urinating or defecating has a very different posture from a dog that is just standing and waiting. It's also fairly easy to hear when a dog is urinatin