teaching poochbells to go out when door isn't right there

[Laura Deutsch]

Good Morning,

Any suggestions to this would be appreciated. The set up we have is that Molly is mostly in our kitchen which leads out to a long hallway. The door to outside is at end of hallway and we have a bell, which she still doesn't ring, although I have to admit, we haven't been consistent about ringing it every time we take her out. I think that it would be best to put bells on kitchen door frame, but am worried she'll be playing/eating them instead. Any suggestions? She's 14 weeks and rambunctious and mouthy. She will definitely go for hanging bells at entrance to kitchen. She's also very smart, so I know it's just a question of finding the right way to approach it. Thanks in advance.

[Adrienne Shapiro]

One thing I never thought of that my trainer says, we are suppose to train the dog when to go potty, not the other way around. If we tell them when to go potty they learn to "hold it" and go potty on command. He is really against the bells and doggy doors (unless you work, then use them only then). t Teaching them to go on command comes in very handy at all times, other people's homes, going on a car trip, at night, etc. If we use dog doors (like I do), they have the control, which is why I have had so many potty problems...and it took so long to train to go on command...and when I visited at other homes, I ran in and out never knowing when my girl really had to go potty or if she would have an "accident"

[BG and Gavin]

I really think you accomplish both at the same time (he tells you when or you tell him when) with the bells. A learned association is a learned association. When Gavin is asleep at 11:30pm and I want him to go our for his last pee, I ring the bells and he bolts right to the door to be let out to do his business. We always accompanied him outside as well and gave the "get busy" command while he was peeing, so he knows that too when we are not at home. Also the bells were very helpful to us because we spent time at the cottage during the training phase and the set up there was totally different than at home. The bells provided some continuity for him. Now that he is a year old, he rarely has to ring the bells, as we take him out on our schedule. However, two nights ago when Gavin was super sick, he rang his bells at 5:30am. By the time I got to the door he was heaving, I let him out and he got sick immediately. If he has me trained, then I am all for it! lol

[Adina P]

I can totally see that point of view. For us part of the beauty of bells was that sometimes dogs had a sudden urgency and the bells were an easy way to let us know. When Rosco was younger (well probably for the first 2-3 years of his life) he drank an inordinate amount of water in the evening and then HAD TO go out for potty constantly. We couldn't watch a 30 min tv show without letting him out twice. He'd actually have an accident if he didn't go out and it wasn't about not understanding where to go. So they came in handy for us. Rosco also liked to go outside and lay on the concrete and he'd ring for that. So for us it was just an easy way for them to communicate "I'd like to go outside" without having to listen to barks.

But with young pups...I agree that it's ME who needs to take them out in regular intervals, rather than them needing to remember to ring the bell.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Spud uses the Poochie Bells. I think they are wonderful. Starlit knows what they mean but will not go ring them herself. I truly believe she never will. It is just NOT for her. If I ring them she will come to go out, but she will not initiate the bells herself. She has her own butt wiggling communication to let us know its time.

I agree with your trainer Adrienne that we are suppose to train the dogs when to go potty. My dogs actually know " Go Out" means we are here to go potty--so let's do it. It is almost as if they ask me...is this place okay to go to the bathroom? Yep, Go OUT--pee on command

So for some dogs no matter where you place the bells you can train them and for others it does not work.

[Jackie]

I trained Beckett to ring the bells to go outside. I hung them at the door we used to take him out. I touched his nose to the bells and said outside go potty everytime we took him out. It took him a few weeks and then he just got it. But while he was learning, I took him out everytime he touched them !! Molly will get it as long as you're consistent. They are smart little pups. Good luck :)