SOS -- Poochie Bell Training, HELP!

[Patty Van Wagoner]

Hi all!   My little Riley is approximately 10.5 weeks old, almost 11 weeks.   We've had her home for almost 2 weeks now. I really want to bell train her for when she has to do her business. But, I'm not exactly sure what to do here.   We ordered poochie bells and was waiting for its delivery.  In the meantime, I had bought a string of make-shift bells that I hang down from the door knob.  I'm doing exactly what the "books" tell you to do -- when its potty time -- I ring the bells and have her touch them with her paw and say "let's go potty". I then take her out, she does her business, I praise her and bring her back in.  After 15 minutes back indoors -- I take her out for playtime without ringing the bell. I've been doing this religiously. Problem is -- when I introduced her to the bells -- she attacked them, dragged them with her mouth--and frankly, just didn't like them.  The poochie bells came yesterday and its almost as if she's afraid of them...she backs away from them.  
But, here is what i can't grasp.  You put them on the door your exiting, right?  Well, if she's in her play pen I have for her --- how does this work?   I've not yet allowed her to have full reign of the house, I feel she's too young still.  I tried hanging them in the playpen -- but she attacked them. 
What am I doing wrong -- and what can I correct? 
Thanks in advance :-) 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Just thought about your other question....no...do NOT put them in the playpen...they just become another toy for her.  Hang them on the door you are exiting EVERYTIME...and have her hit them with her nose or paw.  Enzo uses both...I guess which ever tickles her fancy at the time ;)    You obviously can't/won't expect her to hit them on her own, until you allow her out of the pen.

[Adina P]

All four of the dogs we've had ring the bells with their nose...they nose the bells rather than paw them. It is okay to hold off on the bells if she does not have run of the house. I would still make puppy ring them herself EVERY SINGLE time you go out.

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Do they still do it Adina? I have a stubborn little booger who now REFUSES to ring them. She learned very quickly as a baby and rang them faithfully. Then I guess sometime after her 1st birthday, she decided she was just too good for those bells. She will stand by the door and turn her head to look at me. I tell her she has to ring the bells and she just refuses. Sometimes I take her nose and make her hit them. I KNOW she understands, she just doesn't want to. The ONLY time she does it now is if I am not in the room and she thinks Im not getting her "stand by the door" message. When Baby Lyla (Golden puppy) comes to visit, SHE rings those bells every time. Maybe Daphne thinks its just for babies??!

[BG and Gavin]

LOL Lori!  Reminded me when Gavin was younger and I was on the corded phone in the kitchen...he would ring the heck out of those bells so I would have to put the phone down and let him out.  My mom said me and my brother would raise Cane when she was on the phone too.  What comes around, goes around I guess :)

[Karen & Maple]

She's not too young to get this. We did NOT hang them on the door, but on a hook right next to it. This way it's not confusing every time the door opens and closes. Only ring it when you going out to potty. She got it within a few days at 10 weeks old. Yes, she did sometimes play with them, we generally took her away and played elsewhere. She stopped playing with after a week or so. She recently started ringing just to go out and play. When that happened, we carried her right back in, and put her directly in her crate. About 10-15 mins later (ignored the crying) pick her up right out of crate, rang the bell, and CARRIED her out to the potty spot and gave the command. No walking to the spot or playing. She almost always went. Reward and praise. And she has quit this little trick.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Great point Karen! I always forget the bell ringing, should the door open. We have double French doors and the bells are hung on the door that we rarely open.
This is probably the one pitfall of using potty bells. Enzo went through a short period where she hit them when she wanted out to play. Thankfully, it didn't last long.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Finn never figured out the bells. He finds me and barks once whenever he needs to go out.  Got me trained. LOL

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

LOL...:)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca on the rare occasion he wants to go out when it is not Calla instigated does this routine.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Our old Golden, who come seek me out and just stand and stare at me.  If I ignored him, he'd do a little jump type thing and give me a gentle "woof".  But usually, his stare was enough! ;)