training to use a "poochie bell"

w8ing4rain · 01-20-2009, 10:22 AM

I got Nanuq a poochie bell. When she needs to go out she goes to the door but is very quiet about it. If you don't notice her fast enough she pees on the rug. We have been trying to teach her using the method that comes with the bells. She just doesn't get it. Has anybody had success in getting their dog to ring the bell to go out? Any ideas that might help her catch on? I have avoided using food because I don't want her ringing the bell all day in hope of a treat.

Max'N'MillersMomma · 01-20-2009, 10:35 AM

I followed a suggestion on here. Each time I took him out I would ring the bell. We have 2 bells hanging from the door handle. After about 4 days of doing this I encouraged Miller to ring it. He wouldn't do it on his own so I took his paw and rang it. Lots of praise even with my help. Afew about 2 weeks of working on it he rang it on his own. I will say there is some bell abuse just as others have noticed but it is great finally knowing when he has to go out.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

jesterjigger · 01-20-2009, 10:47 AM

My puppy is still learning to use the bells, and this is what we did...

First I taught her to touch things I pointed at. I did this by tapping an object, when she touched it I clicked and gave her a piece of food. Then I added new objects and would reward her for touching them. As she got better I stopped tapping the objects and just pointed, while saying touch.

By the time we got bells she was very good at touching stuff I pointed at. So then I put the bells on the floor and worked on having her touch them. I got a floor wreath holder and hung the bells on it. Then I would lean it over so that the bells were close to the floor and had her touch them there. As she got used to that I slowly raised them up until the stand was upright and she was touching the bells at the height they'd be next to the door.

I then moved the bells closer to the back door (most of our training happens first in the middle of the living room, so I stuck with the familiar place first) and had her touch them. This was a Wednesday, Thursday DH and I would kick the bells with our foot whenever taking her out, while I worked on having her touch them on her own during many small training sessions.

Friday we started having her touch the bells before we took her outside (she was consistently going to the door and standing there quietly). At that point I stopped doing training sessions on touching the bells because she was good about touching them when we pointed at them immediately before going outside. We would give her a small treat when she touched the bells, right before taking her out and praised her heavily for touching them.

Saturday she touched them once to go outside on her own, and slowly it increased from there. We've had a bit of a set back because she has a UTI right now, but she was doing really well before coming down with the UTI. Sometimes when she would stand by the door I would watch her and she would hit the bells, and if not then, while we pull on our jackets she starts hitting the bells, it's kind of cute.