Bell Training Question

[cama]

After reading about Bell Training, I bought some bells and hung them last week. Ponza (12 weeks on Thurs.) is doing well, and now knows that when he rings the bell, he gets to go outside. He will ring it, sit by the door and look at me expectantly. I always put him on his leash and take him to "the spot". Problem is, he rings it to go out and play. Twice last week, he actually did his business after we were outside for a little while (obviously, it was NOT the reason he rang the bell). Today, for the first time, he rang it, and immediately peed in the right place. Only time will tell if this is coincidence or not.

In any case, my question is - do I take him out EVERY time he rings the bell? What about if we just came in and he did both pee and poop? HELP!

As a related question, at approximately what age will I be able to open the door and let Ponza go out on his own? I know until he's reliably housetrained, I will need to take him, but when do you make the transition from physically bringing him to just opening the door?

Thanks in advance!
Charlene

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

Since he now understands that ringing the bell means going out, only take him out when he rings the bell if you feel he needs to pee or poop. They all "test" the bell this way for a while, but if you are consistent in that when he rings, he goes ONLY for potty, not any play time. If he doesn't potty in 3 minutes or so, back inside; no play time outside. He'll get it after a short time.

You probably know his potty schedule by now, so use that as a guide to see if he "really" needs to go out and potty or is just working you (and the bell).

Good luck.

 

[ParisRain]

Ooh good to know...

I hung a bell on the backdoor for this purpose... and my 4 year old keeps running off with it. I tell him "No, that's for the puppy."

Problem is, we don't get our pup for another week and a half. :D Poor Erik.

 

[Scorpio]

bell training kids!! Dan is right! I trained Ozzy with the bells and after awhile I felt like throwing the things away This morning Ozzy rang the bell and when I went in the kitchen he was sitting by his bowl??? like feed me pls! They are so smart. Its gets better. Do you have a fenced in back yard? If you do you can probably let Ponza go out alone and see what happens, we had about 6 steps and Ozzy mastered them right away and would go over to his spot ,he still does! he disappears around the garage and does his business.

 

[CC]

I've been having a heck of a time with this too. Now that the weather's warming up, Titus ALWAYS wants to be outside. He loves playing in the yard. So he is ALWAYS ringing his bell.

He doesn't mess much in the house anymore, and certainly knows that the bell means he WANTS outside, but I need to link him to knowing it means he NEEDS outside. So I should let him out for play at times when he doesn't ring? I can't just deprive him of playtime outside - he loves it too much!

I've been letting him out almost every time he rings, but not letting him back in until I'm ready (which is always after he's waited pitifully at the door for a while). I hoped that making him "cool his heels" would help him figure out that maybe he shouldn't be the one to decide when he goes out. But I will try Dan's advice!

 

[munchichi2550987]

Brogan does this too. Constantly rings the bell, especially on a beautiful day. I put a bell at my parents house as well and she will ring the heck out of that and then peek around the corner to see if anyone heard.. then the crying starts:rolleyes: Then she walks back over and rings it again, then harder etc..:p It's quite amusing but after a while i'm ready to throw the bell!!
So I try to not let her train me and I let her out when i feel she has to go. My parents always let her out when she rings it so of course she abuses it there

 

[cama]

By George, might he have it?!

Thanks for the replies on this thread.

Yesterday, he rang the bell all day (without any prompting from me) and went out and did his business in the "spot" with no accidents. It's certainly looking like he's beginning to get the housetraining thing down, though I know it will be a number of weeks yet before I can consider him "trained". I can't help being excited that it appears to be the "beginning of the end" of housetraining. :D

Tulsa-Dan, I have been doing exactly as you said - taking him on the leash, waiting a few minutes, then if he's playing, it's right back inside. I've noticed that it's mainly in the afternoon that he rings it to "play". Once he is definitely housetrained, I figure I'll let him out any time he rings the bell.

Scorpio, I do have a fenced back yard, so I think when I KNOW he knows that he shouldn't pee or poop in the house, I will open the door and see what he does.

ParisRain - I hear ya - I have to keep telling my kids to leave the bell alone!!

Munchichi25 - That's one smart girl you've got. I'm going to try to keep Ponza from "training me!

Thanks again for the input!

Charlene

 

[ParisRain]

LOL @ munchichi25 and the dog peeking around the corner to see if anybody "heard" Oh my gawd, I'd be cracking up! How do you keep from giving in???

Charlene I wonder if the constant bell-ringing will drive you crazy pretty soon? How will you handle it?

I'm giving the bell idea second thoughts now... :(

 

[Scorpio]

Oh come on now Paris Rain!!! get with the bells

 

[Brookelynn]

All I can say is thank goodness the weather is getting nicer. We have been trying to bell train Fletcher (3.5 mos), but he seems to be more afraid of the bell than anything else, and with the colder weather has noooo desire to be outside. He did ring it the other day to go poop, but has not grasped it for going pee. We have the added challenge of living in an apartment in NYC, which means that there is no instant gratification for ringing the bell. Ring bell, go down hall, wait for elevator, ride elevator, go through lobby...THEN we are outside