How do I get him to ask to go out?

[JennieWI]

thanks for the laugh

Hi. We tried Bell Training with Shiva and had to take the bells completely down due to an interesting and unexpected Pavlovian response. Whenever Shiva hears bells (even keys jingling on t.v.) he starts to pee on the spot. Oops! So, Shiva is almost 16 weeks old now and still has trouble communicating to us when he needs to go outside. I take him out at regular intervals and if he needs to go at an off-schedule time we usually have an accident.

Any suggestions besides Bell Training?

Lisa

Lisa, I laughed out loud while reading your response to the bell ringing. Thanks for the laugh. I'm still going going to get a bell for Gunther, though, as he won't tell us when he has to go out. I have to just watch him like a hawk whenever he is near the door.

 

[Ceris22]

Bell Training

I've never posted anything before, so I hope this works!
I thought I would put my two cents in about bell training. I love it! I'm sure there are ups and downs to every system, but my two boxers both use the bell to go outside. I have a nine month old girl (Laila), and an eight month old boy (Dozer). As soon as they caught on to the bell (in a matter of days), we never had accidents in the house. We also used this technique for a Yorkshire Terrier and a cat that my family had when I was younger. It always makes me laugh: when Dozer REALLY wants outside, and you're not moving fast enough, he beats on the bell until you open the door! Good Luck!

 

[Rushy]

Bell Training

I didn't realize how many people actually knew about bell training until now!

Whenever I have visitors ... hey look at us oddly and ask why we have a bell near the door! Then we have to go through the entire explanation!

Anyways I think that once you train one dog the second picks it up extremely fast!!

Our pup took a little over a month to bell train. Then a family friend in an emergency needed us to take in her English Mastiff until this June.. LITERALLY within 5 minutes he learned the bell just by watching Rush.

He watched Rush get up and ring the bell and he tilted his head confused.. then he saw us Jump up and open the door. 5 minutes later he got up and rung the bell and turned around to see if we would jump up to let him out and sure enough we did.

It is almost like they have trained us more so than us train them, they love the fact that we are at their service.

Our problem (well not really a problem just funny) they CONSTANTLY ring the bell not when they have to just pee but more so to just get us to open the door... sometimes they'll walk out side then walk right back in.. and repeat it. (I think they're playing tricks on us)