# Potty training with bells



## genuineljl (Dec 16, 2013)

Our toy poodle pup is 4 months old and we've had her for 5
weeks now. Potty training is going much better now than just 3 weeks ago. No accidents inside in quite a while! . Knock on wood. 
I introduced her to the bells on the door (and say let's go outside and go potty every time) about 2 weeks ago. She's not yet jingling the bells on her own yet. Am I doing anything wrong or missing anything? Do I need to be concerned that she may never tell me when she has to go outside and potty? During the day, while we're at work, she's in her ex pen with a grass potty pad (so she doesn't have to hold all day). She goes out around 2:30-3 and almost always does her 1 and 2. But it's not her call, by ringing the bells, but by us leading her to the door and putting her nose/paw to the bells (and saying the same thing every time). Any advice? No need to worry just yet?
Thanks!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Here is how I taught Swizzle. When we went out side to go potty I would take him to the door and make him ring the bells with his nose. I did not ring the bells as I did not want him to think that was my job. At first when he started to ring the bells you could barely hear them move but I would yes it and grab the leash and immediately take him out. Now he really makes those bells ring and if I don't hustle he swats them again. It took Swizzle about three days but don't get discouraged if it takes longer. Just be consistent. I never made him ring the bells for a walk. If he rings the bells it is strictly potty time.

Swizzle did abuse the pooche bells and started to ring when he just wanted to go outside so he would get a short time out. He caught on quickly and appropriately rang bells for a week or so. He then began to pretend urinate. Once I caught on it only took two time outs before he realized the jig was up and now he uses the bells appropriately.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

You can try putting a tiny dab of peanut butter on them to encourage the dog to touch them. When they ring, say "outside-potty!" and immediately take her out. Of course, clean the peanut butter off after awhile, or she'll be licking the peanut butter off when she doesn't really need to go - haha!


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## genuineljl (Dec 16, 2013)

Thanks CT Girl and georgiapeach! . I realized I forgot to mention that she also started playing with the bells when she has free floor time (after she goes potty). Not all of the time, but a couple of times, and I wasn't sure how to handle that. I've been putting them up out of her reach when she does that since she just went potty and I don't want her to think they're for play. Does this sound ok? And yes, I make sure that I put her nose or paws to the bells. And yes, she also has nosed them ever so lightly, so maybe we are making a little progress. I just hope that it clicks one day and she'll let me know when she has to go outside instead of me taking her to the door every 2-3 hours and help her through the routine. 


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I have been hanging a bell on our back door for over 10 years and have had 3 different dogs during that time. I never bothered to teach my dogs to use them. They taught themselves over time just listening to the bell ring when the door opened. One dog didn't use the bell but just stood in front of the door when she wanted to go out. I was upstairs and this dog went to the door but I could not see her. So my younger dog rang the bell for her and I came downstairs and let them out. My advice is to not worry about training her at all. Just let it happen. It might take a while but your dog will let you know by either barking, standing by the door, or ringing the bell, or a combination of those three.


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## genuineljl (Dec 16, 2013)

Thanks for the reassurance Minipoo! I figured I might be worrying prematurely.  This is not my first dog, but the first dog I've had to train, so I'm building confidence along the way. 


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

When your dog rings the bell that means she goes out, even if she has just gone potty. If she goes out and does not go potty a brief (2-3) minute time out. Don't put the bells out of reach. That experimentation, even if she rings it at the wrong time, probably means she is starting to get it but if you don't take her out the connection won't be made. Good luck!


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## genuineljl (Dec 16, 2013)

CT girl - thanks again - that makes a lot of sense!


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## charleygirl (Mar 29, 2014)

i have trained with bells before and am currently again with my new pup Zeus - 11 week old standard... I have been taking his paw and hitting the bells when we go out and saying outside - wanna go potty, etc. He is now starting to ring the bells when he wants to go out.... I still have to watch him and monitor him and rush him out when I think he needs to go or if he has been sleeping, chewing, playing or in his crate, but I am noticing that he is doing it also.. I have been trying to wait longer when i know he has to go and see if he will go to the door and he has... don't worry, I am sure she will catch on soon just be consistent...


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## mlucesita (Mar 17, 2014)

The timing for this post couldn't be any better for us, as we just decided to get the bells for the back door for our 9 week old spoo puppy, Leeroy. He is a smart, inquisitive dog... too smart sometimes  

He has learned the simple tricks in judt a couple days (sit, stay, down and roll over) and we are looking to keep challenging him as he's been responding so well to being trained. Thanks to all the feedback from the experienced owners


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## genuineljl (Dec 16, 2013)

Thank you charleygirl. I'm going to give her time by the door to tell me herself instead of scooping her up and over to the door/bells. Maybe she'll do the same as your Zeus (I love that name!). 


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## genuineljl (Dec 16, 2013)

Good luck mlucesita!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

The nice thing is that the bells seem to help Swizzle when bells are not there. If we are at someone else's house he now barks at the door. I think he is mad the bells aren't there.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

This is helpful! My daughter's toy used bells and it is a godsend in a busy household - a few times when I was looking after her, she rang to go out to play instead of potty (smart pup!) and this was long after she was reliably trained with the bells. Probably she was trying it on with her grand-human! 
What I'd like to know is how to effectively use time outs in this situation? Several people have mentioned that and I'd like to incorporate that as I am training my own SPOO this year. Do you pick up the pup and bring him inside and just ignore? Put him in crate briefly and ignore? How is the time out for inappropriate bell ringing actually done? I'm worried that since we are already outside, by the time we get back inside, the dog may not make the connection between the bell ringing a few minutes ago and the time out - so I am betting you all have some thoughts and can clarify how this works for me!


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

I should add that with my daughter's little one, what I did after one or two times (and I was sure she really did not need to "go"), was I picked her up and brought her back inside , laid her down and went back to my work ignoring her. She rang again within seconds and I ignored it. 
She caught on pretty quickly, but as I said she was well trained by my daughter and well over a year old. I wonder with a younger puppy how to do it without accidentally ignoring a signal that she really needs to go.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

*doggie door and bell*

We have had a doggie door installed in our present and our previous house. We still put a bell on the regular door to the back door. When the weather is bad or sometimes at night we close off the doggie door. That is when our dog rings the bell when she wants to go outside. We did not teach her to use the bell. She just put it together herself. I have a fenced back yard and love having a doggie door. Let them go out to play or to go potty when they want unless it is raining buckets. In our last house we replaced a sliding patio door with a single french door and a doggie door. When we sold the house, some vet students with dogs bought it. If you had a doggie door, you would not have to worry why they want to go outside. Just something to consider.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

minipoo, I love the idea of a doggy door and in fact was looking at them about a year ago as I was planning for the new puppy. Then, our house was burglarized while we were asleep (they came in through the patio doors) and several months later our next door neighbors were the victims of a violent home invasion (one of them was tied up and later shot) and the thought of an open access door to our home has been permanently shelved. :-(

Our yard is enormous and the cost of fencing is prohibitive (also prefer no fence as we back on a creek and protected space which was one of the reasons why we chose this house) - so going out with the dogs has always been the habit. 

MY daughter's dog did return to her well-trained ways. However, I am not sure if what exactly I did to bring that about or even if I did anything at all or if she just tired of that game (it was winter, after all. lol)


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Nifty, so sorry to hear about the home invasions. A doggie door would make you feel more at risk. I like the privacy and convenience of a fence. It also makes me feel safer (whether that is true or not). We all have different priorities. Hope they found out who was invading your neighbors homes.


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