Potty training question

[gusthecairn]

How can you get your puppy to "tell" you he has to go outside potty? Potty training is going pretty well, but he has yet to "tell" me that he has to go, it's mostly just me taking him out on a schedule.

[Puddlesmama]

My girls didnt tell me they had to go for quite a while..Until I read about the bell trick.

Hang a bell from the door and tap it on your way out to bring them to potty. Eventually they get the idea that the door opens when the bell rings.

My girls played around early on when they figured that out... Then they would ring the bell immediatly after coming inside. It was a fun trick to teach and gave me a cue that they had to go out..(even if they really didnt have to)

[beccadiane374]

My girls didnt tell me they had to go for quite a while..Until I read about the bell trick.

Hang a bell from the door and tap it on your way out to bring them to potty. Eventually they get the idea that the door opens when the bell rings.

The bell thing has worked terrific for Tanner & I. I just have 3-4 of the little wedding bells on a shoestring, tied around the doorknob & I rang it everytime I took him out. When he started doing it himself, we had a bit of a party. But we kinda use it to communicate with each other~he rings it when he wants to go out, so I come to the door to let him out, and then, at night, for his last potty trip, I ring it to let him know I want him to go out, so he comes to the door to be let out. I thought it was a crazy idea when I first heard of it, but it has been fantastic for us.

[pkcrossley]

i am curious and would like to teach my dog that --i think. what is to prevent him from turning it into a butler's bell, ringing it every time he wants to play or go out? i'm not understanding why any self-respecting cairn would not turn this into yet another tool for world domination.

[bradl]

Ours did!

[kjwarnold]

Yeah, we started using a bell with Packy but it took about 15 minutes for him to figure that one out. Exit bells. Now he just stands in the hall and gives a little woof. He's quiet about it though, so sometimes I think he's sitting there a while. I don't think Kirby has ever told us to he needs to go out. He just holds it until Packy says he wants to go out. Or maybe he tells Packy to tell us...

[Puddlesmama]

Ha... Well, My grumpy kitty Lilly did not like the bell becoming a toy for too long. They all learned quite quickly not to bother her with all that ruckus.. She allows the dogs to be mischeivous, and rumble tumble...But something about that bell really ticked her off...

(I think it is weird that my cat helped train my dogs)

[josie&holly]

Holly rarely goes to the door to indicate she wants to go out and so I usually make sure she goes out every so often - when she does go in garden she usually has a wee and a wander round, if she does a poop she bounces back in as if to tell me that I need to clear it up! Though occasionally she will eat it so I keep an eye on her!!

[however, she tends to save doing a poop until we are out on a walk miles from any litter bin so that i have to carry it around!]

[beccadiane374]

i am curious and would like to teach my dog that --i think. what is to prevent him from turning it into a butler's bell, ringing it every time he wants to play or go out? i'm not understanding why any self-respecting cairn would not turn this into yet another tool for world domination.

He does try, but if I know he doesn't need to go potty (for example, if he was just out 15 minutes beforehand!), I tell him no. He's a pretty smart cookie, so most of the time, he'll either just lay down by the door or give up & walk away from it. If he really has to go potty, he'll just keep ringing & give a little whine/cry & then I'll let him out.