# Accidents at 7 months with bell and crate training success



## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

Hello - I have a puppy that is very nearly 7 months old, and has much success trick training, crate training (he slept through the night at 10 weeks) and will ring chimes to go outside. 

The problem is that he wants to go out about once an hour to pee (more often if he's drinking more or eating). I try to extend the time a little and if I don't take him out when he chimes, he'll pee inside. He is crated while I'm at work with a dog walker taking him out at lunchtime. He does fine then, so I know he can hold it. When he goes out often, he does not pee all that much.

Any advice?

Thanks,

Dan


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

That's why it can help to keep the dog on a leash and doing no more than
circle in one spot until the problem is solved . Praise and reward when he actually does go but not if he just wants to play. If you ignore the bell and don't take him out ,you are looking for accidents. If this continues , check with the vet ,maybe it could be a urinary problem.?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

My best guess....and I am no expert. Is he marking territory? 

What about a bladder infection? People urinate more often and frequently with bladder infections. 

Oh! Welcome to the forums!


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

Maybe I wasn't clear... It seems like an awful lot for a 7 month old to go out every hour. I am not sure what the leash reference is to... I do keep him on a leash and he does go outside fine.

And you do have to ignore the chimes sometimes because otherwise you'll take him out every 30 seconds.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah Dan the reason to take him out on leash is to eliminate the times he just wants to play or what ever. Going out to do this is self rewading. Our Molly would ring the bell just to do this. But if he is urinating every time ,he could have a urinary problem. You might want to get him checked out.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

When Tucker was young I took him out every time the bells rang. I think you'll be teaching your little guy that the bells aren't reliable and it is an option if you don't let him out every time he rings. I know it was annoying for awhile when Tucker figured out the bells, but so worth it. He did start slowing down after the novelty wore off. Tucker will still ring them if he's bored and wants to go see if anything more interesting is going on outside. He'll also ring to let the cat inside. Ha! What a gentleman! If you don't have the time or the pup has plain worn out your patience, I'd put him in the crate if you don't let him out.


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

I do always take him out on a leash (I live in a condo) and he really does pee often (just little amounts) so I will have the vet check him out... Thanks


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

Sheri said:


> When Tucker was young I took him out every time the bells rang. I think you'll be teaching your little guy that the bells aren't reliable and it is an option if you don't let him out every time he rings. I know it was annoying for awhile when Tucker figured out the bells, but so worth it. He did start slowing down after the novelty wore off. Tucker will still ring them if he's bored and wants to go see if anything more interesting is going on outside. He'll also ring to let the cat inside. Ha! What a gentleman! If you don't have the time or the pup has plain worn out your patience, I'd put him in the crate if you don't let him out.


My Xander is very smart and will ring more than once if he really has to go and I'm questioning it. I'm just trying to get him to extend the time between breaks.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Yeah, the vet might be a good idea if he's really going just a bit, but each time he goes out! 
They are smart little guys!


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

Sheri said:


> Yeah, the vet might be a good idea if he's really going just a bit, but each time he goes out!
> They are smart little guys!


Yeah, no wonder they were circus dogs. Xander learns most tricks in five minutes except for "Bang!" which took about a week, and I think it's because it's complicated and has him going on his back.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

Dan, my 5 month old puppy is in his "ring ring" stage. It seems he is always ringing those bells. He will go everytime I take him out too. I know he does it sometimes just to get me up though. It was sleeting this morning and he hates the cold and wet. He started ringing the bells and when I opened the door, he looked at me as if to say "no way, I am not going out there". Ah, smart puppies are just too much sometimes.


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

I live in New England and it's been snowing for 3 days, so this constant in-out and starting to wear on me pretty badly! The snow is over his head now so I have to shovel an area for him big enough to do his poopy dance.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I can see how New England winters would wear your patience thin. We have been dealing with more rain than anything here in Philly. Of course, that creates a ton of mud which creates a whole different problem with havs. I am very tired of wiping feet and bellies.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I just went through the ring-ring! stage too! Marley is almost 9 months, so it's been a long road to hoe and he rang that bell like crazy for 3 weeks solid! Once he finally figured out the correlation between the ringing the bell and going outside he would ring it every 10 minutes every day for three whole weeks. I knew he would tire of it eventually, but you HAVE to take him out every time he rings for it to really sink in. When I was just too tired and didn't think I could answer that bell again I would tether him to me with a leash so he couldn't get to the bell. I already knew he could hold it for 3 hours now, so it didn't make him suffer at all and it gave me a break. The last two weeks have been heavenly. He's ringing reliably to potty outside and he no longer going overboard about it. I would suggest you double check with your vet just to be sure he doesn't have a problem and them use the tether method to give yourself a break sometimes.


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

Hey everyone - I had his urine checked (boy it was fun trying to catch it!) and he has high levels of crystals in his urine, so we're getting him to drink more and will retest in a few weeks, and if that doesn't help we'll give him special food... but that can make him want to go more often and not empty his bladder when he does go.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

dan924 said:


> Hey everyone - I had his urine checked (boy it was fun trying to catch it!)


I have to laugh when I think how it must look to our neighbors! And, it's so hard to do without scaring the little guys into stopping, too...ha, ha, ha!

Glad you are on top of the situation with your pup, though. Hope it all turns out fine.


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## dan924 (Jul 27, 2008)

Question for the bell users: Do you bring him right back in after he goes to the bathroom?


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

It is usually recommended that you do bring them right back in after they do their business, so that they know for sure why they are ringing the bell. But, we often stayed out a little to play, too, and it didn't seem to confuse him.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Shelby is not easy to teach things to, but she learned hoe to ring the bells :frusty: She does it all the time and I don't want to take them away or ignore her, because she would have an accident. But yesterday she got so annoying. All the kids were over and we were having dinner, so I put them away for a while.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I bring them in after ringing to potty, but make sure to have special times just to go out and play.


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