# Bell training question



## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

Are there any of you who use a bell on the door? Raffi decided he wanted to go outside for all of his business and quit using his pee pads. Occasionally I wouldn't see him go to the door and would end up with a puddle on the tile. On Sunday I decided to try a bell and it has worked like magic!!!! He now goes to the bell all the time to take care of business. There is just one small problem. He wants to go out all the time! I know I need to take him out every time so he trusts me but is there a way to teach him it is just for potty time? I of course praise when he does potty and come back in fairly quickly if he doesn't.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I wish I had that success. I've been attempting to get Lola to use the bells for months. For such a smartie pants doggie, she just doesn't seem to get it.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

boomana said:


> I wish I had that success. I've been attempting to get Lola to use the bells for months. For such a smartie pants doggie, she just doesn't seem to get it.


Same here, Ricky never did get the hang of the bell. Even if he did, Momi and Popi are both partially deaf and couldn't hear it if we were more than a few feet away! Ricky prefers to go to the door, sit there, and just stare at us. We know that is his cue to open the door for potty. That doesn't happen very often because we usually let him outside for a few minutes every two hours or so, just to let him smell the roses.

Ricky's Popi


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

here is a good article on this THE RINGING OF THE BELLS ? Mrs Behaviour


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I tried for MANY months to train Kodi to use the bells, and he's a smart dog who learns things quickly. My only conclusion was that he had an aversion to some aspect of the bells. Flatly refused to have any part of them. I finally took them down because all they were doing was scratching the woodwork as they swung back and forth. 

It took him until he was ALMOST two to come up with a reliable way of telling us he needs to go out, but he did eventually go to the door and give a funny, single low "woof", which means NOTHING else. Up until then, I thought WE were better trained than he was!!! :laugh:

As with everything else potty related, Pixel developed a system faster. She scratches, very hard and fast, on the glass of the french doors. It's loud enough for us to hear, but if we missed it, she'd just go find a litter box instead. She's not that picky.  Panda just follows the others so far. We're just glad she's learned how to get up and down the back steps now!!!! 

I know bells work well for some people (although I think some people confuse things by introducing bells to puppies who don't fully understand potty training!) but for us, it was a total fail.


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

davetgabby said:


> here is a good article on this THE RINGING OF THE BELLS ? Mrs Behaviour


Thanks for the article. I had put him in his crate this morning after he didn't go. I'm sure part of it was just to get attention from me. I'm so glad he picked up the bell ringing so quickly and isn't having accidents. Just a little more work to do till he understands their only purpose. This is my first time to potty train so I feel like I'm on the right track with everyone's help.

Nancy


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

krandall said:


> I tried for MANY months to train Kodi to use the bells, and he's a smart dog who learns things quickly. My only conclusion was that he had an aversion to some aspect of the bells. Flatly refused to have any part of them. I finally took them down because all they were doing was scratching the woodwork as they swung back and forth.
> 
> It took him until he was ALMOST two to come up with a reliable way of telling us he needs to go out, but he did eventually go to the door and give a funny, single low "woof", which means NOTHING else. Up until then, I thought WE were better trained than he was!!! :laugh:
> 
> ...


This reminds me of how much each dog is different just like people. I taught high school for 32 years and each puppy has to learn their way just like kids do. It is nice to have everyone's input to figure out how my Raffi learns.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> I finally took them down because all they were doing was scratching the woodwork as they swung back and forth.


:grin2: We took them down a month ago, after having them hang there with no use for over a year, for exactly the same reason - scratched paint and woodwork! Now I have some refinishing to do! :frusty:

Ricky's Popi


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## mekdean (Nov 27, 2015)

We taught our lab to use the bells in about 24 hours, easiest training ever! Now Miss Maisy seems to be not a big fan of the bells. She has not picked it up for herself, although she knows exactly what it means when her big brother does it. Maisy prefers to sit by the back door, look over her shoulder at me, and give me the doggie mind control stare! 

And I have to say, the lab definitely uses the bells for outdoor requests other than pottying. He prefers to drink water out of the fountain on the back patio to that lovely filtered water in his bowl, so he rings the bell for that. He rings the bell when he spies deer over the back fence who need his attention. He rings the bell when he is hoping I will get off my butt and then, "oh as long as you are up and in the kitchen, isn't it time for dinner?" 

So perhaps it's just as well that Maisy hasn't learned to use them.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Willow will stand at the door and give low growls (sounds like she's moaning) while looking over her shoulder at me. I know I better take her out when she does this. Sometimes she'll do this growling if there is a squirrel outside but she doesn't repeatedly look over her shoulder at me so I've been able to tell the difference. I've never tried the bell with her but I did with my corgi with no success.


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## Coco2015 (Jan 11, 2016)

Well we started right away with the bell because I am home all day everyday we worked on it every time Coco went outside.... we are not there all the time yet but she has rung the bell 3 times today when I was in another room and we take her right out and she goes every time... Not bad for her first week at home. I think that if you want to do it start as soon as you can and they will catch on.... we have not had an accident in the house for over 24 hours which at this point I am finding a huge success. She is my "princess" puppy according to my family!! Giggle Giggle!!


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

Coco is a Princess!! Raffi has only gone in the house outside his exercise area pee pad twice since Sunday. Both times he rang and I couldn't get there fast enough. Once he pooed on his pee pad and once he peed just off the edge. I think he really gets it. I hope you have success with Coco.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Raffi'sMom said:


> Coco is a Princess!! Raffi has only gone in the house outside his exercise area pee pad twice since Sunday. Both times he rang and I couldn't get there fast enough. Once he pooed on his pee pad and once he peed just off the edge. I think he really gets it. I hope you have success with Coco.


Just don't trust him too soon... Like for months. He is still a very young bany. It is all about building good habits at this point.


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

krandall said:


> Just don't trust him too soon... Like for months. He is still a very young bany. It is all about building good habits at this point.


I know it will take months and I still limit his access in the house. He is 15 weeks today so still just a baby.


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## Nicm (Feb 28, 2014)

Ha both my girls are bell trained!! like others we started at 12 weeks and its a pain but it does work! Even if my girls are playing and one accidentally hits the bells we open the door for them! I was excited the first time I heard the ring from the bells from them of course when Darla was our only one. Heidi is the younger one and she was like maybe 1 month behind Darla "getting it" ages of mine are 19 months and 8 months old! Glad he is getting it keep working on it for sure! So rewarding once they get it..:wink2:

Nic Darla & Heidi


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## Nicm (Feb 28, 2014)

Oh forgot to say Darla was 5 months old when she was really ringing the bells Heidi Ho was 6 months...:grin2:


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## Valiere (Nov 24, 2015)

We're trying our hardest to teach Riley to use the bells, but it's been a bust so far. She's almost six months old. We have rung the bells almost every time we open the patio doors, but she still doesn't get it. 

Last weekend, I sat on the other side, with the door closed, coaxing her with her favorite ball (She is obsessed with fetch). After she whined and whined and did anything BUT ring the bell, we started putting her paw on the bell, opening the door, and playing fetch for a little bit, then starting the process over. No dice. She still can't figure out that bell ringing = door opening, and will just whine and whine some more if a door ever separates her from that tantalizing game of fetch. 

Poor puppy so slow.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Valiere said:


> We're trying our hardest to teach Riley to use the bells, but it's been a bust so far. She's almost six months old. We have rung the bells almost every time we open the patio doors, but she still doesn't get it.
> 
> Last weekend, I sat on the other side, with the door closed, coaxing her with her favorite ball (She is obsessed with fetch). After she whined and whined and did anything BUT ring the bell, we started putting her paw on the bell, opening the door, and playing fetch for a little bit, then starting the process over. No dice. She still can't figure out that bell ringing = door opening, and will just whine and whine some more if a door ever separates her from that tantalizing game of fetch.
> 
> Poor puppy so slow.


Not necessarily. Kodi is VERY smart... look at all the titles he has learned. And he would never ring the bells. I really think they are aversive to some dogs. There are other ways for a dog to let you know they need to go out. If that way isn't working, find something else youc an both agree on. Kodi has a very particular, single, bark, Pixel scratches on the glass of the back door. They both figured out something oon their own. Panda just follows the others in and out so far! :laugh:


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