# Tell me when you need to go!!!



## earthnut (Aug 28, 2008)

Domino is potty trained as long as he has access to the dog door. He figured this out at 5 months. He's 8 months now. However, if his way to the dog door is blocked for some reason, he will just find a corner of the house to go in. Is there a way to get him to whine when he needs the door opened??? 

I've spent all day with him in the bedroom waiting for him to whine, but nothing! I *know* he needs to go badly. He hasn't attempted to go in the room because I'm there, but he just looks at the door and doesn't say anything. Just looking doesn't work because the dog door is not where I hang out. I need him to tell me that he needs a door opened.

I can't take him to houses without dog doors until this is figured out!

Thanks.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Kodi whines and sometimes will bark. Shelby learned to ring the bells. We have doggy bells hanging from the back door and she will ring them to go out. They are also trained to go on pee pads inside.


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

Bells, bells, bells. Maddie is not a whiner. However, she'll ring those bells like mad when she has to go out. I have a cow bell hanging on a ribbon by the door, and I can hear her ring it when I'm at the other end of the house. She's never had an accident after bell training when I first got her. The only downside is the bell ringing when she's bored (and wants me to play), hungry, or just wants to go outside and sit a bit. But all in all, I think its the way to go. Plus you can take them to another house when you visit or travel.


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## earthnut (Aug 28, 2008)

Bells are ok, but whining would be better, I think, because what if he's trapped behind another door and can't get to the bell? (like the bedroom door being closed at night) Whining seems a lot more versatile... if he would only do it! 

On another note, why do cats get litter boxes and dogs have to go outside? Or if the dog goes inside, uses pads instead of litter boxes, or why don't cats use pads??:boink:


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

earthnut said:


> Bells are ok, but whining would be better, I think, because what if he's trapped behind another door and can't get to the bell? (like the bedroom door being closed at night) Whining seems a lot more versatile... if he would only do it! :


Maddie has a bedroom bell. It barks for her. Amazon.com: Pet Chime - Wireless Electronic Pet Doorbell: Home & Garden I suppose I could have just made a separate bell for the bedroom, but I thought this was cute. However, the "bark" when she rings it can be annoying. She only uses it on the rare occasions she has to go potty at night. Some dogs just aren't barkers. I suppose you could work on training your dog to bark, but the bell was just easier for me.


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

Lucy whines and rings bells. The only problem is she rings the bells when she wants out of her kitchen area, wants attention, wants food, etc, etc, etc.......

Everynight, I sit down to dinner and she starts ringing her bells!!


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

earthnut said:


> I've spent all day with him in the bedroom waiting for him to whine, but nothing! I *know* he needs to go badly. He hasn't attempted to go in the room because I'm there, but he just looks at the door and doesn't say anything. Just looking doesn't work because the dog door is not where I hang out. I need him to tell me that he needs a door opened.
> Thanks.


Cicero uses the bells...which I love, but he will also whine if I am in another room. He is not a barker or whinner, but this is the way I taught him to also whine if the bell wasn't available ~~~ When you were in the room with him like you said above...and you "know" it's time for him to have to go potty ~ go to the door but don't open it. Place your hand on the doorknob and say ~ in your doggie sing song voice ~ "gotta go outside?" Looking at him, continue to say it over and over with short breaks inbetween ~ expecting an answer. The minute he whines, barks, or any noise from him ~ say "okay, good boy, let's go outside" and open the door.

Once he sees you at the door with your hand on the knob...he has to figure out how to make you open it once you got that far. I think if you practice this with him for a few days...it will click with him that he has to whine or bark to "train you" to open the door...and "*always*" continue to outside potty so he will know that is what the whine is for.

I hope this will work for you. Be patient and train this for a week...and I think he will "get it".


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Jeanne~ We bought that Pet Chime when we had Shadow and she used it for awhile. But for some unknown reason it began "ringing" itself :suspicious: I think somehow the frequency of it must be common enough that things like garage door openers, etc. were setting it off.

Caitlin~ My DS & DDIL's pekingese uses a litter box. And I think that's what Tom King, here on the forum, uses to train his puppies with.

Here's what Rascal (the peke) uses. Purina Second Nature


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Good idea Dale, I need to do what you said too. I worry when we're upstairs or in the basement because I don't know how Scooter would tell us he has to go out. Right now I don't allow him to go on the other floors of the house unless he's just been out and it's a pain. When we go downstairs to watch a movie I can't relax with worrying about him having an accident.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Ann, Cicero was ringing the bell so much at the beginning...for fun..to go outside to play..that I decided to make him whine before I actually opened the door ~ when I knew he really had to potty. I use the word "outside" because "go potty" is what I want him to try to do as soon as I say it. Like..I have to go to the "kitchen" before I can "cook"...lol 

Now, when Cicero rings the bell to go potty...if we don't get right up, he will then come to me and whine and head back to the door ~ so I know he really does have to potty.


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## suzyfrtz (Nov 12, 2007)

Cazzie would never whine or go to the door. It drove me crazy because I never had a dog who wouldn't go to the door when he/she wanted to go out! I had to be very diligent, and take him out frequently. I have bells on the back door but he never caught on. Chelsie though, began whining when she wanted out, at quite a young age. Maybe Cazzie has caught on. He will now go to the door and sit, then come back for me. Once in a while, when he really is desperate, he has come up to me and barked and barked. This is a new development, though, and he is now almost 2 years old. Better late than never! 

Suzy


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## earthnut (Aug 28, 2008)

LuvCicero said:


> Ann, Cicero was ringing the bell so much at the beginning...for fun..to go outside to play..that I decided to make him whine before I actually opened the door ~ when I knew he really had to potty. I use the word "outside" because "go potty" is what I want him to try to do as soon as I say it. Like..I have to go to the "kitchen" before I can "cook"...lol
> 
> Now, when Cicero rings the bell to go potty...if we don't get right up, he will then come to me and whine and head back to the door ~ so I know he really does have to potty.


that would be lovely!


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Belle barks at you. Dora really doesn't have a signal- sometimes she grumbles. But she has the most amazing bladder. Dasher does his "sheltie dance" He spins in circles in front of you. I didn't each any of them this it was more their signal for me. I have gone thru many different methods of potty- pads, dog door, bells, etc. adapted to where we lived and they just kind of get it at a certain age and go along with it.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Dexter only tells me at night when he is tether to my nightstand, he will whimper. But...............during the day, I have to watch for the stiffing low to the ground. 

I am about ready to try the bells during the day.


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## Lilysplash I (Jul 19, 2007)

The responses have been interesting. I bought the bells but they were actually marring the door where they would go out. My dogs do not whine or bark either. My miniature poodle who died a couple of years ago also would not whine or bark but would at least come and give you a look, in otherwords, get someone's attention and we knew that was his way of telling us he had to go. My two do nothing. They never pee in the house but will poop. It's frustrating because they tell you nothing so they do the next best thing


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Lilysplash
To save the door I bought one of those "hooks" that you attach to the wall, then when you are done with it you can remove it without damage to the wall. I attached it about 8 inches away from the door. I already tested it, (because I needed to move it over further,) and it came off with no trouble.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We can tell by how much he moves the bells. The door is right next to the kitchen table and when we eat he rings them and then will lie down by my chair or under the table, I think it's just "Hello, I'm still here so don't forget about me!" because we ignore him while we eat. If he really has to go he'll stand there and continuously ring. Now that he's getting older it's easier to tell based on the last time he was out. I love the bells because I can hear him wherever I am.


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## tuggersmom (Oct 16, 2008)

we are using Christmas bells make to go on the door handles. There are 4 bells on a gold plastic ribbon. We didn't have much success with any other kinds but he loves these one. Tugger used to ask to go out by silently staring at the door knob as if he could get it open by ESP. I waited one day when i knew that he wanted to go out while he was sitting by the door eventually he bumped the bells and I came running over asking him if he wanted to go out? I did this for a few days and he mastered it really quick.


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