# Bell training



## CrazieJones

I am also trying to bell train my little guy.

So far this is my typical potty procedure:
1. Walk/carry (depending on the urgency) Roshi to door.
2. While going to the door, say "Outside"
3. At door, ring my bird bells.
4. Open door, but try to have myself walk out first (but since he is so small, he usually can squeeze through my legs)
5. Pick him up from porch (waiting for my builder to build me some stairs) and carry him to a somewhat puppy safe dirt pile.
6. Say "pee pee" or "boo boo" until he does his business.
7. When he's done, praise and reward (although he doesn't seem as excited as me... is that normal? He gives me a look like, "yeah, I pee. isn't that what everyone does?"
8. Carry him back inside, or reward him a little walk around the block.

Please correct me if any of the steps are done wrong.

My question is... when can he ring the bell himself?
When can I let him run around so that he will ring the bell?
Confining to a play pen won't have him ring anything! Should I hang a bell in the pen? What if he rings it every minute?


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## TilliesMom

I bell trained Tillie when she was about 4 months old. We brought her home when she was 3 1/2 months. And I happen to think she is a genius... so I don't know at what age pups typically figure out the bell ringing... LOL
BUT, I'll tell you our story!
I rigged the bells up next to our front door because I was exhausted from being the potty police! I would ring the bells with my foot as we were going out (her on her own 4 paws) and if/when she pee'd I would saw 2-3 times 'go potty' AS she was peeing and then give her a treat and say 'good girl go potty' ... after a few hours of me ringing the bell with my foot, she got curious and went over to sniff it... well as she was sniffing it, it jingled and I went bonkers, lavishing on the praise and opened the door for her. Took her about 5 seconds to realize that when the bell rings, the door opens. MAGIC. LOL
It's hilarious, because she is almost a yr old now and she will ring the bell and STARE at it like it's going to open itself! LOL
I will warn you as I was warned when I started this process, that there will be days, weeks where your pup WILL ring the bell 852 times and you HAVE to open the door each and every time (in the begining) so that they know without a doubt that when they ring the bell, they WILL go out. Although now a days Tillie often rings the bell and doesn't really need to go out... but they will ring the bell to investigate things, to enjoy the sunshine, check to see if the cats are outside, sniff a bug, eat a worm, etc....

I'm not sure if I answered ANY of your questions, but this is my experience with bell training! Be consistant, there WILL be days when you want to yank the bells down and throw them out the window :frusty:... but for us, our beige CLEAN carpet was worth the 853 times a day she would ring the bell in the begining. 
For us, we LOVE the bells and still praise her with a "good girl" and an open door each and every time she rings the bell. She hasn't had an 'accident' since October. :whoo:


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## hottubecake

I trained Will when we brought him home at 8 weeks. He was trained to pee pads which we didn't want. We used HIS paw to ring the bell and within a week he did on his when we weren't even near him. Been doing it ever since (10 mo.)


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## Lizzie'sMom

I used Lizzie's paw to ring the bells and said "ring the potty bells". She uses her nose now. BUT now the little stinker gives me "the potty look" or jumps up on my legs. I know what she means, but the rest of the family doesn't always. Your routine sounds good, maybe just use his paws. Oh, Lizzie never got excited when I praised her. She just ran back to the house.

Like Tammy said sometimes they will ring the bell just to go out. If Lizzie sees a doggy friend outside she rings the bells, but she is so excited that I know she doesn't have to go potty.


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## SOPHIES-MOM

Sophie was afraid of the bells at first. They are still on the door but she won't ring them.


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## krandall

SOPHIES-MOM said:


> Sophie was afraid of the bells at first. They are still on the door but she won't ring them.


Kodi was never afraid of them, but never got the hang of using them, either. I finally took them down because they were scratching my door every time the door opened and closed.


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## CrazieJones

krandall said:


> Kodi was never afraid of them, but never got the hang of using them, either. I finally took them down because they were scratching my door every time the door opened and closed.


Yes, my new door (condo is only 2 months old) is scratched too. Sigh.


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## TilliesMom

Tillie's bells are hung on a Bench next to the front door, so they only ring when SHE rings them and they don't scratch anything! Hope you can figure out a way to train
Roshi soon and easily!!


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## davetgabby

bell training can work, but like this article mentions ,http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1171 it's best to have your dog trained fairly well before you try this. No need to carry your dog though. Only time to do that is if you catch them about to go. Question: why do you need to go out the door before your dog? Where the problem arises with this is when your dog just wants to go outside rings the bell and you don't answer.


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## Lizzie'sMom

davetgabby said:


> bell training can work, but like this article mentions ,http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1171 it's best to have your dog trained fairly well before you try this. No need to carry your dog though. Only time to do that is if you catch them about to go. Question: why do you need to go out the door before your dog? Where the problem arises with this is when your dog just wants to go outside rings the bell and you don't answer.


I don't know how to highlight. I want to highlight your question about going out the door first. I read and had a trainer tell me that we are to go through a door before out dog-a dominance thing. Also the not greeting when coming home. I don't do either with Lizzie. I think that is where the OP is coming from.


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## davetgabby

Lizzie'sMom said:


> I don't know how to highlight. I want to highlight your question about going out the door first. I read and had a trainer tell me that we are to go through a door before out dog-a dominance thing. Also the not greeting when coming home. I don't do either with Lizzie. I think that is where the OP is coming from.


Lynne, that's why I asked about the door thing. There's no truth to this door dashing theory. Please don't get me going on this DOMINANCE issue. I'm liable to send you a NUMBER of articles about the BS behind this theory. LOL


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## HavaneseSoon

Dexter learned quickly on the bells...Jack took forever! Jack still likes to scratch at the door and give me the look. 

My bells are located on the side of the door frame. I twisted a little cup hook and then attached the bells. I tried to put the bells where Jack was scratching the door.

In the beginning you will have to get up every time those bells are rung. I got my exercise for sure! 

I would say "Ring the bells" "Outside" "Potty" 

I would go to the door, touch their paw on the bells, or I would show them how to ring the bells, "Ring the bells" then open the door immediately "Outside" ....while we are outside "Go Potty." 

Everything takes time...weeks, months....patience....one day it will click in their brain.


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## davetgabby

Yeah Linda, the article I linked to is a revised article since it's initial posting. It is a liitle better in that it addresses the "unwanted" bell ringing. But like he say's it's not the way to go unless you have your dog somewhat trained already. I like other signs or signals. Things that are always available. JMO A dog can't be left unattended at an early age before they are somewhat trained anyway.


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## CrazieJones

I watch a lot of Dog Whisperer before and now. He always say, as the alpha "dog", you lead your pack out. Hence, little pup needs to wait for you to go out first, and then he goes out. 

My floor layout is: lino front door with 3 steps, carpet living room/dining room, x-pen in lino kitchen. I do not allow him upstairs at all - unless I lead him up there under VERY strict supervision. When I know he's all emptied out, I let him play on the carpet for about 15-30 min, but I'm on the other end of his leash - training him to live in the house, sofa does not equal chew toy - however, somehow I became the big chew toy! Also if he's pretty emptied out, he has "free run" around the kitchen, and me on the other end of the leash. With no supervision, he's in the pen (like now when I'm stuffing my face with dinner and typing this).

Lynne, what's OP?


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## davetgabby

CrazieJones said:


> I watch a lot of Dog Whisperer before and now. He always say, as the alpha "dog", you lead your pack out. Hence, little pup needs to wait for you to go out first, and then he goes out.
> 
> My floor layout is: lino front door with 3 steps, carpet living room/dining room, x-pen in lino kitchen. I do not allow him upstairs at all - unless I lead him up there under VERY strict supervision. When I know he's all emptied out, I let him play on the carpet for about 15-30 min, but I'm on the other end of his leash - training him to live in the house, sofa does not equal chew toy - however, somehow I became the big chew toy! Also if he's pretty emptied out, he has "free run" around the kitchen, and me on the other end of the leash. With no supervision, he's in the pen (like now when I'm stuffing my face with dinner and typing this).
> 
> Lynne, what's OP?


Nothing wrong with training your dog to be polite and not knock someone over trying to get out the door , but Mr. Millan is wrong about the dominance part of it. Not Just My Opinion.


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## Lizzie'sMom

CrazieJones-OP is original poster


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## CrazieJones

So is it best to walk in the door. Ignore and wait till he is calm (like not pouncing on the pen), and then greet him happily, but calmly?


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## heatherk

davetgabby said:


> Nothing wrong with training your dog to be polite and not knock someone over trying to get out the door , but Mr. Millan is wrong about the dominance part of it. Not Just My Opinion.


I also like to watch The Dog Whisperer. It's important to remember, though, that that show deals with 'problem' dogs, and I don't mean just puppies doing normal puppy things. Puppies can be very enthusiastic, but that doesn't mean that a puppy is misbehaving IMO. So, I watch the show but I can't say that I have ever tried to use the 'techniques' on Cey, as they haven't been necessary. I always greet Cey as enthusiastically as he greets me when I come home (I cannot resist, he is so adorable)! He is not happy until I am holding him and petting him, and he tucks his head under my arm and whines until his lovey need is satisfied. Then, he is still bouncy and excited, but not hyper. He also often goes out of the door ahead of me - he runs ahead of me anywhere he thinks I am going anyway lol! -so then he also runs back IN ahead of me when I come back in. The thought of Cey being dominant or a misbehaving dog is absurd, despite my apparently 'spoiling' him (which, I admit to!!!) - the second I raise my voice to him (which doesn't happen very often at all - only if he's doing something he KNOWS he's not supposed to be doing, which he doesn't usually do), he immediately stops and crouches and looks up at me as if to say, sorry mom!

I am not trying to brag on just my dog. I think Havs are generally gentle, loving, obedient, happy, bouncy dogs - thats why I wanted one! Puppyhood is definitely hard sometimes, and, they DO need training, but yea, I would be hesitant to use too many of Cesar's methods on our gentle babies. They *want* to love you and make you happy! Just my two cents


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## CrazieJones

I don't know about gentle and loving. Today he was chewing on my pant leg. So I first said "NO" sternly. He keeps at it. So I tried the "mommy doesn't like and won't look at you" and just stood there. He did stop. However, he took a big chomp at my foot instead. It was chompy enough for me to react and give it a rub.


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## HavaneseSoon

Sounds like he needs some serious exercise and wearing him out! When Dexter was driving me crazy, we took him outside and and had him run from me to my dh in the yard..it took less than 5 minutes and Dexter was calm after that.

"A tired puppy is a good puppy."


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## krandall

CrazieJones said:


> I don't know about gentle and loving. Today he was chewing on my pant leg. So I first said "NO" sternly. He keeps at it. So I tried the "mommy doesn't like and won't look at you" and just stood there. He did stop. However, he took a big chomp at my foot instead. It was chompy enough for me to react and give it a rub.


"mommy doesn't like and won't look at you" is WAY too long and means NOTHING to him. He only stopped because he was interested in the sound of your voice. Do what another puppy would do. Say "Ouch!!!" in a loud, high pitched voice, and immediately walk away. If he follows you, put a door or a gate between you. Wait a minute or two before going back to be with him, then carry on as normal. He will quickly get the idea that biting causes the game to end. This is very important training in bite inhibition.


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## ls-indy

I would take Daisy's paw and have HER ring the bell. She caught on quickly (within a few days) and went through a phase of ringing the bell incessantly... I always MADE HER GO OUT when she rang the bell. That phase didn't last long....

When we got Beau, I did the same thing. He didn't catch on as quickly as Daisy, and usually waited for HER to ring the bell even though he knew how. Eventually he began ringing the bell as well.

Now that its summer, we will let them out on the deck by themselves for a short period of time (in the daytime only). We live on a golf course and there is a lot of activity outside of the fence... they like to watch the golf carts! Sometimes one of them will stay outside and the other will follow me back into the house. When the outside havie wants to come in - the indoor one will ring the bell for me to come open the door to let the other one in! Now that is a SMART move!


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## CrazieJones

He was a tired puppy yesterday. The sitter said he played A LOT. She keeps up with my log and it seemed like he was up most of the afternoon. He didn't even want to go for our evening walk! 
But those jaws... man... chomp chomp chomp. And that growl when I have to pick him up to put him down from the porch to the potty dirt. 
Mom is starting to get scared...


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## inlovewithhav

How old is he again?? I am going through the whole chewing thing myself and EVERY time Kipper bites/chews to hard i will go OW!!! and put him in a time out. He has just started grabbing at my pants.... remember that is how they are trying to get your attention. ALWAYS substitute your fingers/pants/arm/sofa with a chewy. Also he may be teething. Kipper wants to chew a ton when he is sleepy and when his baby teeth are coming out. I would suggest getting him into a puppy play group or seeing a trainer too, they will help you to figure out the best way to deal with specific issues that you are having... for instance the puppy class we are in apparently told the class last week (we weren't there) to take a spray bottle of water and spray the puppy everytime they jumped up/nipped/pulled/went to say hi to the other dogs.... yeah I didn't like that advise. This week she was showing the class the prong collar to help curb pulling on the leash.... I think the look on my face said "come near my puppy with that and you will be wearing it." This forum is a great place to get invaluable information and suggestions and ummmm we are addicted to pictures... have any more of the mischevious Roshi?


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## CrazieJones

krandall said:


> "mommy doesn't like and won't look at you" is WAY too long and means NOTHING to him. He only stopped because he was interested in the sound of your voice. Do what another puppy would do. Say "Ouch!!!" in a loud, high pitched voice, and immediately walk away. If he follows you, put a door or a gate between you. Wait a minute or two before going back to be with him, then carry on as normal. He will quickly get the idea that biting causes the game to end. This is very important training in bite inhibition.


I don't say that! Haha. I meant I just stood there like a tree and ignored it. However, he continued chomping at my pant and eventually his teeth even touched skin. Sigh.

I have tried EVERYTHING! "NO", squeal, ignore, time out, replace with toy, praise when he chews toy,... nope, I'm just a human chew toy for him. Mom is apparently yummy.

One time I put him in time out for 1-2 min, I ended up having to clean up his pee. :frusty: Time out = no hawk eye = accident = one step backward in house training. [email protected]#$ puppies are hard!


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## krandall

CrazieJones said:


> puppies are hard!


That is absolutely true! The good news is they grow up REALLY fast, and then you'll be reminiscing about his adorable puppy antics.:biggrin1:


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## Kathie

I agree with Karen, as I said in your other thread. McGee is so much better now at 4 months. I thought I was going to be a human pin cushion forever!

About the bells - we have some hanging from the door knob but one got smashed in the door when it closed so DH is going to put up a little hook in the door frame to hang them. Today was a red letter day for us when McGee rang the potty bell on his own and then went out and peed! DH was so excited he called me at my doctor's appt.!!! BTW, we have been taking his paw and ringing them before going outside and saying "go potty" but he uses his nose. We don't care as long as he rings them!


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## CrazieJones

Seriously, if it's not cuz of his cute face (which sucked me into this whole raise a puppy thing), he wouldn't be alive today. 

But yesterday, I caught him sniffing and just startled him with "Hey, what are you doing?" And then he led me to the stairs to the front door, and peed outside. I had tears of joy! I see a spec of light at the end of the tunnel!


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## HavaneseSoon

:whoo:


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## StarrLhasa

Hi, Casie,

You have been trying a lot of different things to curb the biting. You have obviously been reading up on puppy raising. you have had him in your home for a very short time, though, so IMHO, it is way to early to give up.

So you put him in time-out and he peed? He was on linoleum? It is not the end of the world. Maybe next time he will chew on the Kong or other chew toy that you give him. You need to try things over and over until he gets it. He will. Puppies learn these things relatively quickly.

Regarding his growling when you pick him up: my older Lhasa Apso used to growl at a groomer picking him up. He was actually very mellow, nut he did not like their handling his belly with their fingers sticking into it. I instructed them to pick him up with their hands flat instead of curved, and he never growled at them again. Maybe it is the way you are picking him up.

OR, maybe he just does not want to stop playing. I cannot tell from here.

In any event, you have puppy class coming up soon. Hopefully the trainer will be able to help with these issues.

Oh, I almost forgot. There are freezable puppy chew toys for teething. He might prefer that to your feet. :biggrin1:


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## becks

regarding bells, I notice a lot of you say your bells scratch the door. I was worried about this same thing so rather than hanging bells I have a desk bell placed on the floor by the door. When Boz first came home I taught him very quickly to "touch" with his nose items I pointed to, so it was an easy transition for him to "touch" the bell. Every time he touched an made the bell DING!, the door opened and he was given praise and a treat. When he was doing this on command, I slowly changed the command to "ring the bell" and again the door opened and he was given a treat. 

I was not focused on the potty so much as, more, when you want outside for what ever reason, ring the bell, dont scratch at the door. It has been a huge success and my visitors think it is hilarious.


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## Kathie

What a great idea! Is that the kind you hit with your hand when you want service somewhere?


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## CrazieJones

I agree, that is VERY smart!


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## wynne

My daughter and I trained our 10 week old havvese fairly quicky. We have a string a bells that hang on the front door and every time we went out we would hit the bells with our hands. Within a week, Maya started hitting the bell with her nose when ever she wanted to go out. Just make sure where ever you hang the bells, use that door when you take your hav out.


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## CrazieJones

Roshi started to ring the bell now. Still inconsistent with his part, but whenever I take him out (when he thinks he doesn't have to go), I will ring it. As long as it's potty, the bell will ring. 

I see hope that it will all come together one day!


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## HavaneseSoon

The bells have been up since Dexter arrived over 2 years ago. Briefly attempted to train Jack, but he was so interested in just scratching the door. I did lower the bells on the door frame hoping Jack would ring the bells instead of scratching the door. 

For the past week, Jack has been ringing the bells! :whoo:

I remember those puppy teeth and I remember yelping very loudly, then turning away for a second or so, then started playing again, but as soon as they start biting, I yelp very loudly and turn away again. 

This is telling the pup, if you bite, it hurts and I will not play with you. 

Think of a pup not knowing the English language and you are having to teach the language by using very simple commands over and over again. Think of yourself in a foreign country trying to figure out what the locals are trying to tell you. 

Keep training sessions short... 2-5 minutes. Attention spans of pups are very short.


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## jessegirl

CrazieJones said:


> Seriously, if it's not cuz of his cute face (which sucked me into this whole raise a puppy thing), he wouldn't be alive today.


Indeed! I've been saying lately that God made puppies so darned cute because if he didn't, none would ever survive!


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## krandall

jessegirl said:


> Indeed! I've been saying lately that God made puppies so darned cute because if he didn't, none would ever survive!


Hah! Kind of the opposite of what I tell my children. When they make me really mad, I remind them that there is a reason that some animals eat their young!ound:


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## Jeri Borton

I know of a person who trained their dog to ring the bell to go outside and the dog was given a treat every time. Well the husband worked at home in an upstairs office and it just got to be to much. The dog had learned that if I ring the bell I get a treat. Finally the poor guy just said " I hear him ringing the bell but he just went out and I know he does not have to go." Eventually the bell was ringing like crazy, That is when he hurried down the stairs to let the dog out. I guess they both learned how to deal with the bell on that day.
I don't know where I read this or heard this but it was recently. I thought it was cute and fit the topic of hundreds of bell ringings.


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## evaofnc

With Eva she didn't get the bell, didn't get the bell, didn't get the bell, and then all of the sudden one day she started ringing the bell. It was a Christmas miracle! Except now she rings the bell when she wants to pee, wants to go on a walk, is bored. And now our one cat has figured out the bell game and she rings the bell whenever she wants to go out, except she's an indoor only catound:


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## TilliesMom

Yay Eva!! Congrats! and YES they DO ring the bell for EVERYTHING!!
and lol about the cat! ha ha ha SMART! Tillie will ring the bell FOR the cat if the cat is sitting by the door! we have indoor/outdoor cats!


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## CrazieJones

Finally something clicked with Roshi. He knows how to go the door! However, he always miss the bell. He will try to rub his little body against the door, only that his body is an inch or two away. DOH, so nothing rings. Sigh. 

Tonight he got distracted with the Nylabone on the way to the door and then just a split second later, his brain must have said "Oh yeah, pee" and he just squatted right there! :frusty: The accident free streak broke. Sigh. Restart.


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## jessegirl

Well, we've had the darned bells up for almost a month and Rollie hasn't once ringed the bell. Sigh. When we use his paw to ring it I swear he looks everywhere EXCEPT at the bell. I can't wait for an expanded attention span to develop . . .


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## StarrLhasa

ound:


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## jessegirl

Casie - Roshi and Rollie are like twins!!! It will be fun to compare their color changes as they grow up. I wonder if they'll end up looking the same in the end.


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## CrazieJones

Jessica - they do! I think Rollie looks a little more khaki on his body, while Roshi is white... unless those pics are him after rolling in dirt... which Roshi likes to do, turning his white coat to a khaki color. Dogs...


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