OK, but how do you know when it's safe to let them out of your sight? That's my point. I knew it was safe to let Aimee out of my sight when she started to "tell" me by going to the back door and whimpering, then later ringing the bell. Since Ayla has not made an effort to tell me I have no idea if it's safe to let her out of my sight yet. We've had her and working on this 4 weeks now and I'm still following her around because I don't know if I can trust her yet. Her telling me would be a sign I can trust her, so I'd really like her to tell me somehow, even if she doesn't use the bell to do it.
When they are no longer having accidents indoors. All of my pups were house trained by four or five months old but still had the very occasional accident up to six months. I could trust them all completely by 7 months old. Keir, 11 months seems to manage on just three wees a day! .
Charlie did the same thing thinking he could ring and go outside, so I curbed that and now he rings the bell to go to the loo, occasionally he does just want to go and sit outside just as I like to, which is fine by me. He is not a pest with the bells. I think it's a pretty amazing thing to teach a dog but only clever dogs of course , no door watching!! x
But my question is, how do I know if she hasn't had an accident because she actually learned, or because I just take her out so often she hasn't had a chance to go in the house? I take Ayla out many times a day. She has not had an accident in a few weeks. But, because she never signals me that she needs out, I don't know if we haven't had an accident simply because I take her out so often she's never had the need to go indoors. That still doesn't tell me she "gets it" about not going indoors. I want some sign that she "gets it". Sorry, I keep going on about this. But I just "knew" when Aimee got it and could let my guard down. I just can't seem to feel I can let my guard down with Ayla but I'd really like to get there. We've had her a whole month now. It certainly seems she's had enough time to get it but I still can't even get her to push the bell for a treat, forget about associating it for going outside. A simple push a button for a treat and she isn't getting it. I know she's not that dense because she learns other things just fine. So I'm just baffled.
Sorry, you can't Look, if you really want to teach her to ring a bell or similar, then it's very simple. You shape or lure her to press her nose or foot to a post-it note. Then you stick the post-it note to the bell. Then you gradually reduce the size of the post-it note so she can press the bell on cue. Then you pair the pressing of the bell with the opening of the door. Every time you take her outside, you make it contingent on her pressing the bell. If she's not getting it, it's because you're moving on too fast and haven't been clear enough. Make your steps smaller. But I do think you're worrying about nothing. Her bladder is almost fully matured. She shouldn't need to be telling you when she needs to go outside, you should be the one telling her when it's time to go outside. Still taking her out a lot, with lots of praise and treats for going outside, cleaning up with an enzymatic cleaner and no fuss if she goes inside. THAT is where you should be focussing your training efforts, not on getting her to ring a bell.
I would relax, take her out when you go out and see what happens. If she does have an accident you’ll know she hasn’t quite ‘got it’ yet and needs more training. I think, with her going so long without weeing indoors the habit will be set now. But you’ll never know unless you wait and see. The other thing is that she needs to have a full bladder before she needs to ask - if you keep taking her out she’ll not have the need to ask. Keir is eleven months old and only had three wees yesterday! We were in all day due to the heat after their morning walk. His last wee yesterday was at 4pm. Then he didn’t wee at bedtime and he next weed at 7:30am when I got him up!
How do you know. Well it comes down to knowing your dog and their needs and signals not relying on them learning to ring some bells. With a puppy It's taking them out at frequent intervals for toileting, reward for performing. As they get older the time between trips extends with the bladder maturing. My pups manage to be safe in the house without accidents around 14 weeks but they are not allowed free range of rooms so it is easier to keep an eye on them. With an older dog or a rescue for instance I advise cluents to take them out every 30 minutes to an hour, reward for successful toileting. Don't allow free access to rooms without human company. Make sure any accidents are cleaned with appropriate cleaner and graudally extend time between trips. While teaining all trips to the farden for toiket are on lead to naintain focus and differentiate between garden/pkay and garden/toilet. Over a period of weeks/months I find my dogs toilet in the garden first thing in the morning, then on our morning walk, our late afternoon walk and then in the garden for bed time. It is very rare outside those times, but if she needs a wee she will come and look at me, which she does when she needs assistance with something.
Yay! Twice today Ayla went and stood by the back door when she needed out. This is the closest she's come to "telling" us she needs to potty. She still does not whine or bark or ring the bell. But just the fact that she goes and stands by the door now tells me she's starting to get it. Baby steps.
I think she gets it! Quinn only ever stands near the door, or even in the hallway not that close to the door if she really has to go, which is rare since we have her outside more often than she needs to go. She only ever "tells us" when it's an emergency (not usually pee!) and she cries at the door, comes to find us, walks back to the door and cries. She's never barked to go out.
