Hello forum New puppy Pongo (now thirteen weeks!) has got the message that OUTSIDE is the right place to go for the toilet. But he hasn't yet realised that the door can be opened if he asks us. He is a quiet puppy - doesn't do a lot of barking. So if we are watching him like a hawk and he wanders over to the door purposefully, all is well....but if we don't have our eye on him, he walks over, realises it is shut, gives up and just goes on the carpet. Someone told me that a dog doorbell was very effective and easy to train a dog to use. Has anyone tried them, can you recommend any good makes, and can you advise on how best to train doggie to use them? Thank you!! (Just off to clean up another puddle.) Rosie
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Hi Rosie , Helen on here ( username Charlie ) has taught her lad Charlie to use a bell , I think she found it relatively easy , I`m sure when Helen is online she will answer your questions
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Hi, Im in the same boat, Im trying to get Otis to use a doorbell. What I bought was a fairly big budgie bell, that he could paw, to use . Im haveing real problems getting Otis housetrained, he is eleven months, eeek ! Im hopeing like you he will try to use the bell to go out. The bell I bought cost about a fiver, bit much for a bell I thought, but if it does the job. Maggie x
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Thanks Maggie and Kate - I'll see if I can track down Helen for advice!
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? I'm sure my lil gal will prove me wrong as soon as I post this, but I just got her a bell a few days ago and it works BEAUTIFULLY. She is a baby, only about 9 weeks old, but it is wonderful. I had her for a couple days before I started really trying to start training and decided to try a bell. (She seemed to get that outside was the place to go, but was going in the house too). I went to the craft store and bought one that I put on a string by the door. I took her out on a frequent schedule, had her touch the bell, said outside and off we went. She got tons of praise when she "did her business" and we came back in. After a few trips she went over to the bell and attacked it so I said "outside" and took her and she WENT!!! She got a treat and then we came back in and started playing. She has been great ever since. Believe me I know the training is not over, but she has got the bell DOWN. I can't get her to gently touch it with her paw or nose as she likes to attack it, but whatever. I'll take what I can get. (I also have a bit of a hard time initiating going outside. It is now on her terms...) Hope it works for you!!
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Aww.... I have an image of a sweet puppy pouncing on a bell
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? I was hestitant at first , not believing that a pup would use a bell but my neighbor with two labs gave me a cow bell and we hung it on the door knob. Kona was 8 weeks at the time.At first I would ring it for him and say let's " do business" He would play with it but when he touched it even if I knew it was just a lark, we went out ! Then I starting saying ring the bell and when he touched it withh his nose, I gave him a small treat and we went to do "Business" . Then every so often he would ring it and stand by the door and we'd go out and he would run and pee! Once he rang it about 10 minutes after he had just gone, and I wondered if it was just a game! However he ran out and peed some more! I just love using a bell because my older Dog will hear it and come and join! You don't have to wonder what their signal is and the bell is fairly loud and you can hear it from another room! Keep trying and it will work! He is now 4months and using the bell regularly, no accidents! Best wishes, Kathy, Kona 4 months, Lily the Puggle 6 years and Winnie , queen and senior lab at 13!!
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Scout uses a bell, she has 2- one on living room door and one on the front door. It took her about a week possibly a bit longer to fully master it. It's great and our bells (Xmas decoration attached to lanyards) come off, so if she comes upstairs, in car, caravan or even a friends house with us we take them and she lets us know when she needs to go... It is also a great party trick and is sure to impress!! I let Scout use a puppy pad for a few weeks and once she knew how to do that I moved on to going outside and using the bell. Her pad was next to living room door, so I hung the bell from the door handle right above it. I would see her going to her pad and before she got their I would get her and gently lift her up so her nose tapped the bell and then I took her straight outside. Lots of praise after bell and then again after going outside. I only used the bell for toilet outing- never play and never walks... House training is hard for us and pup but I swear this just made it so much more easier. I would strongly recommend it. Good luck
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Tatze stands by the door and says 'huff', not a bark, so that will do for me But I do love the bell idea
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? I am planning on getting a bell this weekend for Haley...she also doesn't let us know when she needs to go out, she's very quiet haha I'm hoping she catches on!
Re: Dog doorbells - do they work, any advice? Thought I should give an update on the saga of Pongo and the Bells... Well, we went ahead and purchased a doggy doorbell (the sort that hang on a tape from the door-handle). He very very quickly learned that when he nudged it with his nose, we opened the door. For about half a day, it looked like it was going to work (even though he was asking to be let out just for fun, not for toilet). But then he decided that he just loved the noise the bells made. And they made an even better noise if grabbed in the mouth and shaken like a rat, tugged off the doorhandle and dragged around the house at top speed. I have to say it was one of the funniest things I've seen for a long time, but it did mean that the bells became completely useless for their intended purpose! They've been removed, and might be re-discovered at some time in the future as a favourite toy....but alas not as a doorbell. So.....Pongo 1, Bells 0. We are back to the 'why don't you have ESP' approach; but at least his control is getting better so we have a longer window in which to spot that he is stood silently by the door staring at it!
