If you are potty training your puppy you may find it
very useful if he can let you know when he wants to go outside to potty.
This training technique is very simple to teach as all he needs to do is
ring a bell.
Begin by hanging a bell or bells over the door handle of
the door your dog goes outside by. Below are a few ideas of different
bells you can use.
Cat Bells
Strung together
Budgie Bells
Traditional
Bell
Plastic Bell
Ball
Toy with Bell
This training is not just for puppies. Older dogs can
learn too. You can successfully train an older dog to ring the bell. Who
says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I taught my 5 year old
rescue dog in a matter of days.
Every time you take your dog or puppy outside to go to the
bathroom
physically get him to nudge the bell with his nose or paw. To begin
training make sure he is in a calm state and preferably in the sit
position. You can
gently take his paw and make him touch the bell or gently position him
to nudge the bell with his nose. I say 'gently' because we don't want
any fear associated with this procedure. As soon as the bell rings say
the words 'Go Potty' or whatever words you choose. Praise him lavishly
or give him a small food reward and then go outside immediately.
For a young puppy take him outside once an hour
or a couple of minutes after eating or waking. Stand
with him but don't distract him at all. Let him sniff around.
If he goes to the bathroom while outside tell him what a good dog he is while he is actually peeing or pooping
It is important to choose
a word or phrase for your dog's elimination. You can call it what ever you want
as long as you are consistent with it. For example: While he
is peeing say,
"Do a pee, good boy, well done" or "Go potty, great work, good
dog' By saying these words your puppy will then be able to learn these
words and associate them with the the action. Say the same words when he
rings the bell to go outside.
DO NOT let him ring the bell if you are going out for a
walk or a game in the yard. This would be a recipe for disaster. You
don't want him ringing the bell every time he wants to go out to have
fun.
This bell is a cute one. Simply hang one
end over the door handle.
Search
online for dog door bells or check on eBay
There is a
product on the market called 'Pet Chime'. The Pet Chime is a
wireless doorbell that allows your pet to tell you when it
wants to go out of the house. It's a two piece device: a
paw-shaped remote control transmitter and a receiver chime.
To activate a chime, pets simply step on or
push the paw with its nose. Select from two chime sounds: a
dog bark or traditional ding-dong.
The paw operates on one 9-volt battery,
and the chime uses three AA batteries. Battery life is up to
10,000 chimes. Remote control works up to 100 ft. away from
the chime. Paws for additional doors may also be purchased
separately.
To purchase search for it online. It costs
about $25 to $30
Good luck with your door bell training. One thing to
remember is be consistent and do it every single time your dog or puppy
goes out to potty.
