ATTENTION all PEOPLE WHO TRAINED THEIR DOG TO ALERT THEM WHEN THEY HAVE to go outside for a potty break!!!?

Question

I think I should train my yorkie pup to ring a bell. She is 7 months old and 3.9 lbs. I hear this is common. I think this will help my dog because if she is running around the house, she will not tell me that she has to go and will go in the house. This is why she is mainly crate trained. Otherwise, she is doing very well with training and responds when I tell her to "go potty". how can I train her to ring a bell??
Any other alerting methods that worked for you??

Answer 1

Ringing a bell worked like a charm for me, maybe a little too well for my dog. :-) I tied a bell to the doorknob, and whenever she showed signs of wanting to go outside, I would walk her to the door, ring the bell, praise her (even though she didn't do it), and let her out. She eventually learned to ring the bell herself and I would praise her and let her out.

The downside is, she figured out that she could ring the bell and be let outside even if all she wanted to do was play outside. Then I would be stuck watching her run around, but not going potty, then I would have to corral her back inside.

Luckily, we have a great fenced-in yard now, so we put in a doggy-door and she comes and goes as she pleases.

Answer 2

This works very well when your door that the dog goes out is out of sight. Take a bell you can hear in the house, tie it to a shoe string and hang it from the door knob at the same height as the dogs nose.

Every time you take the dog outside, you gentley bump the bell on the dogs nose and make it ring then open the door. It won't take long before the dog undersands the bell ringing will get the door open. If you can talk the dog through bumping the bell with the nose by itself before you take it out you are half way there.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Every time you take her out, ring the bell yourself and use the same phrase everytime. Like, "Go outside" or "Go Potty". She will learn that to associate the ringing of the bell with going potty. Pay attention to her when she is running and playing most dogs have certain things they will do before the need to go. Like sniffing, turning in circles. Look for the signs and pick her up and take her out as soon as you see the signs..

Answer 4

Put the bell on the door close to the floor. It will ring everytime it is opened. The dog will need to learn to nudge the bell so that you know to open the door.
So before you go out have him "sniff" the bell. Praise him. Then go out.

Answer 5

hang a bell on a rope....on the doorknob.

always use THAT door, to take her out for her potty breaks.....

whenever you take her out......ring the bell...and say things like " do you have to go POTTY? "...and " good girl! ".....ring the bell again....and open the door and let her out.....

then, tell her again how good she is......

one day...she'll surprise you by ringing the bell herself.....this will only work if you take her out AS SOON AS SHE DOES IT....so , you really must pay attention.


she'll get the idea.....


quick note.....you can put one of those blue puppy " wee " pads at the door, under the bell.....if she ever rings it...and no one hears it......you'll thank yourself.

Answer 6

hang a bell on a string on your door handle ,every time you take her outside to go potty , tap her nose on the bell when you take her out the door, eventually she will put the bell and going potty outside togather in her head.
good luck!

Answer 7

My dog will sit by the door, and whine. If we dont get up he will come over to where we are sitting whine a little more then sit by the door. I really don't know how we trained him, it just happened