# Maggie rings the bell to go out to potty!



## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

I've mentioned on here before about Maggie ringing the "Tell Bell" to go out to potty. She has been doing so good! I can't even remember the last time we had any type of accident, so things have been going really well!

*UNTIL...the neighbor got two new Whippet puppies!* Neighbor has a fenced yard, but when I go to take Maggie out, sometimes her new puppies are outside & Maggie of course wants to turn into Kujo and guard her yard or let them know she was here first! But, the problem is now she rings the bell not because she really needs to go potty, but just so she can go out and check and see if the puppies next door are outside too! lol

So, we are having to refine this "ringing the bell to go potty". Seems she thinks now it will get her outside for whatever reason! :smpullhair:

This might be where I need Aastha's help!!! 

Help!! Any suggestions? What I'm doing is just monitoring her eating & guessing for the most part when she must really need to go out. I'm actually asking her again, "Do you really need to potty, if so ring the bell", while looking her in the eye and with a stearn voice. LOL...like she will tell me or let me know or ELSE! Sometimes, I win & she really needed to go, but a few times...she wins a trip out to check things out in the yard! :smstarz: BUT ... through all of this...no accidents in the house, just a few more trips outside for the heck of it! 

Here's a pic of her with the bell, ringing it. (Sorry, I don't know how to do videos.) Maybe, I will learn how to do that on YouTube and post it. It's too funny because sometimes she really wants to go and she will ring it and right away ring it again, before you can get off the sofa & before you can get to the door, she rings another time or two! It's actually hilarious! We always bust out laughing and rush to get her out, because she seems very impatient! LOL!


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

She has you trained for sure:HistericalSmiley: gosh she's adorable, she is one smart little girl. I loved the pictures. I have no idea how to help you out, but I sure enjoyed the story.
Maggie you are just to smart:wub:


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

That bell is so cool! I use a bell for Lacie that hangs from the doorknob. Never have accidents since I bell trained.
As for ringing the bell to go to when they DONT need to potty~I'm at a loss with that one myself.
Lacie rings to go out to sunbathe, play, when she wants a treat, when she wants to eat...its non-stop ringing around here. I'm up and down in and out constantly.
I try to ignore it but then I worry about that one time I don't let her she has an accident.
The positive~I get plenty of exercise!
Maggie is such a sweetheart and obviously very smart


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

Yes, I think you said it best, Paula! "She sure has us trained for sure!" lol

But it reminds me of that commercial on TV with the older ladies talking about having friends on her wall and the other one says, " That's not how this works! This isn't how any of this works!" :smpullhair: LOL It's like that! I've actually said that out loud to her!


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

That is so neat, her ringing the bell to go outside! My dogs that have passed were outside trained. Each one had a different way of telling me that they had to go out. One spun around and barked, another sneezed and backed up, and the third one would paw my leg. 
I can't imagine bell training my four now, they'd be ringing all day long!!!


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

maddysmom said:


> That bell is so cool! I use a bell for Lacie that hangs from the doorknob. Never have accidents since I bell trained.
> As for ringing the bell to go to when they DONT need to potty~I'm at a loss with that one myself.
> Lacie rings to go out to sunbathe, play, when she wants a treat, when she wants to eat...its non-stop ringing around here. I'm up and down in and out constantly.
> I try to ignore it but then I worry about that one time I don't let her she has an accident.
> ...


That's too cute! Yes, you are getting exercise, I guess that's the upside of us training our dogs with the bell! lol Maggie is 9 months old, maybe she will settle down on this as she gets older. But when I talk to my neighbor I'm going to give her an ear full...lol. It's all her fault! Just kidding, she is a sweetheart & I love her! She just lost two dogs a week apart (she had 4) & then got two more whippets recently. 
Like I said, Maggie is doing her business outside, so no complaints there! Just a few more trips and few more steps to log on my Fitbit. So it's good for me too! :chili:


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

Furbabies mom said:


> That is so neat, her ringing the bell to go outside! My dogs that have passed were outside trained. Each one had a different way of telling me that they had to go out. One spun around and barked, another sneezed and backed up, and the third one would paw my leg.
> I can't imagine bell training my four now, they'd be ringing all day long!!!


Ohhhh...that's funny! Especially the sneezing and backing up! I had taught Maggie to "sneeze" on command ... but when we started doing STAR Puppy training, she got to where she would anticipate a treat coming and then would sneeze! lol So, I backed off of that for a while so she wouldn't fail or anyone ask, "what the heck is she doing?" But she will sneeze on command! Don't know why, but my previous Maltese would do that, so I decided to teach Maggie that. People think it's funny.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Trisha said:


> That's too cute! Yes, you are getting exercise, I guess that's the upside of us training our dogs with the bell! lol Maggie is 9 months old, maybe she will settle down on this as she gets older. But when I talk to my neighbor I'm going to give her an ear full...lol. It's all her fault! Just kidding, she is a sweetheart & I love her! She just lost two dogs a week apart (she had 4) & then got two more whippets recently.
> Like I said, Maggie is doing her business outside, so no complaints there! Just a few more trips and few more steps to log on my Fitbit. So it's good for me too! :chili:


I'm not sure it will settle down, Lacie started ringing non-stop a little over a year. She's 2 1/2 now and going strong.
Like I said...look at the positive~plenty of exercise for us, lol!:thumbsup:


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

I've actually seen people who "sneeze" and their dog would run over to get the tissue and bring to the owner! So funny! I doubt if we will go that far...but you never know! I get bored in the winter time and have more time on my hands! That's when the training kicks in! :rofl:


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

maddysmom said:


> I'm not sure it will settle down, Lacie started ringing non-stop a little over a year. She's 2 1/2 now and going strong.
> Like I said...look at the positive~plenty of exercise for us, lol!:thumbsup:


Ohhh noooo...don't say that! This could get annoying! lol

I'll be reporting back to you in a few months! :smilie_tischkante:


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Trisha said:


> Yes, I think you said it best, Paula! "She sure has us trained for sure!" lol
> 
> But it reminds me of that commercial on TV with the older ladies talking about having friends on her wall and the other one says, " That's not how this works! This isn't how any of this works!" :smpullhair: LOL It's like that! I've actually said that out loud to her!


:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley:


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

wow I gotta train mine to do that!


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## Lou's Mom (Apr 8, 2014)

I have the bells that hang on the doorknob. The girls would use it at the house in Houston - Lou has always done the jump and spin when he needs to go out. The girls won't use the bell here but I guess it's because Lou has me trained so well and wants out all the time, I swear he'd be an outside dog if I let him. All that to say, we go out a lot, sometimes just to come in and go out again! Lol


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Sasha scratches on the gate when she wants out and she'll sass me..The others don't do too much to tell if they have to potty,unless we're in the same room they will go back and forth to the door, but Sasha is the most vocal.


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## sherry (Jan 4, 2013)

Maggie is just adorable! And so smart:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley:, as in smarter than you! I have never had a fluff that did not train me well!:blush: My last two wanted in and out and in and out! Exhausted me! And of course they didn't want to go out if it was raining, too cold, too hot or snowing! That is why we are potty pad trained here.


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## luvsmalts (Oct 21, 2008)

Ha,ha, she's such a cute little stinker!


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

michellerobison said:


> Sasha scratches on the gate when she wants out and she'll sass me..The others don't do too much to tell if they have to potty,unless we're in the same room they will go back and forth to the door, but Sasha is the most vocal.


It's not too late, you could still train yours! That little bell I got is called the "Tell Bell". I actually saw a video on You Tube of a little dog that had it and would ring the bell. I thought ok the next dog I get I will get one of those! So I did! It comes with a video on training them.

The reason I didn't opt for the bells you put on door is because I read & talked to others who said hanging it on the door caused their door or the door facing to get scratched up as the dog would put their paws up to reach the bell. Maybe they had it up too high.

Now, I have a new problem! I either do the treadmill or walk daily, so I usually have my sneakers on. As I sit here, Maggie keeps untying my shoe laces! Grrrrr. Always something! Another lesson to teach, just like kids! lol


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

Thanks Sherry & Pat! :ThankYou:


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