# How to train my maltese to tell me when he needs to go potty



## dannieboiz (Oct 7, 2008)

hello everyone, I have an 8 months old that doesn't bark or anything when he needs to go. A moment ago he just went all over our bed... AGAIN! 

He's sort of house train. Occasionally he'd go in the house. How do we know when to take him out? We try to take him out every other hour.

He sleeps with us in the room and for the past few weeks, he's being crate train. Every morning at precisely 6:30am he would hiss and we'd take him out. All is good there. But that's the only time that he would make any noise. But I think that's because he only want out of his crate. 

How do I get him to hiss or bark every single time he needs to go? We've had him for 4 or 5 months now and we've tried every house train method posted here and around the web. Nothing seems to work.


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Hi and welcome!!!

We bell trained our 3 guys. They run to the back door and ring the bell to go outside. Even Chase who is deaf rings to go outside.

I spent 3 days at home with the Malt I was teaching. Treats in pocket and every 20 minutes I would say "potty out", grab the guy, ring the bell with his nose and out we would go. The very second he went he would get a treat and we would get all excited and lots of praise!!!
It was a very intense time as I spent every second with the puppy. Sometimes he would ring to go out just to get a treat but I would ignore that and after he sniffed around a bit he would "go" and "yeaaaa, what a good potty out", treat!!!!
If there was an accident happening ( I saw because I was right there ) I would grab him as he was "going" and go to the bell, ring it and out we would go. Never scolded as Malts are soooo sensitive.  
For me this was well worth the days spent. The trick was being with them, and I mean every second!!!!

We never have had an accident in the house.


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## Reillies_mom (Jan 29, 2009)

We also do the 'bell' - my husband had some time off from work and told me that he would teach Reillie to ring a bell to 'go pee-pee' - Yeah right I thought.......well I had to just get out of my nice cozy chair to get up to let her out because I heard the bell ring.
He took a simple screw, got a bell from wal-mart (the kind you hang on the end of a fishing rod to jingle if you have a fish on - in the sporting goods section) and put the bell in right by the door. Every few minutes he would take her paw and ring the bell with it and say 'go pee-pee' and put her outside (in an enclosed area-right outside the door) when she would pee-pee, she got a treat and a large celebration took place (neighbors probably thought we were crazy) but I think the celebration and treat are HUGE. About 3 or 4 days in to this, he called me at work and said 'well, training is over, she just rang the bell and went out on her own.' and the rest they say, is history!! I still make a big deal when she goes out to do 'poo'- don't know why, maybe just to reinforce...it is just time consuming but VERY WORTH THE TIME!!


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## dannieboiz (Oct 7, 2008)

Ok so we can hang a bell by the back door during the day. But would they recognize the bill if it was in the bedroom just like it was in the backyard or is that a separate training? 

bell training sounds really cute!


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Hang the bell at the back door. That is where you take him out and you want him to know that is the place he has to go to let you know it is potty time.
Just before bed take him out, potty, reward, praise!!!! To bed then, we use crates beside the bed. If he cries during the night, go right to the back door, ring the bell and go out.
First thing in the morning before you put him on the bed or anywhere, back door, ring bell, potty, reward and praise. 
It is important for a few days to do this every 20 minutes. He will learn and you will be amazed!!!!

Please pm me if there is anything I can help with.

Marsha


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## Reillies_mom (Jan 29, 2009)

take the advice of 'theboyz' mom - one door at a time - but it is so funny - after Reillie learned that a bell allowed her to go out - she will try to ring a bell on other doors (like when we go on vacation) that are not even there!!!! If you follow her instructions, you will have this task taken care of in no time. I am proof, this really works.


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## dannieboiz (Oct 7, 2008)

yah this bell thing sounds really fun.

Question though, what if right before bed he doesn't go potty after we let him out? This happen a lot. 

Last night when he pissed all over the bed we let him out but he didn't go... not realizing that an hour later he would go all over our bed. We now have to buy a new mattress cause it's been multiple times since he had done this. 

I feel really bad for having him sleep in the crate and lock it up every night next to our bed. He has a nice comfortable bed right beside ours which I'd like to eventually have him sleep on. 

Can I start with the back door. Once he's train we do the same thing with a bell at our bedroom door? Will this confuse him?


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## dannieboiz (Oct 7, 2008)

btw: can someone post a picture of how their bell is hung?


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## Reillies_mom (Jan 29, 2009)

Sorry - having trouble with uploading my picture of the bell - will try again later. 
I think the objective is to only have one bell at one door and when he rings that bell, he knows that is his way of saying "I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE!"
No matter where Reillie is at in the house, she goes straight to the bell when she wants to go out, there are no other bells - for example, when she is in the bedroom and wants to go out, she comes to the door that has her bell.........
As far as going potty prior to bed, I would wait him out!!!! Make him go, before long, it will become habit to him to go before bed. With him being 8 months old, he should be able to go about 4 hours, possibly longer without going potty. So I would wait him out and make him go prior to bed, possibly get up one more time during the night (depending on how long you sleep) and wait him out.......this should save your bed! If you want to get him crate trained, i would start sooner rather than later. Once he get to sleep in the bed with mom and dad, chances are he will never want to go to the crate - 

i will try my pictures again later - but believe me, nothing fancy ... it cost about 2.00!!! A screw in the door trim with a bell on a chain hanging across it.


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## dannieboiz (Oct 7, 2008)

What's funny is for some time he would also go right before bed time. He slept with us for months without any problems when he was only 5 months old. It's only until lately, so we started to crate train him. After about a week in the crate with alone of whinnying, he actually prefer the crate over the bed with us. We always hang out with him before bed time on our bed and watch TV together. When he gets tired he would go to the side of the bed and look at his crate and act like he wants to go down. So we would put him on the floor and he immediately jump into the crate on his own. 

In fact, I think it was our fault last night since we didn't wait him out. 

I also noticed that ever since its gotten colder he doesn't like to go outside. When we let him out he always wants to go back in. We're thinking about getting him some winter boots to see if it helps.


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## dannieboiz (Oct 7, 2008)

Here's Raskal @ 5 months


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

If your baby is still having accidents, I would go back to crate training. The purpose of the crate is to train your pup where to go and when to go. You put them on a schedule and first thing you do when they come out is take to the potty place, whether it be a pad or outside. This way you begin to know when your baby needs to go. Usually before a meal, or after a play session, or before you crate again is also a good time to take them. Until they are completely trained I would crate and give boundaries. Otherwise it's hard for you to train and get them on a potty schedule. If you can't crate train, then I suggest just being consistent with your pup by taking them often and praising like heck when they go. You want to try to be as successful as possible, so they learn. Having accidents aren't their fault, that's why you can't get mad at them. They just haven't learned from you how to be consistent.


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## Reillies_mom (Jan 29, 2009)

QUOTE (dannieboiz @ Feb 16 2009, 09:05 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=728280


> Here's Raskal @ 5 months
> 
> 
> 
> ...


O MY He is so cute, I think I would just hug him to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wub:


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## Shelly5512 (Sep 4, 2008)

I bell trained my two Maltese and they caught on very quickly. Of course, they often ring just to go outside to play. Also, if one goes out and I don't notice she's ready to come back in, the one inside will ring the bell to get me to open the door. 

One problem ... sometimes they ring the bell and if I don't get there fast enough, they will do their business right there anyway. I tried putting a pee pee pad in front of the door, but they still shred them. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!


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