# Poochie Bells question



## NIMaltese (May 24, 2009)

Hello all!

Tobi is just over a year old now, and we had originally paper trained him, however he tended to use elsewhere in the room (I think he urinates out of separation anxiety at times), so we have moved training to outside, and I crate him when I can't watch him. So far, so good.

I had bought a poochie bell ages ago, and initially he was scared of it, but I left it on the back door and with time he is no longer adverse to it.
Everytime I was bringing him outside to go, I'd ring the bell saying "outside", and he quickly picked up that if he wants to go outside...he rings the bell.

My issue is that he rings the bell every flipping 5 mins!!! ;-D 
I don't leave him in the back unsupervised ever, as he tends to eat cat poo if I haven't spotted it and removed (GROSS), and I worry about him being stolen.

Is there a way of training him only to ring when he wants to potty? Probably not but I'm asking anyways.


----------



## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Every time he rings take him out. Wait a minute and if he doesn't do anything come back inside.....NO treats at this time. When he "goes" have a treat for him. Only treats for doing "something" and on other occasions just bring him in and ignore him.
Chase did this and we had to let him know treats were only for going potty outside. He got it.


----------



## NIMaltese (May 24, 2009)

Ahhh!! I will give this a try, thank you! 
He is so funny. I ignored him ringing the bell because he had JUST been out and gone, so he absolutely whacks it - the entire thing came crashing down on the floor. 

It is a great invention though...works a treat!


----------



## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I think the majority of people who use bells for potty training have this problem. It is hard to distinguish the bell ringing with going potty vs just going outside, because you ring them before he performs a command (ie: potty). When the bells ring, it means he gets to go out.

Others do fine and don't "abuse" the bell ringing, but I myself prefer to just tell the dogs when it's time to go potty. Sometimes I ask if they need to go potty, and if they do they will head to the door.


----------



## Morkie4 (Oct 13, 2006)

theboyz said:


> Every time he rings take him out. Wait a minute and if he doesn't do anything come back inside.....NO treats at this time. When he "goes" have a treat for him. Only treats for doing "something" and on other occasions just bring him in and ignore him.
> Chase did this and we had to let him know treats were only for going potty outside. He got it.


Another great suggestion. I have two bell ringers and two that have their own little way of letting me know they need to go out........so two our of four is fine with me. The two that ring the bell have never rang them without having to go potty.........I shall now count my blessings!:thumbsup:


----------



## NIMaltese (May 24, 2009)

Oh tobi is a little tyke. He will drink a load of water, go ring the bell and squeeze the teeniest amount out, just to get his piece of chicken 

He used to do that on the potty pad when we were training him too. I found it cute then...not so much with the outside when its wet (like today) 

Will keep at it!


----------

