# Bell ringing & crate training



## mhicks2012 (Feb 5, 2013)

I'm just full of questions. I've been reading about the bell at the door for the puppy to go outside and I was wondering how to go about training her to do this. Also, I'm trying to get Izzy to be ok I'm her crate when it's not nighttime. For example, when I can't keep my eye on her I will put her in there, like when I use the restroom mop the floor. She screams and cries the whole time. I'm not sure how to get her accustomed to being in there when I'm still here. :doh:


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## ally1h (Nov 27, 2012)

Not sure on the bell training. It will be interesting to see what others come up with! As for the crate I noticed early on that my pup was fine with being in the crate when he couldn't see anyone, but as soon as he saw myself or my boyfriend he would whine and throw a fit. So I started by putting him in the crate with his kong and a small amount of peanut butter. Closed the door and walked into the kitchen. I made sure to always be within sight and always get back right as soon as he finished with his kong. From there I slowly increased the time. I added an ice cube in his crate with the kong. Once he finished the kong he went for the ice cube. 

It was a long process but now he is getting good with even going in there on his own will, lying down, and just watching as everything goes on. He doesn't kind when we close the door anymore. The trick was to get back to him before he started crying. 


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## Seagodess (Dec 6, 2012)

We use bells. I put some bells on a ribbon and hung them on the door handle. At first each time I took her out I would ring them and say "lets go potty" or something like that. Then I showed her how to it them with her nose or paw. She picked it up within a week or so.


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## MDGolden (Sep 23, 2012)

I have use the bell trick with my past Lab and now with my current 9 month old golden... When we first got him, we got a bell, hung it on the back door and EVERY time we took him out, we rang the bell. If he ran up and tried to play with the bell, he got put outside... He eventually learned to ring the bell on his own with his nose or paw... But I would say make sure you are consistent with the bell. If he/she rings it, they must go out... I was hard at first, we would be sitting for dinner or watching a movie and he would be ringing the bell and we would have to stop what we were doing and make him go outside, but it sure has paid off... After a week, he figured it out... Good Luck


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

If you have wood on the door the bells will be hanging from, tape a piece of cardboard behind the bells. The piece of cardboard on our door looks like it's been through a cat fight. I tried to train her to ring it with her nose, but she uses her paws.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

One caution about the bell. I had a client call me with a problem with her 6 month old pup. Seems that she was ringing the bell and going out 20 times a day. She had been to the vet and was perfectly healthy. My client wanted to know what was wrong with the pup's bladder that she could hold it for less than a hour. After some discussion it seemed that the pup could hold it all night, or when my client went out. Sooooo, the pup had trained the owner to let her out in the yard when she had to go potty, or was bored, or when she wanted to chase the squirrls, or..... 

Bells can be great but be sure that you know who is training who!!!


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## Seagodess (Dec 6, 2012)

Leslie B said:


> One caution about the bell. I had a client call me with a problem with her 6 month old pup. Seems that she was ringing the bell and going out 20 times a day. She had been to the vet and was perfectly healthy. My client wanted to know what was wrong with the pup's bladder that she could hold it for less than a hour. After some discussion it seemed that the pup could hold it all night, or when my client went out. Sooooo, the pup had trained the owner to let her out in the yard when she had to go potty, or was bored, or when she wanted to chase the squirrls, or.....
> 
> Bells can be great but be sure that you know who is training who!!!


This is very true. Milla sometimes will ring the bells right when we come back in. We determined she was just playing with them or wanted attention or something. So unless she is showing more signs that she needs to go, we kind of ignore her or distract her with something else to play with.


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## Vinnie's Mom (Jun 9, 2012)

I trained Vinnie with the bell starting at 7 weeks old. I would carry him out at first and ring the bell and say let's go potty. After about a week I was letting him walk out side on his own while I rang the bell and said let's go potty. After a few more days he rang it him self. He did play with to a bit at first and I would have to put it away until time to go potty again. He was completely house broken by nine weeks old and has never had an accident since. He is 10 months old and still uses the bell. When I know he doesn't have to go potty and he rings the bell, I just say. You don't need to go out and he stops.
I can tell when he really has to go because he rings it like he means it. 


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## Vinnie's Mom (Jun 9, 2012)

Here's a picture of my bell. The scraping on the paint is from my previous dog that was not bell trained and would scratch the door. Vinnie never scratches the door which is another advantage of using the bell.










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## swildt (Jan 23, 2013)

Hi there!

We are working on the bell too. There is a Youtube video on how to do it that is really good which I have been following. At first, I had Barley learn to touch the bell with his nose for a treat. He got that really quick and it was a good way to make sure he wasn't scared of it. We now have it on the door and we ring it every time we go outside and say potty. I've been carrying him in and out, but we're starting to let him walk outside on his own. Today he grabbed the bells and shook them really hard (though I think he was playing) but we went outside anyway. I'm hoping he learns this one quick!

I had a dog many, many years ago that learned this and it was a real life saver. She potty trained very fast with the bell trick!


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