Answering The Call Of Nature . . . Or Something Like That.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UAqssYX-CE

 

It took about six weeks, but Jayne has fully caught on to ringing her bells to be let out.

 

I started by getting her to touch the bells with the "touch" command. At first she tried to bypass the bells and touch my hand for a treat, but eventually caught on that once the bells rang, I would reward her and started touching the bells. I then hung them by the door and asked her to touch them before I would open the door to let her out.

 

Early last week she understood enough to get DH to let her out when she saw me or a squirrel in the yard, but not to ring when she wanted out to potty. Just that she needed to ring it to get the door open once I was already at the door.

 

 

Last week was when it really clicked. She was asking me to let her out one morning; not by ringing the bells, but by doing the Let Me Out dance between me and the door . I knew what she wanted, but every time she ran to the back door to be let out I didn't follow. After about thee attempts to get a response from me, she gave the bells a try. Now she's a bell ringing expert.

 

It used to be difficult to tell when she had to go, especially for DH, or if she were just stanging at the back door to look out. Now, we can be working in the kitchen or watching TV, and when the bells we know to let the dog out. She's let out regularly anyway and she hasn't had an accident since not long after we adopted her, so she didn NEED to learn to ring the bells, but I like her having just one more way to communicate with us.

[OwnedBySummer]

I love it. Jayne, you're one smart cookie. Oh, did I say cookie? Better give one to that girl, she deserves it!

[Guest dragontearz]

Very smart! Oberon bops the front door knob when he wants to go for a walk, and he figured that out on his own..I don't want to put bells up because I KNOW he wouldn't stop..ever..lol.

[EllenEveBaz]

Ring them chimes, Miss Jayne! And bop on, Oberon!

[4greyhounds]

Jayne, You are Awesome!!!!!!!! and Beautiful too!!!! :yay :wub:

[Guest june]

I have bells hanging on my back door, but only one of my girls will ring them; and she learned to do that on her own. The rest have their very own individual "potty dance."

june

[Guest kydie]

I think that is so cool,, I have never taught any of mine to signal when they have to go out but,,,,,, 2 stand by the door and bark,,,, the GSP does the "pee, pee dance" the the grey stands by the door and just looks at me,, but would love to teach them to ring the bell, or not I think mine would stand there and ring it all day just to get my goat

[Guest mirthlesstroll]

Jett rings a bell to go out, and yes, he does ring it when he's bored! If he's been out in the last hour I tell him to go lay his stripey butt down, and he stomps off to pout on his bed! Melody used to ring it when we lived at our old house, but "forgot" when we moved here.

[Guest Giselle]

Excellent job!!

 

What kind of knob is it? You could even teach her to open the door herself AND teach her to close the door! I taught these both to Ivy and it has successfully enabled me to be the lazy couch potato of which I always dreamed

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

It's a sliding door that's fairly heavy, I don't think she'd have the power to open it on her own.