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Conference 7.286::canine

Title:CANINE
Notice:Topic 4-Directory/10-Adoptions/18-Dogs For Sale
Moderator:BIGQ::BITTICKS
Created:Thu Aug 29 1991
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2202
Total number of notes:20805

2193.0. "where can I find a house training bell " by NNTPD::"zou@tinash.hlo.dec.com" (Tina zou) Fri May 09 1997 13:32

Hi, All:

A lot of folks let their dogs ringing bell to go out. Where can I find such
bell?

Thanks in advance,

Tina
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]
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2193.1you don't always need a bell...STAR::AVERYFri May 09 1997 16:2714
Hi,

This doesn't answer your question (although perhaps something like
a sleigh bell (large jingle bell) would work) but one of our dogs has
figured out how to do that without a bell.

The doorknob on our front door is rather loose and makes a slight
metal-on-metal rattling sound when it's touched. Tasha has learned 
to get our attention and tell us she wants to go out by hitting the 
doorknob with her nose!  It rattles and one of us immediately responds
to take her out. She has us well-trained... And I won't embarrass myself 
by telling you how long it took us to figure this out ;-)

- Sue
2193.2We use a large jingle bell26031::ogodhcp-123-40-18.ogo.dec.com::CHAFFEEMon May 12 1997 14:309
Cyndi Chaffee
chaffee@mail.dec.com


We use a Large Jingle bell.  I hang it from the doorknob with Cording.  It has to be strong enough 
not to be cut from the bangin of the bell.  We have one on both the family room door and the back 
door.  It was VERy easy to train Kody to use them.  It works great for us.


2193.3Do they just figure it out?NNTPD::"woolner@mail.dec.com"Leslie WoolnerWed May 14 1997 19:4433
I hung a brass ring with attached sleigh bells on the kitchen door (the one
Sammy uses to go out) and I make sure to jingle it and call attention to it
every time we go out.  Sammy (4 months old) cocks her head as if to say "Huh?"
but she doesn't seem to be getting the message that *she* can ring it.  (It's 
only been a couple of days, though.)  She occasionally sniffs the bells (she's
a Beagle; sniffing is her job!) and when it results in a ring, we rupture out
of our seats saying "Sammy want to go OUT?  Want to go OUTSIDE?!" and take
her out.  (She *always* wants to go outside... but only because that's where
all the exotic smells are!)

My question is: did all you parents of bell-ringing pooches do active training
with them, or basically what I'm doing, or train passively by waiting for the
dog to make the Pavlovian connection?

Also I have a True Confession: I have been expressing disappointment and, dare
I say it, *anger* when Sammy pees or poops on the kitchen floor.  I know the
PC stance these days is to ignore the whole episode, for fear the dog will
equate your displeasure with the mere fact of elimination (rather than the
fact of elimination in a forbidden area).  However, I'm convinced that with
no feedback Sammy would keep "going" on the linoleum with reckless abandon 
for the rest of her life, so I'm prepared to risk being PI.  I mean, how
stupid
a dog are we talking about here?--in the '50s and '60s, dogs understood
perfectly well what was meant by a tantrum over indoor elimination.  I *do* 
clean the area and apply "Simple Solution", an enzyme cleaner, so it isn't a
scent attraction I'm fighting here.  I think it's stubborn-Beagle-itis,
combined with her tender age and not "getting" the concept of asking to go
out.
(We're also praising her outlandishly every time she poops or pees outside.)

Thanks for listening,
Leslie
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]
2193.4Bell training26031::ogodhcp-123-40-18.ogo.dec.com::CHAFFEETue May 20 1997 17:0023


	The way we trained Kody was every hour or so during the 
	we go outside not inside stage we would ring the bell and
	say Kody GO GO.  We would even put his nose there and ring the
	bell with his nose.  We always use PLAY when we just going out for
	playtime or WALK for times we are going on our walk.  So,  with
	us GO GO means we are going out to do our business.  He is very 
	scheduled now because he is crated, but he has been bell trained 
	since he was a couple months old.  He trained very quick not to 
	use the inside as his toliet.  At first I thought it was us that
	were trained, opps its been an hour Kody must have to PEE or Kody
	ate dinner an hour ago he must need to do his business but he 
	caught on.  Now, he knows when he rings we run and he goes right to
	his spot.

	Good luck it is well worth the xtra work.

	Regards,

	Cyndi

2193.5NNTPD::"woolner@mail.dec.com"Leslie WoolnerWed May 21 1997 15:5419
Thanks for the reply!  I'm not sure every hour would work for us, but we're
going to try to ring the bell every time we ask her to go outside.  I think
she's getting it (a little); last night she nosed the bell, and though it 
didn't really ring, I heard it and responded excitedly.  We went out and she
did pee (a little; she didn't really have to go), and after letting her
sniff around for a while (part of the positive reinforcement), we came in.
Didn't she nose the bell again, almost immediately!

I suppose I should have taken her right back out again, but I knew she just
wanted to sniff around some more, so I told her we just *went* outside and
it's time to "go home" (our command for go back inside).

And I'm trying to register mostly disappointment (rather than anger) for the
inside "mistakes".  I do a whining-dog imitation and that seems to make some
sense to her--she sits on her pillow with a more-worried-than-usual
expression!

Leslie
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]
2193.6puppy bladder not fully developed at 4 months40812::EDRYIf you think education's expensive, try ignoranceThu May 22 1997 16:3715
    
    RE: .3
    
    	A 4 month old puppys bladder is not sufficiently developed at that
    age for them to always be able to control their elemination.  BE
    PATIENT and instead of getting angry when she does the wrong thing, try
    to understand and anticipate "her schedule", then take her out BEFORE
    she makes a mess indoors.  Use a word such as "PEE" consistently
    when/before she eliminates then when she does do the right thing,
    PRAISE HER lavishly.
    
    	By 6 months of age things should be much better.
    
     - Bob