Teaching Puppy To Ring A Bell To Get A Door Opened.

[Joypod]

Hi all,

Here's the dilema, I'm wanting to train Gus (4.5 month old Frenchie) to let us know he needs to go outside by ringing a little bell by the door.

We've got a dog door that's set into a screen door so the problem is when the main interior door is closed, he gets confused and wee's somewhere else in the house. Otherwise, he's happy to take himself out through the dog door to go to the toilet. The only time he goes inside is when he can't get out. So, he needs to be able to tell us when to open the door for him.

Yesterday I taught him to touch the end of a target stick. Then I put that by a little bell I've hung by the door and got him to ring it as he touched the stick. It only took him about 2 mins to work out that all i was wanting him to do was ring the bell.

I used a cue of 'out' to get him to ring the bell.

Once he'd grasped the bell ringing, I started to open the door straight after he rang it, then I'd say 'yes' and reward him.

The funny thing was, this morning when we were doing it, he just kept on ringing that bell! It was quite funny really because it was obvious he just wanted the treats.

My question is, am i doing the right thing by getting him to ring the bell first, then me opening the door, saying 'yes' then rewarding? Or should I be going about this completely differently.

I've gotta say, I was so impressed with how quickly he picked up the touching of the end of the target stick and then the ringing of the bell to get the treat. He's a smart little cookie that bulldog of mine.

Any help or advice from anyone who knows what they're doing (which clearly isn't me!) would be great appreciated. Ta muchly.

Vic

[DeltaCharlie]

Haha Delta was the same. I taught her to tread on a door bell buzzer when she wanted to go out. After she worked out how to press it I didn't give her any treats, simply opened the door. I didn't want to be rewarding her for pressing it, just build up a connection between the sound and the door opening. It lasted about a week because she loved the sound so much (or making me get off the lounge ) that she pressed it non stop. I made sure I went to the door every single time and never acknowledged her as I walked into the laundry; I simply walked in, opened the door, walked out. I had hoped that would stop her ringing it for attention but it turns out she just liked pressing it. I ended up taking it away from her and almost immediately she started doing a little bark at the door whenever she wanted to go out.

So now she just barks to go out. Charlie never asks to go out, that dog would hold on for 24 hours if he had too.

[bridgie_cat]

he sounds v funny

opening the door and letting him go out should be a reward in itself

hopefully if you stop treating him for every ring he will just ring it when he wants to get outside.

what I have done with Lana a bit is get her to sit if she wants me to open the door to let her IN - thus, no food was used ever (coulda started her with food I suppose - certainly taught the sit with food etc as you have done with the bell ring) since she wanted to come in and sitting was how she got there...

Do you use a release for him to go out the door? ie, door can be open and you give him the OK to go out?

If so, I would be waiting for him to ring the bell and then opening door and giving release... If not, perhaps you should start making going outside something you control... so when he is allowed he perceives it as a reward

I love this idea though! Sounds like you have a good start with him already ringing them bell - just change the consequence to the door opening rather than him getting a treat...

Bridget

[Staff'n'Toller]

This may help out a bit...

'Ring my bell'.

Mel.

[Joypod]

Thanks guys, it's nice to know there are other people out there that have tried this also.

Bridgie_cat, excellent advice. The problem is (amongst other things) that he's not wanting to go out when I'm doing this. So i open the door when he rings the bell, he sort of half looks at the door (sometimes he doesn't look at the door at all) and just keeps sitting there waiting for his treat. So i'm not sure that he's getting the connection between the bell and door just yet.

Perhaps you're right and I need to wait until I know he needs to go out before trying again. I might do that tomorrow morning before we go outside. I reckon you've got it though. I need to make the 'going out' in itself the reward and for that to happen, i need to anticipate when he'd like that to happen. Hmm, it's tricky isn't it?

Oh Mel! That link is perfect. I know what to do next. When he rings the bell next, I'll click, open the door and have the doggy door flap open so i can throw a treat through it to make him go through the door! Perfect. That makes sense to me. Thanks! you're a champion.