Toilet Training Using Bells And Crates

[Nadsi]

Hi all! I'm soon going to be bringing home a Brittany puppy in January (his name is Maverick). I live in a raised post-war home that has a semi-enclosed back deck with a big flight of stairs down to my yard. I can't let my puppy stay in the yard when he first arrives, because the fence will be in the process of being replaced (so obviously there's risk of escape), and I don't want to install a doggy door because of the danger the stairs while he's little. However, when I'm at work he will have a big pen set up on my deck with his crate, food and toys inside the pen.

I'm trying to think of ways to toilet train him so he goes outside. I've heard about crate training them so they have to learn to hold it (which will be used when I duck out for groceries or at night time when he should be sleeping), and bell training so he can let me know when he wants to go outside. While I am at work I was considering using puppy pads on the deck (he will be coming to me paper trained), as no one will be able to take him to his toilet spot in the yard.

Is this all too confusing to the dog? Should I just stick to the puppy pads on the deck then shift to his toilet spot in the yard once the fence is fixed? Should I bother introducing the bell while he is still stuck on the deck and inside? This is confusing!

To summarise in case I lost you there:

- Dog will be inside/on deck until maybe 4 months until fence/yard is fixed

- Stairs leading to yard may be dangerous, so doggy door isn't an option

- Want to have bells by the door so he can tell me when he needs to potty

- Will have been paper trained, puppy pads will be available to him while I am at work

- Will attempt to use his crate as a toilet training tool

- I want him to eventually toilet in the yard, but can't leave him there as a pup due to (lack of) fence

Advice is desperately needed!

[Kavik]

I think to avoid confusion it is easiest to train them to toilet where you want them to go as an adult. So if you want them to go outside only, teach outside only.

I've never tried the bell idea - generally you can learn to read their signals. The key is to take them out often and lots of praise when they go and supervise when inside or confined when you can't supervise.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Kavik

[fuzzy82]

For a puppy pen I prefer the idea of a kitty litter tray with some turf in it. That way they get used to peeing on grass even when they can't get outside. If you can't have turf, use newspaper, not puppy pads. I've heard puppy pads have a similar texture to carpet, and so dogs often get confused and think carpets and rugs are good to pee on.

[Nadsi]

I think to avoid confusion it is easiest to train them to toilet where you want them to go as an adult. So if you want them to go outside only, teach outside only.

I've never tried the bell idea - generally you can learn to read their signals. The key is to take them out often and lots of praise when they go and supervise when inside or confined when you can't supervise.

The problem with that is that he won't be able to toilet in the yard while I'm not there; he will need to toilet in the pen. The pen is on the deck, rather than the yard (I doubt he could get out of the pen if it was set up in the yard, I'm just more concerned about animals coming INTO the yard in that scenario, whereas on the deck he would be out of reach).

[Guest lavendergirl]

I think it best to put some turf or artificial grass in his pen on the deck so he does not get confused about what surface to toilet on. I prefer a doggy door in the long term to bells etc as the dog can be more independant and you don't have to always be there to hear the bell.

[Nadsi]

I think it best to put some turf or artificial grass in his pen on the deck so he does not get confused about what surface to toilet on. I prefer a doggy door in the long term to bells etc as the dog can be more independant and you don't have to always be there to hear the bell.

Good idea with the grass thing, I will have to go get some Thank you!

[Dxenion]

Once he figures out that outside is the place to potty, you could introduce the bell. We have one here that the dogs will ring if the doggy door is shut and they want to go out. There has been a couple of times though that I haven't heard it ringing so the dog took matters into his own hands and came up with this solution:

He decided that seeing as I didn't respond to him ringing the bell, he'd bring it to me instead - I got the message!

[mumof4girls]

Once he figures out that outside is the place to potty, you could introduce the bell. We have one here that the dogs will ring if the doggy door is shut and they want to go out. There has been a couple of times though that I haven't heard it ringing so the dog took matters into his own hands and came up with this solution:

Priceless lol lol

He decided that seeing as I didn't respond to him ringing the bell, he'd bring it to me instead - I got the message!

[Fuzzycuddles]

Once he figures out that outside is the place to potty, you could introduce the bell. We have one here that the dogs will ring if the doggy door is shut and they want to go out. There has been a couple of times though that I haven't heard it ringing so the dog took matters into his own hands and came up with this solution:

He decided that seeing as I didn't respond to him ringing the bell, he'd bring it to me instead - I got the message!

That's brilliant! I'd never heard of using a bell I may try that with next puppy

[Lugeanjaam]

Once he figures out that outside is the place to potty, you could introduce the bell. We have one here that the dogs will ring if the doggy door is shut and they want to go out. There has been a couple of times though that I haven't heard it ringing so the dog took matters into his own hands and came up with this solution:

He decided that seeing as I didn't respond to him ringing the bell, he'd bring it to me instead - I got the message!

That is priceless

[RiverStar-Aura]

When you're not at home during the day have you considered putting the puppy pen in the backyard on the grass rather than on the back deck?

Other than that, I like the idea of the artificial grass!

[periannath]

Puppy toilet with the artificial grass 60 aprox 67 x80 from the reject shop for around $35. Empty the pan and hose the grass off.Easy.I use them with my pups as soon as they are up on their little feet and they love them,they automatically seem to gravitate to them.

[Nadsi]

When you're not at home during the day have you considered putting the puppy pen in the backyard on the grass rather than on the back deck?

Other than that, I like the idea of the artificial grass!

I mentioned above that I'm not really keen on setting it up in the yard, as the fence is damaged and I'm concerned about animals getting IN to the yard, rather than him escaping the pen (there are roaming cats in the neighbourhood). The deck is a safer option for him because of the layout there. Thank you for the thought though

[Nadsi]

Puppy toilet with the artificial grass 60 aprox 67 x80 from the reject shop for around $35. Empty the pan and hose the grass off.Easy.I use them with my pups as soon as they are up on their little feet and they love them,they automatically seem to gravitate to them.

Thanks, I will keep an eye out!

[Tralee]

Puppy toilet with the artificial grass 60 aprox 67 x80 from the reject shop for around $35. Empty the pan and hose the grass off.Easy.I use them with my pups as soon as they are up on their little feet and they love them,they automatically seem to gravitate to them.

Interesting. Nice idea.

[Tralee]

I mentioned above that I'm not really keen on setting it up in the yard, as the fence is damaged and I'm concerned about animals getting IN to the yard, rather than him escaping the pen

Hi Nadsi

Getting the fence fixed is urgent.

But there are usually plenty of volunteers.

Px

[suziwong66]

we were going to train Wilbur to use a bell to let us know when he wanted to go out to toilet, but as it happened he's quite vocal and will tell me when he needs to go out. At night he'll yelp loud enough to wake me up; i sleep down the other end of the house to him - he's in the lounge in his crate. In the beginning he slept in his travel crate next to my bed and as soon as he shuffled during the night i woke up and took him out.

When/if Wilbur sleeps in the house out of his crate, i'll train him to use the bell. Till then, i'm happy with the yelp which translates to "wake up mum, i need to go"

[Nadsi]

I mentioned above that I'm not really keen on setting it up in the yard, as the fence is damaged and I'm concerned about animals getting IN to the yard, rather than him escaping the pen

Hi Nadsi

Getting the fence fixed is urgent.

But there are usually plenty of volunteers.

I rent, so I have to wait until they're ready to get it sorted. A handy man is going to attempt to fix it in the mean time until it can be replaced, but I don't expect it to do much good, the fence is practically falling over (it looks like the neighbours backed into it at one point, the damaged part is at the end of their car port...).

If it was my own house I would have been to Bunnings already and fixed it myself. I like things to just get done

[helen]

Hi Nadsi. In my experience you won't need a bell for a Brittany to tell you they need to go outside, they will train you in no time to know if they want to go outside If my dogs want to go out they simply go to the door, but if I am settled somewhere where I cant see them they will come and let me know they want out

I love a book The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey. Apart from that there are a couple of good free books, good but not quite as good http://www.dunbarinoz.com/FreeeBooks.aspx - just don't rely too heavily on the crate.

ETA the one bit I don't like about Ian Dunbar is the American influence of keeping dogs inside all the time when you are not at home, and a heavy reliance on the crate, if you crate too long with a Brittany you will drive it nuts

Edited December 29, 2011 by helen

[ktig]

Once he figures out that outside is the place to potty, you could introduce the bell. We have one here that the dogs will ring if the doggy door is shut and they want to go out. There has been a couple of times though that I haven't heard it ringing so the dog took matters into his own hands and came up with this solution:

He decided that seeing as I didn't respond to him ringing the bell, he'd bring it to me instead - I got the message!

subtle....