by Troy Wilson & Rosita Wilson - Outback Dog Training Group
Being a dog living in the human world isn't always an easy gig. You humans have rules; rules that just don't make that much sense to us dogs. We don't understand that it is not ok to urinate or defecate indoors. We don't understand the need to go outside. We don't have opposable thumbs and we couldn't reach the door handle to open it if we did. We try to tell you, but you are often too busy to notice us.
It can be very difficult for us to know when our pets need to go outside to eliminate. We are often distracted, busy or inattentive. Some dogs may not always show obvious signs that they need to go to the potty, while others may be able to clearly communicate their need. If your dog is in the first category, don't worry, you can train them to let you know when they need the potty.
Signs Your Dog Needs the Potty
Your dog may already be clearly indicating they need the potty and you are missing their signals. It may also be that you don't understand their signals. Clear signs will include:
- Pacing,
- Sniffing,
- Whining,
- Circling,
- Moving far away from you (to the other side of the room),
- Sniffing at table legs or walls,
- Coming up to you whining, wagging and/or staring,
- Going into corners or behind things,
- Acting anxious,
- Standing by or scratching the door.
If your dog exhibits any of these signs, take them outside on a lead to their designated potty spot; refer to our Potty Training article for how to achieve this, and how to teach a potty command.
Make a mental note of what your dog did to let you know they wanted out and next time you see these behaviours, take them out straight away.
Other Things You Can Do
If your dog is eliminating inside because their signals aren't clear, it's time to train them to do something really obvious to let you know they need the potty. For example, if your dog currently stands quietly near the door, but you can't see the door, you will have no idea they are asking to go out.
A popular method is to train your dog to ring a bell hung by the door, so even if you are in another room, you will hear when your dog needs to go out. Once you have trained your dog to ring the bell with a touch of their nose, you will need to train them to ring the bell before you open the door to take them out every time. The end goal is to teach your dog that they need to ring the bell to go outside for the potty; when they ring the bell, you open the door.
Teaching Your Dog to Ring a Bell to Go Out to the Potty
You can buy a dog door bell or make your own using sleigh bells. Put some sturdy string in the bells; you will use this to attach them to the door handle or a hook near the door.
Teach Your Dog to 'Touch' the Bells
Because you want your dog to touch the bell, you need them to understand a 'Touch ' command. You can find our video series on how to teach this command here.
Step One - Touch the Bells
Once your dog knows 'Touch' you can introduce the bells; follow the steps in the 'Touch' videos, specifically in the 'Target Introduction' video.
Show your dog the bells, just a couple of inches from their nose, and use your 'Touch' command. The instant your dog's nose touches the bells; mark, praise and treat. Repeat until your dog touches the bells every time on command.
Now move the bells further away, repeating the command. When your dog touches the bells; mark, praise and treat. Keep moving the bells further from your dog, over a number of days. When you are sure your dog has the idea, move to Step Two.
Step Two - Ring the Bells
Connect the bells to your door handle, or put them on a hook next to the door. Make sure you have treats, and call your dog over.
Hold the bells (still attached to the door or hook) out to your dog and give your 'Touch' command. When your dog touches the bells with their nose; mark, praise and treat. Repeat until your dog is touching the bells without hesitation every time you give the 'Touch' command.
Next, just point to the bells and give your dog the 'Touch' command. When your dog touches the bells with their nose; mark, praise and treat. Repeat until your dog is touching the bells without hesitation every time you give the 'Touch' command. If your dog doesn't touch the bells, take a step back in your training and hold the bells. After your dog has experienced more success at that level, try pointing at the bells again. Mark, praise and treat every time your dog touches the bells.
Now, move a little further away from the bells, and repeat the exercise. Remember, if your dog doesn't touch the bells, remain calm, and go back to the previous step.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Repeat Step Two until your dog is touching the bells every time.
It's the Right Time
Once your dog knows how to ring the bells, you can teach them to use the bells to let you know they need to go potty.
Every time you take your dog out to the potty, ask them to ring the bells before you open the door.
As you approach the door, give your 'Touch' command and point to the bells. The instant your dog touches the bells; mark, praise and treat. Then open the door and lead your dog outside.
Make sure your dog rings the bells every time they need to go out to the potty. Repetition is key to your dog learning to use the bells to let you know they need the potty. The first time your dog uses the bells on their own - JACKPOT! - be lavish in your praise. Maybe even give extra treats after your dog goes to the potty the first time they use the bells on their own, or even the first few times, just to reinforce the training.
Be Aware
Play Time versus Potty Time
Some dogs, once they realise ringing the bells gets the door open, will start to use the bells when they want to go out to play as well as when they want the potty. If this is what your dog is doing, teach them the bells are only for potty time, not play time.
When your dog rings the bells, praise them, put them on a leash, and take them to their potty spot. Do not play with your dog, or allow them to play. Give them five minutes to do their business; if they go, mark, praise and treat, then take them back inside. If your dog doesn't go, just take them back inside. Don't speak to your dog, apart from giving the potty command, unless they go to the potty.
Accidents Happen!
If you teach your dog to use the bells to let you know when they need to go to the potty, but they still have 'accidents' your dog may not understand they need to go out to eliminate, how to tell you they need to go out to eliminate, or your training hasn't taken. Go back to the beginning of potty training and start again; make sure each stage is 100% before moving on. Be calm, patient and persistent.
Additional Tips
Always seek medical advice if your dog continues to have accidents, or the frequency of urination/defecation suddenly changes; your dog may have a UTI or some other issue.
There are a number of commercial dog door bells available; some have actual bells attached to fabric that you hang on or near the door, while others are button-operated (your dog uses their paw to press these; the training principles are the same); all these come with training instructions.
to our YouTube Channel for more training videos and updates.
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