Asking to go out

• Asking to go out Stephanie Book Posted : 4/13/2006 4:33:07 PM Hi   My puppy is 4 months old now, and is doing great as far as being housebroken. I have to watch her though and I can tell when she has to go out, by how long it's been, if you woke up, got a drink, ate, etc.  And she will go over to the door if she wants to go out sometimes, but doesn't really give any signals, like barking,  scratching at the door, etc.  Anyone have any ideas on how I can teach her to ask to go out? Although I'm doing ok with her, it would be helpful if she would ask to go out. Thanks LIKE 14 REPLIES 324 VIEWS LAST POST STEPHANIE BOOK Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Mic Posted : 4/13/2006 5:49:59 PM Do you want her to bark, ring a bell, spin in a circle...what's your preference? 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• loveukaykay Posted : 4/14/2006 2:09:52 AM I think scratching at the door is something that they jusy eventually do... seems like its just natural.  And I may be way off here, but do you think shes not doing anything because she knows she doesnt have to....?  Because she sits there and you let her out - so thats what she does.  Maybe if you didnt let her out when she sat there (of couse keeping an eye so she doesnt go elsewhere) but waited to see if she decides to scratch, and then let her out. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• toby dude Posted : 4/14/2006 3:01:11 AM When Toby has to be let out, he will stand parallel to the door. That's my que to get up. I also want him to bark or something....just because he's not always in my line of sight. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Robert Strong Posted : 4/14/2006 8:37:18 AM I thought about teaching my dogs to ring a bell. But I wondered if they would ring it just because they want to go out and play instead, not because they have to go to the bathroom. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• angelamarie Posted : 4/14/2006 11:52:49 AM Dogs I've owned have always eventually figured out a way to let me know they want out.  But, that did not happen until they were well over a year old.  Four months may be a bit early to expect anything more than an approach to the doorway, and a dog that age shouldn't ever be out of your sight anyway.  I did teach Misty to ring a bell to go out, I thought I was being so clever.  However, something went array in the teaching, and she used the bell to drive us to distraction.  Ringing it was so much fun!!!  Someone always came around for it.  Even more fun, was grabbing a leash and running at the bell repeatedly with the leash in her mouth demanding a walk NOW.  I took the bell down.  Now, she scratches at the door.  For the most part, thought, I take my dogs out on such a scheduled routine they very rarely have to ask for it.  But, they will for those times in between scheduled outings.  0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Stephanie Book Posted : 4/15/2006 10:50:46 AM I think that you're right; since I just let her out whenever she has to, then she probably doesn't feel that she needs to do anything else. My other dog will lay next to the door when she wants to go out, I never tried to teach her anything, and of course that's enough of a signal for me.  I don't really need her ( the puppy) to do anything else right now though .... I guess what I was asking is if dogs that age DID ask to go out ( by barking, scratching etc.) If she is outside and wants to come in, she will bark to let me know ( I have her out on her tie out...I don't leave her there by herself) when she wants to come in, and I thought she could learn to do the same thing if she wants to go outside. Thanks!....sorry if I am being confusing here! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Stephanie Posted : 4/16/2006 11:39:19 AM My puppy just suddenly started crying at the door to go out one day. From then on whenever he cried we took him out and rewarded him with praise for doing good. Now its a constant thing and its a benefit i must say.... 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Shannon Henne Posted : 4/17/2006 3:08:42 PM I taught my puppy to ring a bell (my older beagle did it as well) and it's really easy. Whenever you take her out, take her paw ring the bell and say "outside" then take her to her potty place. There are times when she rings the bell to go outside and she doesn't potty, but to combat that, I taught her the potty command of "get busy" and if she doesn't go within 3-5 minutes we go inside. This way she's learning that the bell is not a toy. So far, it's working. It's great because if you're in another room (when they're grown up and ready to be trusted) you can hear the bell and know that they need to get outside. Oh, I wanted to add that Peyton is now 12 wks and she started hitting the bell herself the second week she was home with us. They do take to it really quickly. She will play with it a bit, but she's figured out it's purpose rather fast. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• loveukaykay Posted : 4/17/2006 5:36:22 PM If you want her to do more than lay there maybe take her paw and scratch it on the door then prasie and open it...?  lol.  Just thinking it may work since thats how I got Bailey to "shake"  just took her paw in my hand and the praised until she did it on her own.  0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Mic Posted : 4/18/2006 11:58:59 AM First teach your dog to speak on command.  Then everytime you open the door to take him out, give him the speak command, and then the moment he speaks pop the door open.  It normally takes about 14 days for this to become a consistent behavior. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• huskymom Posted : 4/18/2006 12:39:57 PM Crusher is funny when he wants out.  He will just trot to the door and bump his nose on it and look at me.  Its like he's saying,"OK mom do you see the problem I'm having here?  This is where you come in!" 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• angelamarie Posted : 4/20/2006 8:30:38 AM Another trick I used is that when the warm weather hits, like now, I leave the door to the backyard open all day.  (I admit the bugs love it, but what's a few bugs.)  Right now I'm training our new guy, a 6 year old.  He knows he shouldn't go in the house, but has no idea how to ask for the door.  With the door open all the time, he's heading out there on his own.  After a couple of weeks, I shut the storm door and leave the heavy door open so he can get to the storm door.  Once the storm door is closed, and he's used to having gone in and out at will, he'll probably scratch at it when he finds it closed.  This method has worked for me in the past, hopefully it will work again.   0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• glenmar Posted : 4/20/2006 8:36:56 AM You can buy screen doors really cheap...we got a wooden one for under 20 bucks at either Lowes or Home Depot....the lower part is divided by pieces of wood in half, so I just took the screen out of half of the lower half and stapled a heavy rug to it, hung the door, and wala!  Instant doggie door!  Much better than using those sticky fly strips all over the family room! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Stephanie Book Posted : 4/20/2006 6:41:12 PM Thanks everyone for your ideas! I think I will either try to the bell, or have her speak to go out. I'm not sure if I would always hear her if she scratched at the door. So we'll see how it goes![] 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login