When you first start potty training your puppy, it’s up to you to keep an eye on your dog and watch for the signs that they need to go to the bathroom–getting restless, giving the side-eye, and trying to sneak off to a corner or another room are just a few of the notable behaviors. As soon as you notice the signs, you rush your pup into the backyard. While this is a critical system for the beginning of training, eventually, you should no longer have to watch them constantly. Instead, training your dog to provide a clear signal when they need to go should be your goal.
There are a couple of ways to approach signal training, depending on your preferences and your dog’s natural instincts. You could get a set of bells to hang on the door for your pup to ring, or you could teach them to speak or paw at the door. This way, you will be able to hear them ask to go outside even if you are in a different room!
Speak or Paw
To start teaching these signals, you still need to begin by paying attention to the small signs that they need to go. When it’s time to go, get up and lead them to the door. Then, open the door just a crack–enough for them to smell the outside, but not enough to stick their whole head out. Wait for them to make eye contact with you, then get them excited to go out. Ask something along the lines of “You need to go potty?” then wait. In just a few seconds, your dog should get impatient and vocalize (either by whining or barking) or paw at the door to be let out. Say “yes” or “okay” and let them out as soon as they do. It is best to have them on a leash when you start this training so that you can make sure they understand that this is solely a potty trip–otherwise, they will signal every time they want to be let outside. It’s important to make a distinction between “fun” outside time and bathroom time. As they get the hang of it, you can get rid of the leash.
Bells
Bells are an excellent way for your dog to signal that it’s time to go outside since they are a distinct sound that you won’t mistake for anything else and are loud enough for you to hear from almost anywhere in the house.
Show the bells to your dog, and reward them for any interest or interaction they have with them–sniffing, nosing, pawing at them, etc. Hang the bells on the door, and every time you bring your dog outside, ring the bells first. Accompany this with a command, like “touch” or “potty.” Do this for about a week, then switch to only giving the command without ringing the bells. Instead, point to the bells and wait until your pup touches them with their nose or paw. As soon as they do, give them a treat and let them outside. Continue this process every time you bring them out to use the bathroom. With a few weeks of consistency, your pup will start ringing them by themselves when they need to go. Success!
When training your dog, some behaviors are easier to attain than others. If you need help with your dog’s training, whether they are a puppy or an old dog in need of reinforcement, call Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training today.
