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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

How do you teach a dog to tell you it needs to go out?

34 replies

Lougle · 14/08/2012 12:46

Our lovely dog is almost 9 months old. He's quite reliable with regards housetraining, but if we don't notice he needs to go out, he'll take him off somewhere and wee.

Our older dog starts pacing/woofing if he wants to go out. This dog...nada. Nothing. The only way I know is that if he is sleeping and gets up, he needs to go out.

At night time, he usually sleeps through, but occasionally he gets up off the bed, and wanders out into the hallway. If we don't suss it (wake up!) then he'll relieve himself.

He's a quiet dog, rarely barks, etc., so how do you teach them to alert you?

OP posts:

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:17

I've taught my 16 month old Toller to ring a hotel reception bell which I keep on the floor by the back door when he needs to go outside.

Took him 10 minutes to learn!!

PedanticPanda · 14/08/2012 17:18

Are you kidding two?

JennerOSity · 14/08/2012 17:20

Two no wayyyyy! I hope that is true

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:20

Nope. He has one by the patio doors and one by the back door.

Trouble is he sometimes rings it even when the door is open, fool!!

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:23

I'll try and get a video of him doing it

JennerOSity · 14/08/2012 17:24

Brilliant! OK so how did you do it? :)

JennerOSity · 14/08/2012 17:26

My dog, hovers by the door, if you don't notice he will come and stare at you meaningfully. But he just does it we didn't teach him as such so don't know how to advise. A dog which will piddle in the house isn't something I know about cos all ours were taught from puppy not to and would have dies rather then do so, but not quite sure how that degree of inhibition was done tbh. sorry - not much help.

ExitPursuedByAGoldenBear · 14/08/2012 17:29

Wow - that is really impressive two - very Pavlov.

My spaniel looks at me with a meaningful expression.

On the only three occasions he has had bad guts in the night he whimpers, loudly.

SrirachaGirl · 14/08/2012 17:36

Like this, .

Our older dog rings a bell (on a string) at the back door when she needs to go but puppy just does not get it yet. We'll keep working on it.

Original poster

Lougle · 14/08/2012 17:37

"A dog which will piddle in the house isn't something I know about cos all ours were taught from puppy not to and would have dies rather then do so,"

Yes, well, we attempted that, but he didn't catch on so well. He will sit, put his paw wherever instructed, leave, wait, lie down, swap an illicit item for an authorised toy on command, but will still pee if we don't notice quick enough that he needs to go out.

I have to say, that when we leave him, we leave him behind a stairgate in an entrance hall, and never have we come home to mess. It's like he's caught on to that bit, but skipped the other.

OP posts:

JennerOSity · 14/08/2012 17:40

That's a puzzle isn't it. I know some breeds like afghans are less bothered about weeing in the house than others - what type of dog is it?

VivaLeBeaver · 14/08/2012 17:43

Mine was the same. Took me about six months to get her to ask and even now she doesn't really ask unless its 4:00am and then she will bark. Other times its just knowing her, if she gets up and paces about she's thinking about having a wee so I put her out.

I also put her out at regular intervals so she doesn't really get to the stage of needing to ask.

Original poster

Lougle · 14/08/2012 17:44

He's a staffy, allegedly, although quite possibly crossed, because he's very tall and long.

OP posts:

LookBehindYou · 14/08/2012 17:45

This probably isn't the scientific way, ahem, but whenever my dog did his buisness outside I practically did a mexican wave. Huge enthusiasm, treats and happy talk. If he peed inside I just ignored. Didn't take long.
That's probably no help whatsoever.

NervousAt20 · 14/08/2012 17:46

two that sounds amazing very well trained

My boy goes to the back door has a little cry and if you don't get up or notice he comes and stares at you waiting bless him. Or if it's the middle of the night he sits right and the side of my bed poking me and crying

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:52

Siracha girl - My dog does it a bit more enthusiastically than that. The bell can scoot across the floor!

JennerOSity · 14/08/2012 17:54

For our puppy we taught him to wee on a puppy pee mat, this was put by the door and all wee's on the mat were highly praised and given treats. Eventually we took the mat away, but he would still sit by the door if he wanted a wee - so the cue for wanting a wee was him sitting by the door.

Maybe you could go back to doing something like this, then you at least have a visual cue to his need, even if he isn't 'asking' IYSWIM. :)

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:56

Here's the lad. He does it much better when we're not trying to make him do it.

.be

LookBehindYou · 14/08/2012 17:57

That's fantastic twojues! Gorgeous dog.

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:59

Jenner - he is ball mad, so we started by throwing the ball by the catflap and we rang the bell and then opened the door and he ran to get the ball and bring it back.
We then threw the ball out and got him to ring the bell. As soon as he did, even if it was just touching it we opened the door to let him get the ball.
As I say, it only took him 10 minutes to get the hang of it.

twojues · 14/08/2012 17:59

I meant throwing the ball through the catflap not by the catflap!

JennerOSity · 14/08/2012 18:00

Fab idea! Must be a bright dog. He is very gorgeous too. :)

midori1999 · 14/08/2012 18:01

twojues, I am very, very envious of your toller, I am not sure I can even bring myself to look at your video. It will be a long time until I can have another dog, but I'm pretty certain it will be a Toller (despite having always said I would never have any breed except Goldens). I just love them!

twojues · 14/08/2012 18:06

midori - you and me both. I grew up with a golden retriever and had one of my own as soon as the kids were old enough. We sadly had to say goodbye to him last year and my husband didn't want another dog. We had the lab who was 7. He pined when the golden went and would just lay on his bed.

I love having 2 dogs, but decided I didn't want another one as big as Harvey - he was hard work on my back - 37kgs of dog, having to lift him to standing was not good.
I happened to phone a breeder and she had got a litter of pups and had 2 tollers left. We went to see them and fell in love.
He is amazing - but a real pickle. Very different from the laid back golden retriever. Very good with the little children I look after and likes to be in the middle of them. He will quite often lie down in the middle of the toys as they are playing just to be near them.

floranora · 14/08/2012 18:08

my dog has never told me it needed to go out before, i just make sure that they hve lots of oppurtunity to go outside.

I was at home alone one night, i went to bed and my lab kept coming in my room and putting his head on my bed, he wouldnt settle and lie on my bed and when i got up he quickly went to the front door. i got freaked out and instead of thinking he wanted to go out i though that he was trying to tell me that i was not safe in my bed!! obviously though i had a lassie dog!

woke up to a HUGE shit in my hallway! bless him.

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