Train your puppy to ring a bell

[AandWBoxers]

Rex jingled the bells today!
(After we were already getting ready to go out, though...) 
Is that still progress?? 
 

[BoxerPerson]

Sure...keep up the training

[Mommy2Luna]

I'd REALLY love to start teaching my Luna to do this. Unfortunately I am hearing impaired (not deaf, just bad hearing...and I'm 27...had hearing problems all my life.) One of the things about my hearing problems is that I can hear, just not as great as most, but I CAN NOT hear high pitches (like fire alarms, or some bells, etc...)

Can anyone suggest an alternative to the bell ringing? I'm just not that creative right now. lol. I suppose I could get a cow bell, but wouldn't be able to hear it if I'm in the other room. Any suggestions? Should I teach her to do something like put her paw on my leg or something?

[BoxerPerson]

Yep you could teach her to touch your leg when she wants out...just touch her nose or paw to your leg when you are taking her out...do what it says to do with the bell but substitute your leg..

Good luck...these guys are really smart and learn quite fast if consistently trained to do the same thing...

[BoxerWB]

Associating the bell with pottying is absolutely progress! I suspect he'll be ringing it earlier and earlier in the "prep" process until he's asking ahead of time.

Leg touching sounds like a good idea, though it'll be in more places than just the one door (where ever you are in the house) so it may take longer for him to generalize between rooms that touching your leg always means the same thing.

[Mommy2Luna]

Thanks! I think it's a great idea. I'll have to do my own little version of the bell training...although I may try the cow bell at first. They seem to be pretty loud. Wish me luck!

Oh, and Luna is a girl. 

[BoxerPerson]

I know of one person that tried the cow bell and the dog was afraid of it...I would try a variety of different methods too...one method may work and another may not.

[BoxerWB]

One thing that I've heard made the dogs a bit hesitant is trying to force them to use their paws. They are so nosey to begin with, using their noses is just normal! 

[BoxerPerson]

I did not find that using the foot was a problem.  Phoebe will actually use either her foot or nose...I think it depends on how many times she has to ring it.

[BoxerWB]

Both of mine are fine for you picking up their feet for grooming/inspection (they don't love it, but they'll let you do it) but hate if you try to make them "do" something with it. I can see volunteering to use a paw, but forcing doesn't really work and luring tends to get their nose following you rather than a paw.

[BoxerPerson]

Well maybe it is just my pups then that have no problem with using their paws or allowing me to do whatever with them.

[Patti]

I also think the type of ringer depends on the dog. If the dog is more into using it's paws, jumping up etc.. they will be more willing to ring the bell with their foot. Otis isn't a paws-on type of dog so he uses his nose. His buddy Norah is the opposite and always has to touch you, things, everything with her paws so she uses her feet to ring and never her nose. I'm actually glad Otis uses his nose though - less scratches on the door & frame

[aquagirl900]

I've done this with my two.  Jetta I started at 3 months and physically put her paw on bell.  She was potty trained by 3.5 months.  Bo took a few months to fully catch on.

[Bers]

I wish this had caught on for our crew, it probably would have made housetraining Lucy, our adult pup, a lot easier. None of them ever got it, I guess maybe I was doing something wrong. And in the meantime Bob, the cat, discovered the bell and decided it should work for him whenever he felt like going outside!

[Samsons Mom]

im gonna start working on this with samson. cause if i ever manage to find and apartment that will allow him, this will come in handy.

but knowing samson, he'll ring the bell just to drive mommy nuts