[Bionic]

I saw a cute video where the man had trained his dog to ring a bell for a treat. The bell was the sort of thing that you see on a reception desk that you push down.
I have just ordered one and want to know how to train the dog to push the bell when he wants to go outside. Currently if we aren't in the kitchen he will go to the front door and push the cat flap, because it makes a noise, and then we know what he wants. He taught himself that so I don't know how to go about teaching him to use the bell for the same reason.
Where do I start?

[Foobar]

http://www.awesomedogs.ca/inline_teach_dog_ring.htm ?


There are *loads* of resources for dog training on youtube too.

[nutterly_uts]

I taught mine to target to a post-it note  and when they could touch it every time from various angles, I then put the note on the bells and when they touched it, the reward was the door opened and they went outside (around half the time I threw a couple of treats outside too. I have a set of bells that hang on a ribbon so they use their nose to jingle it, rather than a "hotel" style bell they need to paw as I found this easier for my lot

[SallyintNorth]

Given this is Archie, if you can keep the cat flap locked while he learns about the bell, I am guessing he'll teach himself again! 

My first cat, Mix, used to use the bell on his collar as a doorbell.  He'd sit by the door (on either side) and scratch his collar so that the bell rang.  When his collar, or just the bell, had gone missing, he'd jump up onto the windowsill and pantomime making his bell ring, while yowling to attract our attention.   He was some cat.     

(And yes, as catlovers already know, if someone was in to open the door for him, he would use the "doorbell" even when there was a catflap.  Cat flaps are very undignified, y'know. )

[Mammyshaz]

There will be lots of ways to train this and it does depend on the nature of your dog too. Here is what I would try.

Firstly the bell needs to be linked to wanting the toilet so for a week or two when Archie wants the loo before opening the door ring the bell. Start ringing it on the floor beside the door for Archie when he seems to realise the door is going to open when the bell sounds.
The next step I would encourage him to step on the bell by placing it at the door opening where he would be bouncy wanting out. As soon a s the bell is touched open the door. If he has touched it but it didn't ring, praise him, ring it and open the door so the link is the noise of the bell. Lots of praise for touching the bell with his paw. I don't know his nature but a treat may be needed to encourage him to touch a strange object. The main thing is praise and praise. And that door MUST open when the bell is touched or rings.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on. 

[Bionic]

There will be lots of ways to train this and it does depend on the nature of your dog too. Here is what I would try.

Firstly the bell needs to be linked to wanting the toilet so for a week or two when Archie wants the loo before opening the door ring the bell. Start ringing it on the floor beside the door for Archie when he seems to realise the door is going to open when the bell sounds.
The next step I would encourage him to step on the bell by placing it at the door opening where he would be bouncy wanting out. As soon a s the bell is touched open the door. If he has touched it but it didn't ring, praise him, ring it and open the door so the link is the noise of the bell. Lots of praise for touching the bell with his paw. I don't know his nature but a treat may be needed to encourage him to touch a strange object. The main thing is praise and praise. And that door MUST open when the bell is touched or rings.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on. 

Mammyshaz, this sounds great. He has a lovely nature but always wants to do things for treats so I will work with that. The bell is coming from Hong Kong (cheap skate  ) so it will be 2 or 3 weeks before it gets here so don't expect an update quickly.

[Bionic]

Archie has just rung the bell by himself for the first time. Went out and did a poo and came back.
Very pleased with him.

[HappyHippy]

What a clever Archie 
I'm seriously impressed Sally, what breed is he? I'm due to start training classes with our 5 month old GSD pup......hope she does half as well!

[Kimbo]

Crikey Bionic, that's impressive. We have an Archie too but he would never learn to do that....the attention span of a gnat 

[Mammyshaz]

Yay  well done both of you. 

What training techniques did you use to teach him?

[Bionic]

Karen, he is a miniature poodle and has the loveliest nature you can imagine.


Mammyshaz, he didn't like it when I put his paw on the bell to ring it so instead I have been ringing the bell and opening the door straight away so that he associates the bell with the open door. When I was doing psychology I think this came under conditioning. They did that sort of thing with rats.


He hasn't fully got to grips with it yet but is definitely getting the idea

[SallyintNorth]

Mammyshaz, he didn't like it when I put his paw on the bell to ring it so instead I have been ringing the bell and opening the door straight away so that he associates the bell with the open door. When I was doing psychology I think this came under conditioning. They did that sort of thing with rats.

Douglas Adams liked to tell the following story.

At University, one of the series of lectures he took included Pavlov.  The lecturer was a 'pacer', striding from side to side across the stage as he delivered his lectures.

The students decided to have a bit of fun...

When the lecturer got to the one side of the stage, they would all look alert and fascinated.  As he turned to pace to the other side, their attention would wander, and by the time he reached the other side, they all appeared asleep.

By the third lecture, they had him rooted to the spot.   

[SallyintNorth]

And well done Sally  and very well done Archie!