Well, Jasmine is officially 2 months and 24 days, but who is counting?

Here is the skinny. I've taught Jasmine to ring a bell at the front door to signal when she has to go outside, and I used the front yard because my wife was in an accident and has to use a wheelchair. The back-porch has a big step so she wasn't able take Jasmine into the backyard. Now my wife wants to let Jasmine out into the backyard instead of having to put on her leash and take her into the front. Is it possible to change the location and does that mean I'm essentially starting all over in the housebreaking process? FYI: Jasmine will not stay in the backyard unless someone goes out there with her. I just want to tell my wife to deal with it, but alas I must try to at least appease.

In addition, even though Jasmine picked up quick on the bell idea she hasn't picked up on me saying "good outside" as meaning for her to do her business. I'm afraid she just won't go in the backyard (Unless I wait till she really has to go). Any ideas on how to tackle this problem with the least amount of effort? Is it possible to add another potty choice to Jasmine's repertoire through repetition? I've let Jasmine out to play with my daughters in the backyard and several times I've thought she would have used the bathroom back there. Not! Apparently she holds it the whole time and relieves herself inside before she can make it to the bell.

I've actually always taught mine to pee on command, that is - they respond to the word, not to the location of where they are. I do use only 1 door in the beginning so that they know where to go when they do need to go out. When one of them hits the front door I've always just asked "gotta pee?" and I get a little happy dance, ok well, JD runs and grabs some toy to tell me "yes" - don't know how that came about.

I will honestly say I don't really know how or why I ever started doing this. I don't think in the beginning it was a conscious thing (this was many many many, did I say many? years ago) but it always seemed to work so I just continued with it.

When JD got the hang of it (took him all of 2 weeks and hasn't had an accident since) - at about 4 months or so (or sooner if I couldn't convince my husband about what I was doing), then we'd starting going through the garage, too.

Anyway, just a thought...

Dana

Completely agree with what was said above...another point that I would like to make is that you want a dog who is comfortable going to the bathroom in different places. My Kira, as a pup, would literally hold it for hours and hours while we were travelling. It was a her quirk (one of many!). Having a "go potty" command is a great thing...

 Quote:

-I'm not a fan of the bell. You're handing the dog a tool that it can use to force you to open the door any time it pleases.
I'd ditch the bell before *she* realizes that.

I thought the bell would make it easier since many people who have dogs open the door when the dog sits by the door or sniffs the door. I'm failing to see the difference between dog sits by door and person gets up and lets dog out from dog rings bell and person gets up and opens door. I also make Jasmine sit before opening the door and upon entering the home again. She remains tethered in the home but when I suspect she may have to go I approach the bell and let her ring the bell. She does not have freedom in the home.

 Quote:

-Are you crating this pup? I'm guessing not, otherwise I'm not seeing how the bell trick would work, and how the accidents in the house would happen.

Jasmine is most definitely crated. I wouldn't have it any other way. Any time she is not in the crate she is tethered either to me or my door in my office. I failingly believe she will have went outside and I tether her and then she goes potty. I've since learned that I have to take her from the back yard to the front yard. Once I do that everything is fine.

 Quote:

-Don't let puppies and kids play unsupervised.
Even the nicest puppies and kids are still, puppies and kids. Kids trip and fall.

I'm always there to supervise. Aaron, believe me I've tried to only let the pup be with me, but my wife then questions why we even have a dog. I try to explain, but her father bred GSDs her whole life and she claims that everything will work out fine. Ed's philosophy which has ingrained itself into me often is at odds with my wife's dog philosophy. I have my hands up in the air and try to keep the dog in the crate when the kids are playing, but it proves to be very difficult.

I do a lot of travelling with my dogs, so they need to learn to go on command and to go anywhere I give the command. I use "get busy" but any command will work as long as you are consistent.

Crate training is a wonderful way to avoid mistakes in the house. Puppy goes in the crate whenever you can't have eyes on them 100%. Once you learn what their signals are, housebreaking is a lot easier. Until then, I just get my new puppy out right after waking, eating, play session, training session, or every 2 hours gradually increasing the time as they get older. Time consuming but worth it in the long run.

Well, to my surprise Jasmine does know when I say "Good Outside" it means to go potty. I've been using Aaron's suggestion and took her around the side of the house to the back and she went no problem. I'm hoping she will get accustomed quickly to going in the back yard. Thank you all, as always, for the input.

The big problem that I foresee with the bell is that it's only attached to one door. If you want to get her to start going out the back door and there's no bell, what will she ring?



Edited by Dana Martin (02/16/2011 03:32 PM)
Edit reason: grammar

 Quote: Dana Martin

The big problem that I foresee with the bell is that it's only attached to one door. If you want to get her to start going out the back door and there's no bell, what will she ring?

I have 2 bells =)

I was hoping I could move the bell and she would figure it out. I'm thinking I should do it as an experiment and see what happens.

 Quote: mike arbelaez

I thought the bell would make it easier since many people who have dogs open the door when the dog sits by the door or sniffs the door. I'm failing to see the difference between dog sits by door and person gets up and lets dog out from dog rings bell and person gets up and opens door. I also make Jasmine sit before opening the door and upon entering the home again. She remains tethered in the home but when I suspect she may have to go I approach the bell and let her ring the bell. She does not have freedom in the home.

I guess that's the disconnect. I don't do that either.
Before the dog goes in the crate, it potties.
After the dog comes out of the crate, it potties.

When they're puppies, they go out every two hours, then three, then four, until they get to the age where they basically only go 2-3 times a day.

I put her out in the morning, and in the evening.
She doesn't ask to go out. I put her there.

Nothing is more annoying than the dog that goes in and out, in and out, because they control when the door opens.

Ever find yourself saying to a dog, "You don't even have to go, do you? You just want to go outside."

Yeah. That's a problem.