Distracted Puppy!

[Writing4Fun]

Hi there,

I'm new to the group, and to "posting" in general.

I have a 3 1/2 month old mixed breed pup (we're guessing she's Shep/Collie/Husky, but Heaven only knows what else!). Her name is Phoebe. She's remarkably bright (no, I'm not biased) and very easy to train.

My problem is this: while Phoebe is house-trained (still in her crate at night), she seems to forget her training when she's playing with my sister's dog. If you've ever potty-trained a human child, you'll know that this happens a lot. They simply get distracted when playing and forget to listen to their bodies until it's too late and they're standing in a puddle. Only with a human child, you can talk to them and they (more or less) understand you. How can I get Phoebe to remember to pee outside when she's so distracted?

I've bell trained her because her cues to go outside for a pee are very subtle, but I'm afraid even the bell won't help when she's wrestling with Mojo.

Does anyone have any ideas, or has anyone been through this and can tell me that it will pass with time?

Thanks!

[Lucky Rescue]

You said it yourself! She is a baby, and babies would rather play than stop and go pee.

You are expecting way too much from a 14 week old puppy. When she is playing, you must stop the play and take her out at regular intervals, until she is older and has better control.

As soon she goes pee when you take her out, let her go right back to playing with her friend.

If she is so well housetrained at this age, she must be very smart and you've done a good job with her, but you mustn't forget that she IS only a baby.

[glasslass]

I've never heard of bell training. Curious about it. My poodle still doesn't want to stop playing and go when he needs to. It's so funny! He'll start to head to the doggie door, then he'll run back to play, stop, run back to the door, stop to play, finally decides he has to go NOW and runs out the door!

[Spoiled]

Try letting them play outside until she builds up a strong bladder. I'm sure they don't really want their play broken up, but you can probably manage taking her out every half hour. My dog was good when he was taken out at least every half hour, but any more than that he would have an accident.

[moontamara]

Bell training? Sounds interesting....

[Writing4Fun]

Guess I should have specified. I'm not referring to the "bell training" that is done for guard dogs or hunting dogs (I'm not that ambitious). This is simply a matter of training her to ring a bell whenever she wants to go outside. Her cues were too subtle and I missed a lot of them (I must have felled a forst in paper towels by now), so I taught her to ring the bell to get my attention. Trouble is now she rings it to go out for a pee, or play with the cat, or say "hi" to the neighbors, or chase a bird, or just for the fun of seeing me come when she calls!

[TalonsMa]

Originally Posted by Writing4Fun

Guess I should have specified. I'm not referring to the "bell training" that is done for guard dogs or hunting dogs (I'm not that ambitious). This is simply a matter of training her to ring a bell whenever she wants to go outside. Her cues were too subtle and I missed a lot of them (I must have felled a forst in paper towels by now), so I taught her to ring the bell to get my attention. Trouble is now she rings it to go out for a pee, or play with the cat, or say "hi" to the neighbors, or chase a bird, or just for the fun of seeing me come when she calls!

LMAO!! Too cute We are planning using abell as well for bathroom breaks. We had friends who did the same, and it worked really well!

[moontamara]

could I have more details on how you trained your puppy to ring the bell? what kind of bell, etc.?

[Writing4Fun]

Here's the method I used:
http://homepages.uc.edu/~vogelap/belltrn.html

Any type of bell will work (Liberty Bell type or a Christmas jingle bell). I got mine at a local craft supply store, but a bird bell from the pet shop should work too (about $2.00CDN). Hubby was worried about hanging the bell directly off the door. He thought she'd scratch the walls or door. So we attached a small shepherd's hook (like what you hang a plant or bird house from) to a wooden base, then hung the bell off the hook by a chain, so we can adjust the height as she grows. The whole thing sits near the door, so she can ring it without hitting any surfaces. We take it with us every time we visit friends or family. It's quite the conversation starter!

Hope this helps!

[Bill & Bob]

That's a great idea. Bob's leashes and collars are hanging on a hook by the door and when he thinks we're getting ready to go out (which can often result in disappointment on his part) he walks by the leashes and bumps them with his back so they make a clattering noise against the wall. He started this the first day I had him. He actually goes back and does it again and again if I'm taking too long tying up my shoes which drives him crazy. Come to think of it, I must be a slow shoe tyer upper because it drives my friends crazy too.

[Writing4Fun]

So nice to see that so many of our puppies have us very well trained!