Teaching ‘woof’ to go out to spend.

[Boogie]

A few puppies ago I remember asking how to get them to woof to go out instead of just standing at the door and staring.

I have cracked it!

This has worked now for three pups - not a big sample, but it’s worth a try.

I wait until they are well able to hold it in (seven or eight months old) and are going to the door to ‘ask’. Then I start to ignore them for a short time. All three then began to ‘huff’ to remind me they were there. Then, after a week or two of that I ignore the ‘huff’ and wait for a ‘woof’.

It works!

I make sure they only get to spend and come straight back or they woof to go out and play!
.

 

[SteffiS]

Well, Toffee is 10 months and just stands, looks and waits and then eventually does a zigzag dance accompanied by dribbling wee . Mind you he took ages to toilet train so maybe I just need to wait till he’s a bit older.

 

[M.F.]

I love how they have an incremental scale of noise of notifying us. Snowie always starts softly and then increases the volume until we notice. He has a blast of a bark when excited, so I’m always impressed that, in the middle of the night, he’ll do his “inside” woof to be let out or let in.

 

[Loraseal]

Has anyone ever tried poochie bells? We have an old cat flap still in the door and Hunter pushes it and we know he wants to go out. My friend uses poochie bells and has taught her dog (Labradoodle) to ring the bells with her nose when she wants to go outside!

 

[Boogie]

Well, Toffee is 10 months and just stands, looks and waits and then eventually does a zigzag dance accompanied by dribbling wee . Mind you he took ages to toilet train so maybe I just need to wait till he’s a bit older.

Yes - I’d wait until he can hold it, no dribbles.

 

[Boogie]

Has anyone ever tried poochie bells? We have an old cat flap still in the door and Hunter pushes it and we know he wants to go out. My friend uses poochie bells and has taught her dog (Labradoodle) to ring the bells with her nose when she wants to go outside!

Yes - I tried them with Twiglet.

They worked for a month or two then she just stopped using them. I think the problem was I wanted hervto ask to spend - with no other reward besides the relief of the wee. Teaching bells meant using treats and when I faded the treats she faded the behaviour.

 

[Stacia]

Rourke has a dog door so lets himself in and out when he needs. However, if I forget to leave the living room door open so that he can get to the dog door (2 rooms away), he then sits and stares at me until I guess what he wants!

 

[Naya]

That’s brilliant Mags @Boogie
Harley will sit very quietly at the door and won’t even make a sound. If I ignore her, she comes and stands in front of me, waits until I look at her then walks back to the door