If you can't tell for sure when your dog needs to go out, you probably think it would be a lot easier if only he could tell you! While it may seem like too much of a demand on a dog, training is actually pretty easy. Depending on your preferences and your dog's, you can decide to teach him to ring a bell, take a leash or bark.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using the Doorbell Method
Step 1. Hang a bell on your front door
Make sure it is within reach of the dog and powerful enough that you can hear it even if you are not in the same room. In addition, it must be strong enough so that the dog cannot break it.
- You can also use a wireless doorbell, as long as your dog is able to press the button.
- If the dog seems to be frightened by the ringing of the bell, try to muffle it with duct tape; play it several times to get used to the sound and gradually remove the masking tape. Once the dog is no longer bothered by the sound you can proceed with the training.
Step 2. Have the dog ring the bell
Before taking him out, lift his paw gently each time and help him ring the bell, then let him out immediately. Continue this process for a few weeks, until your dog learns to ring the bell on his own.
- If your dog is not particularly motivated to go out, reward him every time you take him out to reinforce the training.
- In case your dog is still learning how to do their business outdoors, be sure to reward them every time they successfully do it as well.
Step 3. Always guarantee an answer
Once you have trained your dog to ring the bell, be sure to take him outside whenever he does or you risk confusing him and making him give up on positive behavior.
Keep rewarding him for a few weeks (or even longer) every time the doorbell rings
Method 2 of 3: Teach Your Dog to Bring You a Leash
Step 1. Keep the lead in an accessible spot
If you want to teach your dog to carry the leash when he wants to go out, you need to keep it in a place that is within his reach.
The ideal would be a point near the front door, possibly in a basket, so that it is easily accessible
Step 2. Have him hold the leash
To begin the training, grab the leash, give it to your dog before going out and wait a few seconds while holding it tightly in his mouth. So give him a treat and take him out. Repeat this until the dog seems inclined to hold the leash to please you.
If she drops it, put it back in her mouth and repeat the process until she holds it tight for a few seconds
Step 3. Walk away
Once your dog gets used to holding the leash in his mouth while you are both near the door, it's time to move on to the next level of training. After giving him the leash to hold, slowly start walking away. Stop a few paces away and encourage him to come to you on the leash, rewarding him every time he does. Repeat this until your dog seems comfortable with the exercise.
Once he gets used to it, he may start following you with the leash in his mouth without you having to call him
Step 4. Gradually increase the distance
As the training progresses, you should be able to move further and further away until the dog takes you on the leash of its own accord without any help from you.
- This method may be ineffective with dogs that do not like to play "fetch".
- Make sure you respond promptly by letting him out when he returns the leash to you. Keep rewarding him for some time to reinforce his behavior.
Method 3 of 3: Train your dog to bark when he needs to go outside
Step 1. Teach your dog to bark on command
Before you can train him to bark when he needs to go outside, you must teach him to bark on command or to "talk". It is a fairly easy trick to teach, although it may not be suitable for dogs that already bark a lot.
- To begin with, get him to a state of arousal by showing him his favorite toy, making a sound, or doing anything else that makes him bark.
- When he barks, reward him. Try to reward him when he barks only once, so as not to encourage him to bark all the time.
- When you've managed to get him to bark regularly with this method, add a hand signal or voice command and use it persistently until he learns how to bark on command.
- Continue with the training and reinforce his behavior by rewarding him every time he "speaks" on command.
- Don't reward your dog for barking casually, but only when you specifically ask him to.
Step 2. Have him bark near the door
Once he is able to speak on command, you can go on to teach him to bark as a signal to get out. Start by approaching the door and asking the dog to bark. Immediately take him out as soon as he does.
As with other training methods, if going out isn't rewarding enough for your dog, give him an extra treat while taking him out
Step 3. Be consistent
The more persistent you are in training him, the quicker his learning will be. Make him bark every time you go out and he will soon learn that he can ask you out by repeating the same behavior.
Advice
- All of these methods are more effective if the dog has already been trained not to go to the house. Teaching a dog to relieve himself outdoors is a different task than teaching him to communicate when he wants to go out.
- Whichever method you decide to use, it is very important to understand what your dog needs to be motivated. For many dogs, food is the incentive, but other treats, such as toys, work better with others. Some dogs like to go out so much that they don't need any additional treats to learn these tricks.
