Chester,
Maggie is doing so good on her training, but I always go with her. Our property is double fenced, but I'm afraid to allow her to go potty by herself, because of hawks. What is your opinion on this?

I was wondering if it will be confusing to train them to go on the wee wee pad and outside. I ask, cause Gucci was using the pads almost 90% of the time without accident. I started taking her out once in a while when the weather is nice, and she has gone outside. At first she wouldnt , and will go to the pad when we came back in the apt. Im wondering is she getting confused cause she has being having more accidents lately. Well she has being having accidents after last month ( she had her first heat then). Can it be related? I m a bit frustrated, cause she has being peeing and pooping more often on the floor by the side of our bed(Hubby's side). When I see her I take her rite away to her pee pad, which she still uses. Maybe she is just lazy, :rolleyes:

We want to train Gizmo to ring a bell. What kind of bell should we use?

I gave up on the puppy pads, my stupid boxer kept laying on them like it was a dog bed or something. My yorkie chloe wasnt going to the bathroom on them either. Funny thing is that my one year old chihuahua started peeing on the pads. I was very proud of her because we never trained her to do that. Chloe is 5 month and less than 2 lbs and we are trying to train her to go potty outside like her sisters. Progress is slow. I think it is kinda working.

I got mine at Tractor's Supply. It's a field dog training bell. Reminds me of a dinner bell on the table. Craft stores would carry bells too, like the jingle bells or sleigh bells.

Hi ,
We resently got hawks in our area too. We see one flying around sometimes.
We still let them out back but we have a small yard... when we let them out my husband and I watch them through the window to make sure they are safe as well to make sure they don't go potty in my garden area :mad: So far so good.
I would deffinetly keep an eye on your puppy. If you have a lot of hawks in your area. There is nothing wrong with taking your puppy out on a leash it is very good for training and give you more time to bond with your puppy.
By the way chester, our yorkie never did learn the bell . Our maltese is excellent with using it. She knows it is to let her outside, she will even ring it if she just wants to go outside to play with chester. I think by the time I tried to teach Chester the bell trick he was too old and I was to tired to enforce it on him. He is a very suborn puppy. Now and then I will still lift his paw to ring the bell and then say outside maybe one day he will use it. He still just sits in front of the door. No yelping no barking. It figures we have a yapper that does not bark when he is suppost to :cool: crazy puppy.
He's lucky he is soooo cute.

Have never used the wee pads, actually I start training them to go outside before they leave for their new homes . mine are taken outside about every 2 hrs they will learn faster when their is other ones going out to go potty too. Our last litter one male was doing so well going potty would hold it too go pee outside , I am home all day every day and that probably makes a big difference, I have the time to do it. I keep newspaper in a corner of their pen they will go on that if needed. Our little one will be 5 weeks this weekend have had him out several times (weather permitting) seems to like too pee in a certain spot already. We have lots of bald eagles here we live by a lake and they are always flying overhead scares me with mine too have to keep a good eye on them outside would not want anyone to become bird food

011011, How many do you take out at one time? I need eyes in the back of my head just to keep up with Maggie, and she's on a leash. Seems like right before sundown, she gets a spurt of energy that is like she was shot out of a cannon. I think she knows it's almost Nite, Nite time--so she had better pick up the pace and play as fast as she can. She too wouldn't take to wee, wee pads. Sometimes I wish she would, when it's raining. Each morning when I take her out, the dew is on the grass. She doesn't like to get her feet wet, but is learning that is the way of life. I just wipe them off when we go back inside, give her a tiny treat and fix her breakfast. Best baby I have ever had. Started out training on day one. Now one month later at the age of 12 weeks, she is a jewel.

We live on an dead end right next to the state park their is only 6 houses on the block ,we own about 7 acres and have a big yard. I take all 3 adults and the pup out together our male darts to mark the premises and the females dont go to far I bring the females in and wait till jackson has made his rounds and he promptly comes in never used too till by boy started taking him to 4H and he learned a little obediance, it has made a difference in his behavior and listening. He was always good but is much better now.He does not mark in our house either I dont know if it because we have so much wildlife here that his territory is marked outside and dosent feel the need to do so inside?

Desi uses a wee wee pad and goes outside. But, I like the pad because if we are out, we don't have to rush to come home to walk the dog.

In my experience it's generally about watching your dog and looking for signs. With Toby I can tell by his mannerisms and I think it's a case of observing your pup's habits. I got to the point where I could predict when he would go. Sometimes when I thought 'oh no, he can't want to go outside yet' I would be rewarded with the answer!

I used wee wee pads in the house then started putting them in the back yard, and he just went on them as he did in the house. I found this method quite successful.