Ring the bells for... jerky?

[Stellae]

I have been trying to "bell train" Sprocket since November, when we moved into an apartment from a house with dog doors. I've done everything they say, and been religious about ringing the bells before we go in and out. I do keep a routine on weekdays, but for weekends and emergencies I wanted to give him a clear way to tell me he needs to go out. He has been stubbornly not ringing the bells unless I cue him, which drives me nuts because I KNOW he's smart enough the associative training here should be a piece of cake.

Also recently, I started giving him a jerky type treat in the crate when I leave for work, as that is the only time these days he is crated, I wanted to maintain a positive association with it. The only other time he gets treats is for training.

On weekday mornings, first thing we do is go outside - then I stare at the morning news (for traffic & weather) and try to wake up, shower, dress, and then feed him (then we train, play, tug). About an hour after waking up, I take him out again right before I leave. This morning, he was staring me down as I ate. I ignored him - I had 10 minutes of "free time" left. When that didn't work, he ran to the door and rang the bells. I made a BIG deal about it, as I rushed to put on shoes & coat. Outside, he gave me a "pity squat" before running back to the door. I let him in, and he zoomed from the living room (to get a toy - he gets to choose a toy to bring to his crate) to the bedroom, where I found him doing a perfect sit in his crate, waiting for his jerky.

[Wolfiesmom]

LOL! Smart dog knows how to work you!