Bark For Bathroom Break

We have recently come into two small dogs - a 10 year old Poodle and a 10 month old Yorkie/Maltese. Both dogs are housebroken in so far as they do not generally go to the bathroom inside the house and are trained to go outside. The Yorkie-mix has actually been adopted from our nextdoor neighbors who could no longer upkeep two dogs. The poodle is a rescue from a shelter. Both dogs are friendly, outgoing, well cared for and show no signs of abuse. The Yorkie-mix has been with us for two days - the Poodle was just picked up this afternoon. Neither dog barks when people open the door or jumps up unless called. There are some minor aggression concerns with the poodle (she is older and possibly arthritic - vet visit tomorrow at 4 - and does not like it much when the younger dog accidently treds on her paws) but they are being addressed and it seems to be working quite well. They also, thank god and good training, do not beg for food in any way. You can eat while they are sitting on your lap and they won't so much as look up to steal a bite. We intend to keep the no table scraps rule going as well as not feeding them their food during our dinner hour.

The issue that I can't seem to find any advice about is the issue of training them to bark when they need to be let out. Both being new dogs to us, we don't know their usual "release" habits (what time of day they are generally let out, etc...) so, without psychic abilities and a pocket watch on a chain, we're taking them out once an hour and it's tiresome for all involved. We would like to train them to bark once when they need to be let out and to wait by the back door, but we're unaware of any training techniques for this.

I did see suggested on another forum that we take one of the dogs favorite toys and put it out of reach, then teach the dog that when it barks, it is given the toy. However, I worry that it might impart an impression that when it wants anything (a walk, a potato chip, a treat, a lap to aly on, etc...), it should bark to get it.

Are there other methods of indicating that a dog wants to get out? How does one teach it to bark to be let out?

We're new dog owners and eager not to mess it up because both of these dogs will be members of our family for a very long time.

Thanks for any help you cna offer!

Congrats on your new additions!!! I cannot help you with the "barking" but I can help you with going to the door. We've been trying to housebreak our 3 girls, and started really trying last week, and in just one week, our Yorkie, Dixie will go to the door when she needs to go. All we did was take her out once every hour. Sometimes she'd go, sometimes she wouldn't, but we still took her out. She saw that we went to the door to get outside, and I think it just kinda registered in her brain that the door was the way to go outside, so now she runs to the door when she has to go. Of course, now if we don't see her there, she has an accident, but it's not her fault in any way. It's not hard at all. Dogs learn by repition, and so if you continue to take them out on a schedule, they'll get it eventually. GOOD LUCK! Any pictures?

I have a parrot bell on the door we go out most often to potty. I had her touch it each time we went outside. 99% of the time we are near each other cause I don't trust her not to cause trouble alone, so I hear her ding it. I still a few times a day take her out and she goes. But if she's gotta go she noses her bell..
Not as helpful if they are ringing it and you aren't nearby though.
Vocal little girl in agility class.. Silent as heck at home unless she's mad she's crated and you are home..

DixiesMom - I do actually have pictures - you can get a few at the link below - they're such cuties!! And thank you - your'e giving our diligence hope!

http://skittlesgirl215.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-puppies.html

MafiaPrincess - Can I just say, I love you in a very inapproprite way right now!! I never ever thought of giving her a bell to ring. It wont encourage the barking problem and, as long as she doesn't have too much fun wiht the bell, it'll work wonderfully!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Now, to go get a bell!

LMAO. I got a big parrot bell from petsmart and tied it to the doorknob with yarn.. In the beginning I told her to touch the bell, sometimes helped her ding it said outside and we went out on leash..

We'd go outside I'd encourage her to go potty, no potty back inside.. If unleashed she thought it was a free for all. Once your new furkids get that the bell takes them outside they may want to play with Mom cause they know they get to go out.. If you keep it strictly business it should wear off fairly quick.