Ring My Bell

I've taught Dottie to ring a bell attached to the door handle when she has to go outside to do her business. I'm not telling how- trade secret.

The problem here is threefold.

One- I'm working on getting her to hold it instead of giving into urges. So she tells me she has to go out but she was just out an hour ago. Do I let her out since she asked, or is it like a kid in school who just went to the bathroom?

Two- Also like children in school I suspect she doesn't really have to go, she just rings the bell because me standing up and opening the door is exciting.

Three- I think she just enjoys ringing the bell. She uses her nose to do it. See previous post regarding Nosy Belgians and Dottie in particular.

The biggest problem in regards to training and maintaining this bell ringing behavior is she will go every single time she asks to be let out to go. So I can't really know if she honestly HAD to go, or just went because she was out there. The bell might have to go. It is getting a bit silly. She was just out a minute ago. She is now standing there, ringing the bell, then looking at me, then ringing it and whining. Then she runs off into the other room to make me think she is going to choose an inappropriate bathroom location so I become paranoid and next time she rings the bell I actually let her out.

I confess Dottie is the first dog who I have owned who has made me understand why some people have "kennel dogs" as opposed to "inside dogs."