Follow up question on re-housebreaking

Question
This question is in response to my answer from Lucy. My dog is very good at going outdoors when I take her out--she goes right away and comes in when called. My problem, more specifically, is actually getting her to give me a signal when she needs to go out. She sits next to us and whines. However, sometimes this means she needs to go out, sometimes she wants to play, sometimes she wants to go for a walk, etc. She whines a lot. How can I train her to go to the door?

Answer
It's easy to teach a dog to ring a bell with their nose, or paw an "easy button" to go out. I use a clicker and click and treat the dog for touching the button, gradually click for harder and harder touches. And then start asking for them to ring or set it off to go outside. Of course, you can still end up being the "doorman" when they want to go out to play.. It's also useful to just put your dog on a schedule. This involves keeping track of when they generally need out, and feeding meals on at regular times (not leaving food down all day) so they have a pattern. Sandy Case BFA MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com