There are a lot of reasons that I fell for Bella when I initially saw her ad on Craigslist.
There was her sweet fluffy face.
Her big black nose.
Her adorable eyes.
Her fuzzy wuzzy wuzziness.
Her long soft coat, which DOES NOT SHED. Not even a teeny-tiny hair.
Her hypo-allergenicness.
But there was ONE bit that just might have sealed the deal.
“Rings a bell to go outside,” it read.
I stopped, frozen with disbelief. And then I read it again. ”Rings a bell to go outside.”
Could it be true?
And it was true. This precious little darlingest of dogs rings a bell when she needs to go potty.
How very civilized.
And so we brought her home.
We grew to love our little wheaten terrier.
She ate and snuggled and went on walks and played and even rang the bell.
but THEN!
As is so often the case with dogs and children and men and all those other uncontrollable creatures that we love and can’t stand all at once…
the thing I loved the most about my precious peanut became… ahem… a PROBLEM.
Bella started ringing the bell ALL the time. And by ALL the time I mean constantly and without ceasing.
I get up in the morning and let her out. Five minutes after she comes in, ring! ring! she paws at the bell.
Hmm, I think, maybe she didn’t get a chance to go while she was out there. So I open the door and let her back outside, standing in my jammies in the awful freezing morningness as I wait for her to do her duty.
Before Bella I would have been snuggled in my bed right this very moment. This is what I DON’T think. Or maybe I do, but I don’t admit it.
I peer out but all I can see is a blur of white in the darkness of our yard. ”Bella!” I call, “time to come inside!”
She trots past me and I shut the door, shivering. Five minutes later I’m pouring cream into my coffee when I hear it. Ring! Ring! Bella is standing by the door, big brown eyes full of expectation.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
And so begins the beginning of the end which really isn’t an end at all because the bell just keeps on ringing.
And ringing..
and RINGING…
Until the ringing fills my ears and I shout Stop! Stop the blasted RINGING!
But you and I both know that that doesn’t work.
Bella rings the bell when she hears a funny noise.. When she needs to pee.. When she doesn’t need to pee. When it’s sunny.. When it’s raining.. When there’s 8 inches of snow.. When there’s a cat in the yard.. When there might be a cat in the yard.. When it’s light and dark and hazy and grey and every which way in between.. She rings it and then she looks at me with that same expectant look.
She just LOVES to ring my bell.
***Like what you're reading? You can help me achieve my life-long dream of publishing a book by supporting this blog, which is a platform that can help me get published! (Click here to learn more about my book) There are lots of ways to show your support:
- Subscribe by RSS or Email
- Like Absolutely Bananas on Facebook
- Share this post on Facebook (click the link below "Related Posts")
- Tell a friend about Absolutely Bananas
- Leave a comment. They're like candy, but without the calories. :)
xo Jen
January 25, 2009 at 11:25 am
She can ring your belllllll, ring your bell …. and now that song will be in my head all day long. =)
January 25, 2009 at 11:51 am
No picture of Bella and her bell!?!?! Yer killin’ me! LOL
January 25, 2009 at 12:58 pm
i’m wanting a picture too! sounds adorable. ok…and annoying, but really cute!
natalies last blog post..Pictures for the week
January 25, 2009 at 1:29 pm
LOL… it’s like Pavlov in reverse! She rings the bell, you scurry to the door (instead of you ringing the bell and her starting to slobber)…
January 25, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Our dog learned to sit in front of me when she wanted to go outside. Problem is, she sits down in front of me about 49 times a day.
feefifotos last blog post..Anyone Ever Been Skiing At Snowbowl In Flagstaff, Arizona?
January 25, 2009 at 2:09 pm
My parents taught our dog to do that too. It is really nice. But Kirby rings the bell a lot too. We think he rings it because he wants attention. When no one is paying attention to him he walks right up to that bell and “BANG…. BANG…. BANG….”
January 25, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thank God, praise the lord, hallelujah nobody every taught Sadie to ring a bell but she HAS discovered with the non-carpeted floors in our new (104 yr old) house the distinct tippety-tap sound her feet make when she ”stomps” so now when she wants attention, wants out, wants to make me insane it’s all tippety-tap frantically stomping, all the time. And she’s TEN. That thing about old dogs not learning tricks is a LIE!!
CharmingBitchs last blog post..Unlocked
January 25, 2009 at 7:38 pm
This is one of the cutest blog posts ever!! :)
Congrats on the reverse Pavlov! ;)
Marnie @ My Acai Berry Reviewss last blog post..Review: Acai Noni Slimming Blend Superfood Body Cleanse
January 25, 2009 at 8:36 pm
That’s funny! I wonder if she needs to be re-trained. Maybe reward her only after the times she rings the bell and then goes out and goes potty. For example, if she rings the bell, runs out and pees and then comes back. Give her a cookie. If she rings the bell and then goes out to sniff the air, call her back and no cookie. It might be worth a shot. If I remember, she was clicker trained, so she would probably get the association. She’s a smart one, that Bella!
Kerries last blog post..Are You Stinky? Asking All the Right Questions
January 25, 2009 at 8:41 pm
She evidently also knows how to push your buttons. :)
Summers last blog post..The Ultimate Compliment
January 26, 2009 at 8:35 am
LMAO. Well, maybe that’s why the previous owners got rid of her. They were rung-out. hehehe.
Just Jiffs last blog post..TOOFIE!!!
January 26, 2009 at 9:04 am
Yeah, that would drive me nuts. I much prefer my pooch’s low growls.
Dumblonds last blog post..Are you ready for some football…commercials?!
January 26, 2009 at 9:21 am
This totally cracks me up…and I so relate. We have a cat. Who likes his food dish shaken. Even when it’s full. He’ll wrap his body around your legs in an effort to convince you that his food dish MUST be shaken!
Kathleens last blog post..Make Me Laugh Monday – Wine
January 26, 2009 at 10:39 am
Is a doggie door out of the question? What about a firm hand delivered justly across her face?
Jays last blog post..Daily Photo: Sleepy
January 26, 2009 at 1:00 pm
how cute! and SMART! She’s got you wrapped around her little paw! lol!
I’d stomp on the bell til it doesn’t ring. ha ha
sheilas last blog post..We are but a speck.
January 26, 2009 at 3:06 pm
LOL – I’m here to request pictures, too. Or maybe even video. Just be glad she doesn’t do what my big ol’ dog does and grab hold of your pant leg or sleeve and give you a good shake.
Sounds like it’s time for a doggy door.
January 26, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I am pretty sure this is why dogs can’t talk. :)
Carries last blog post..The Curious Case of Staying Up Til 3AM
January 26, 2009 at 7:51 pm
This would drive us nuts! I’d toss that frickin’ bell before it’s imbedded in your living room wall after you throw it in an uncontrollable fit.
Just like any relationship…the thing you loved about them in the beginning, drives you nuts in the end.
But she still has that great puppy-head smell, right?
Wendy at let the dog ins last blog post..how to ruin your dinner, in 3 easy steps
January 27, 2009 at 7:07 am
Careful what you wish for (snicker) you may get it all. Sorry this is way too funny not to laugh.
Heidis last blog post..conquering inner conflict
January 27, 2009 at 10:10 am
our bichon when through a phase like that. awful.
MommyNamedAprils last blog post..Stuck in a Holding Pattern.
January 27, 2009 at 11:04 am
Sorry to hear of the bell problems. Have you solved the problem yet with how to stop him?
My male cocker spaniel did ring a bell to go outside. It was nice.
Storms last blog post..Thought of the Day – 1/26/09
January 27, 2009 at 9:53 pm
OMG- that is hysterical. I will never listen to the song “you can ring my bell” and not think of your dog
January 28, 2009 at 1:14 am
Jenny! now that god-forsaken song is in my head. how rude!
I wonder if it took weeks before /bella’s former owner stopped hearing “ding! ding! ding!”
I had a friend who toilet-trained her cats.
Astacias last blog post..I had to think very hard to think of twenty-five interesting facts about myself
January 28, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Smart pup! I refer to that game as “inside outside” and every dog I’ve owned has played it. None of them have used a bell though they just usually stare at me (or my parents and brother when I was growing up)until we let them out.
Alex Elliots last blog post..The Toy Horse Shower
January 28, 2009 at 9:24 pm
And the thing is, if you detach the bell, she will just paw the door/wall/window/molding or something else in the door-ish vicinity, so that you still have the annoyance, compounded by claw marks in your nice wall/drywall. So if you want to get rid of the bell, I suggest removing the clapper rather than the whole bell.
Take it from a dog-owner whose dog taught herself to “knock” on the door to be let out.
MommyTimes last blog post..Things I’ve Figured Out Recently, that You Might be Glad to Know for Yourself
January 29, 2009 at 10:27 am
Our dog looks at us, pleadingly, with a really anxious look when she wants to go outside. But, she’s a very clingy old dog and also does this when she wants to be fed, wants water, wants to be pet. It really is annoying. I know I’ll miss her when she’s gone, though, so I try to enjoy it while I can. I’ll look back on it and laugh someday, I hope.
Just think how much you’ll miss that little bell ringer once she’s gone!
pixies last blog post..Things Were Going Swimmingly, Until….
January 29, 2009 at 6:10 pm
In one of our houses, we randomly hung a windchime on the sliding glass door handle. The dog hit it when she was pawing at the door to go out. We thought it was brilliant…suddenly she could communicate her potty needs! (You know where this is headed, don’t you?!) I grew to hate the windchime!
wendys last blog post..Ask and ye shall receive!
February 1, 2009 at 11:09 am
he he he .. very funny ..
February 2, 2009 at 6:35 pm
And THAT makes me feel better for my dumb ol mutt who just WHINES every five frakkin minutes to get out…even though you JUST LET HER OUT..and she times it for when you JUST sat down.