# Potty Training With a Bell



## scodoublet (Apr 3, 2008)

Just wondering if anybody else has tried this out.

We tied some bells hanging from the doorknob to go outside and from the moment we got Chase home we would ring the bell every time he went to potty. It only took him a month before he was ringing that bell himself to let us know he had to go pee or poo. 

At first he only learned that the bell meant to go outside... he eventually learned to only ring it when he had to go to the bathroom. 

Hopefully somebody else can find this technique useful.


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## Eli's Mom (Mar 20, 2008)

I know there is someone else on the board whose dog does this as I tried to get Eli to learn because of her example. 
However, try as I might, he just could not figure out what I was trying to impart.
I think we're grooved into our pattern so well that he's not going to be a bell ringer.
I really hoped he would too darn it. 
It's a great idea. 

I think teaching it from the beginning is key. 
Otherwise, once you have a method, it's hard to reteach. 
However if someone has a good idea.. I'm willing to learn! :biggrin:


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## jerricks (Dec 24, 2007)

Yes, we use the bell too! It works out real well, and he is very good about letting me know when it is time to go out, but he lets me know by ringing the bell the my sheltie needs to go out (she is 11 and well trained) Kruze also rings the bell to let the cats OUT and IN, so I have learned to decifer when its for him, but he loves to be out when its nice out, so on some days we have a lot of ringing, but I wouldn't change a thing, I did start when I brought him home, and rewarding everytime he went out to potty.


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Josie says: Welcome to the Bell Ringers Club, Chase!!! I'm a ringer too!


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

Ollie is a bell ringer too!

But the thing is that he goes potty at the exact same times every day, so even if he wasn't bell trained I'd know when to let him out. But I guess it comes in handy for those "off" days. Ollie is free-fed and likes to ring it when his bowl is empty, lol.


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## gatiger40 (Jun 7, 2007)

Snowball, my two year old, is a bell ringer too! I taught him about 9 months ago to use them. My little girl just follows his lead, but she doesn't ring the bells, she waits for him to.

He use to ring them whenever he just wanted to go out for some fresh air or to sniff outside, but he's gotten through that faze now. We had very little ringing during the winter and on rainy days. These little guys are so smart it really only takes about a week for them to catch on about what the bells mean. We put ours right next to the door, but not actually on the door. Works great!


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## scodoublet (Apr 3, 2008)

> Josie says: Welcome to the Bell Ringers Club, Chase!!! I'm a ringer too![/B]


LoL @ Bell Ringers Club! I should make a little signature banner that says Bell ringers club on it haha!


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## Morkie4 (Oct 13, 2006)

Brandy was great at using the bells but Kallie and Toby have their own unique way of letting us know they need to go out!!! Brandy has stopped ringing the bells but comes and lets us know by barking! Oh well, I will still keep the bells as part of my alarm system!


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## Maria71 (Sep 25, 2005)

:thumbsup: Yep Maci is a proud member of the Bell Ringers Club :biggrin:


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## scodoublet (Apr 3, 2008)

If any of you bell ringers want to use this mini par for their signature feel free to do so 










http://image.bayimg.com/pajdhaabf.jpg


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Super cute, I love it!!!

Josie says: Now if only I had pockets for my membership card!


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## Cooper and Lola's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

I trained all three of my puppies using the bell. All took to it pretty quickly, some quicker than others. What is funny is that my standard poodle, Bella (who is housetrained and is almost 3yrs old) noticed and started ringing the bells that are hanging on front door. I have bell hanging on 3 different doors, you see. Anyhow, whenever she wanted to be let out to go potty and we did not notice she rings a bell. Smart dog. Here is a picture of her.
Jodi


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## oiseaux (Feb 16, 2008)

that's fascinating. i may try this. uno knows "go potty" and does it but this way he can also let me know!  can some of your bell ringers show some pictures of the bell(s) and how/where exactly you place it? thanks!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

Zoe & Jett are part of the bell ringers club!!! Well Zoe is anyway. Jett just let's her do the work for him! :HistericalSmiley: But like others have stated, she will also ring the bell to let me know she just wants to be outside, if she's wanting a treat, if I'm late getting her dinner down to her...you get the picture. :blush: 

The REALLY NICE thing about being a bell ringer is, when I take them over to someone's house for the evening, I always keep a set of 'away bells' in the car. I hang them on the door knob of the door they are to go to when they have to go outside. That way there is no confusion or accidents. And it gives my hosts some peace of mind knowing mine are perfectly housetrained. :innocent:


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> that's fascinating. i may try this. uno knows "go potty" and does it but this way he can also let me know!  can some of your bell ringers show some pictures of the bell(s) and how/where exactly you place it? thanks![/B]


check www.poochie-pets.net. I got mine at a local retailer


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## scodoublet (Apr 3, 2008)

Mine are just three large jingle bells tied to a string that hangs from the doorknob. Pretty simple setup really. You can get cute with it if you wanted to by adding a bow or something to it hehe. 

And Josie, you don't need pockets... just have your momma hold it for you


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## Eli's Mom (Mar 20, 2008)

This is still something I'm very much interested in teaching Eli.
He knows what go potty/outside is because he'll jump up and put his paws on my knee.
If he has to go w/out my asking he'll either stop what he's doing and come sit directly in front of me and make direct eye contact. He gives me this doe eyed look like the cat, Puss-In-Boots in Shrek when he's holding the hat in his hands? It's sooo funny! But I'll stop what I'm doing and ask, do you need to go potty or go outside? And he'll give his leap to put his paws on my knee and he always does his business immediately.

Still, I think ringing a bell would be something nice because if we were away like someone mentioned, I could take them to unfamiliar territory. If I was busy and he was trying to tell me and I didn't notice he was giving me the doe eyed look, I could hear the bells.

Sorry to drone on...

How about a lesson?
Thank you,
Kelly


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## scodoublet (Apr 3, 2008)

OH shoot, sorry I didn't reply sooner! 

All you have to do is get a few Jingle bells from a craft store or something, then tie them around the doorknob from a string. Make sure they're low enough so the dog can hit them with their nose. (Chase nudges them with his whole head when he REALLY has to pee LOL) 

Start off by taking them out like normal, but every time you go to the door ring the bell. Eventually (hopefully) they catch on and start going straight to the bell when they have to potty. 

There really weren't any other techniques besides that. Chase picked up on it pretty quickly. The one difficult part is trying to get them to do it when they have to potty instead of just to go outside. Sometimes Chase still will go ring the bell just because he hears something outside and wants to investigate. Either way, it's still a good way for them to tell you, "Hey, get off your bum and let me out would ya!" LoL


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## Maggie3508 (May 7, 2008)

How is the best way to start bell training... i am getting my puppy on friday and really want to bell train her to go outside... we already have one maltese and he is 2 and not bell trainned is that going to be a problem?


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## scodoublet (Apr 3, 2008)

> How is the best way to start bell training... i am getting my puppy on friday and really want to bell train her to go outside... we already have one maltese and he is 2 and not bell trainned is that going to be a problem?[/B]





> Start off by taking them out like normal, but every time you go to the door ring the bell. Eventually (hopefully) they catch on and start going straight to the bell when they have to potty.[/B]


If you do that consistently, I'd bet that eventually your 2 year old boy will catch on too.


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## Maggie3508 (May 7, 2008)

Ok thanks!!


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## oiseaux (Feb 16, 2008)

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Thanks for the bells link! I'm glad someone resurrected this thread or I would have missed it. I also like Zoe and Jett's mom's idea of away bells, too. 

Has anyone ever tried something like that on a walk or in an open outside area? Uno's a squatter and never lifts his leg so when we go walking sometimes he won't always let me know and just takes a whiz mid walk on the sidewalk especially if there is no grass around. I'd remembering looking back to see a zigzag of pee and then trying to mop it up into a biobag.


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## gatiger40 (Jun 7, 2007)

I just love the potty bells. Snowball took less than a week to catch on. He still does ring them sometimes just because he wants to go out for fresh air, but can I really blame him. He's so cute now he will ring them for his sister 'Lily' when she needs to potty. I can almost always tell the difference. It's a less urgent hey sissy needs to take a wiz ring. It's more of a jingle than a urgent ring ring. Maltese are the smartest dogs ever!!!


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Two of ours "ring to go outside. They were taught by the breeder we got them from. We just continued the training as they were young. Our old Jack ( rescue ) just goes to the door and barks. :biggrin:


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