Ring That Bell!

By Lynn Whittaker
Bow Wow U

How can you teach your dog to let you know he or she needs to go outside?

Well, the answer to this question is easy. Teach him or her to ring a bell at the door, to let you know.  Once your dog learns this easy task, your inability to see the "potty signals" can easily be detected, by the ring of a bell.

To teach this, you will need just a few supplies:

- A bell, a small one or even a large jingle bell suitable for your dog to touch.

- This bell should be hung on a string closest to the height of the dog’s nose.

- Be certain to hang the bell on the door most frequently used to let the dog out.

- You’ll also need some peanut butter, or spreadable treat your dog will enjoy.

Get close to the door, approximately a foot away, while your dog is sitting at the door next to your place some peanut butter on your finger. Allow him or her to sniff the peanut butter, and then place some on the bell hanging on the door. Allow your dog to smell the bell and lick it. This will positively reinforce the dog’s touching the bell.  Exaggerate the ringing of the bell and take your dog outside for potty to reinforce the purpose of ringing the bell. I always say "outside" just before opening the door, so they can also get a verbal confirmation of going out, and I continue to ring the bell as the dog is going out the door to further reinforce the bell association with outside. Of course you want to praise your dog lavishly when they initially touch the bell. Doing this will let your dog know touching the bell is a good thing, and he or she will associate subsequent bell touches with a pleasurable experience. It is more helpful when you use optimum training times, like when the dog has to go out first thing in the morning, or right before bed (i.e., when you know your dog has to go out). This will set your dog up for a positive and successful training session.

Keep repeating until your dog hits the bell automatically and with confidence before going out.  When your dog consistently does this, you can remove the tasty treat from the bell and begin reinforcing with treats from your pocket. You want to start as close to the door as possible setting your dog up for success, and then stepping back increasing your distance. Again, continue reinforcing this process until your dog automatically touches the bell before going out on his or her own. Eventually you can remove the treats and give verbal praise.