# Advice Would Be Welcomed on Bell Training for Potty



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I want to train Willow to ring a bell when she needs to go to potty. I pulled some instructions off the internet. Sounds simple enough (Ha Ha). The instructions uses a clicker to shape the behavior. Click, treat when she looks at the bell, touches the bell, rings the bell. I've done shaping to teach some tricks before so I understand the method I think. When she understands that she needs to ring the bell, I'm to stop the click/treat on quiet rings and only do it on louder rings which is supposed to be "selective" training.

Then I present the bell when I know she needs to go potty and click when she rings it, take her out immediately to go without a treat. Once she figures out she needs to ring the bell to go potty, then I hang the bell up. If she starts ringing the bell when I'm pretty sure she really doesn't have to go, I am to ignore it. Only take her out when I'm about 80% sure she will go potty.

This is where I think I'll run into trouble. The instructions say that some dogs are really hard to train as they "will find bell ringing intrinsically reinforcing". I'm afraid that will be Willow.

Any tips would really be appreciated. 

How many of you have had success in teaching this behavior?


----------



## JulieBrynn (Jan 23, 2019)

Hi there I bell trained my Havanese to ring the bell and go potty. I am not saying that I went about it correctly. First of all, i have never used a clicker to shape a behavior etc. Again, not saying u shouldn't use a clicker. I just don't c the reason for it. Now, for ringing the bell to potty. What I did was say potty outside, and I rang the bell each and every time I took him out to potty. Then I lifted his little paw and said potty outside and made him ring the bell. Did that for quite a few times, then just kept hitting it myself and trying to get him to do it. Eventually, I tried to get him to do it on his own and treated as a trick, in and of itself. I gave him treats for hittiin the bell, even if it was accidental. He caught on to ringing bell, and then he took advantage of it. Kept ringing it ALL THE TIME. But I did let him out each and every time, because they need to understand that,, truly, when they ring that bell, they will b let out. Just make sure and say potty outside when they ring the bell. They will take advantage of it, but eventually, they will ring it only for potty. Good luck! I hope this works. It did for me. There may b other methods that are more effective for u 🙂


----------



## JulieB (Jun 16, 2016)

I bell trained Bodie by doing pretty much what Julie Brynn did. I would say go potty outside ring the bell and then left his paw to ring the bell. I did this every time we went outside to go potty and I was amazed how quickly he caught on. It was a week if that. Sometimes when he’s ready to eat and it’s not quite time he will go over and ring the bell and sit by his bowl. 😆. But all in all it’s a great way for them to let you know they need to go out. Good luck!


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Thanks for the tips and encouragement. I wish we had a fenced in area for Willow. I have to put her on a leash everytime I take her out. It would be nice if I could just open the door and let her do her thing. I haven't started the training yet. I need to get a bell and figure out where and how to hang it. She's pretty smart so I think she'll learn to ring the bell. She might be too smart though and figure if she rings it she'll get some sort of attention rather than just potty!


----------



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

JulieB said:


> Sometimes when he's ready to eat and it's not quite time he will go over and ring the bell and sit by his bowl. &#128518;.


I love that!


----------



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I have been nervous to start bell training even though I have the bell all ready to go. A few weeks ago he had a few mats and so I reintroduced treats during grooming instead of just after. After just a few sessions he started randomly laying on my lap to be groomed in the middle of the day, and when I would comb around his tail he would turn around and lift up his chin for me to comb his neck instead (he has always disliked being combed around his tail). He wanted treats! Even though it seems unrelated, it just reminded me how smart he is and how quickly he learns. I think once he realizes he can go outside each time he rings the bell, he’ll do it. My plan is to not worry about whether or not he is ringing the bell to go outside or to go potty, because I will have him “go potty” on command anyway and bring him right back inside. I’ll let you know if I regret that!


----------



## JulieBrynn (Jan 23, 2019)

We don't have a fenced in yard either 🙁. I dislike it IMMENSELY. So, because I'm lazy, I bought a long leash, maybe 10 ft, or 20, or more (I honestly can't remember) and have one end of it tied to my deck, and the other end laying right outside by the door. When my fur baby rings the bell, I just attach the leash to his collar, he does his business, walks around, sniffs the air, etc, and then scratches sliding door to get back in. I've read some people in here put bells outside too so they can ring them and be let back in, but I don't care that he scratches door. I would loooove a fensed in yard. Then I would actually put a doggy door and they can go whenever they want, and run around the yard.


----------



## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

I haven't bell trained - but the part of ignoring if if you think he doesn't _really_ need to go out doesn't seem right. Similarly to asking to go out - in the beginning you have to let them out every time they ask. Once you are absolutely sure they have it down and know that asking is to go out - then maybe you can ignore (I will admit that I ignore Perry now sometimes when he asks to go out because I know it's not to potty but to go bark at the neighbors dog) - but in the beginning you want him to associate ringing the bell with going out and going out with going potty. If ringing the bell only sometimes gets him outside I'm not sure he'll make the connection.


----------



## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

JulieBrynn said:


> Hi there I bell trained my Havanese to ring the bell and go potty. I am not saying that I went about it correctly. First of all, i have never used a clicker to shape a behavior etc. Again, not saying u shouldn't use a clicker. I just don't c the reason for it. Now, for ringing the bell to potty. What I did was say potty outside, and I rang the bell each and every time I took him out to potty. Then I lifted his little paw and said potty outside and made him ring the bell. Did that for quite a few times, then just kept hitting it myself and trying to get him to do it. Eventually, I tried to get him to do it on his own and treated as a trick, in and of itself. I gave him treats for hittiin the bell, even if it was accidental. He caught on to ringing bell, and then he took advantage of it. Kept ringing it ALL THE TIME. But I did let him out each and every time, because they need to understand that,, truly, when they ring that bell, they will b let out. Just make sure and say potty outside when they ring the bell. They will take advantage of it, but eventually, they will ring it only for potty. Good luck! I hope this works. It did for me. There may b other methods that are more effective for u &#128578;


This is how I trained my dogs to Bark to go outside.

I'd take them to the door and Bark .. "Arf Arf." Then I'd open the door and they'd go outside.

Eventually, they learned to say "Arf Arf " all by themselves to go outside.

Better than that is Doggie Door. Then they can come and go as needed without asking.:laugh2:


----------



## JulieBrynn (Jan 23, 2019)

Thats so cool!!!!!! Im going to have to try that one. I never even thought of that!


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Mikki - I like your idea!


----------



## Chila (Sep 28, 2017)

We bell trained our 9 year old Hav when we got him (apparently you can teach old dogs new tricks:wink2. We basically just did what others have said and rang the bells ourselves whenever we put him out; lifted his paw to ring them and gave a treat etc. It didn’t take too long. He doesn’t ring it exclusively...but it’s one of the ways he tells us when he needs to go out, and I think it’s so cute when he does! And he has never taken advantage of it...only rings it to go outside!


----------



## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

We need a “haha!” button. Hav is pretty smart!


----------



## [email protected] (Apr 12, 2012)

How appropriate a subject! I just purchased a bell for Bobby and Buddy. They are six and seven years old, so I’m attempting to teach ‘old dogs a new trick!! Really the bell is for Buddy as he silently sits by the door when he needs to go out. Odd that otherwise Buddy is my barker. Bobby is my cool dude, only barking when necessary. However, Bobby has always ‘arf, arfed’ to go out. I am using the human stating ‘outside!’ Lifting the hav’s paw and ring the bell, ‘outside! Hurry up!’ And open the door......method. I did this for about 3 days, then I took a very small treat and balanced it on the bell when Buddy was sitting by the door- of course, to get the treat, the bell will ring, then I act all excited and say ‘outside, hurry up, Good boy!! Well, I was shocked yesterday that Buddy rang the bell, on his own - Twice!!I wanted to post a photo of our bell - not sure how from my iPad.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Wow Bobby and Chila! I love hearing success stories. I gotta get going on getting my bell hung. Willow is like Buddy - just sits there by the door. If I can't see her, I never know! Hoping the bell will solve that problem. I think it will. I really appreciate all the responses. I better get going on the bell. Might have to get a drill charged in order to get a hook under the counter.


----------



## dvallen (Sep 20, 2017)

We bell trained Toby by saying potty, ringing the bell, opening the door and letting him out. He learned in a few days to ring the bell. Later however,
he started ringing the bell when he wanted to eat and when he wanted to play. It's quite the attention getter.


----------



## DKJones (Jul 23, 2019)

My Dog does not tell us when he is outside the crate or play pen that he has to go but when inside the crate or play pen he barks to be taken out. How do I train him to let us know when he has to go when he outside his confinement even on a leash.


----------



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

DKJones said:


> My Dog does not tell us when he is outside the crate or play pen that he has to go but when inside the crate or play pen he barks to be taken out. How do I train him to let us know when he has to go when he outside his confinement even on a leash.


I would guess start slowly increasing his confinement area? I know some dogs don't ever really alert that they need to go. It helps me to think of every area outside of my puppy's expen as untrained areas, and he has to be trained in each area in order to generalize the training. I could see this concept clearly because we have been remodeling portions of our house one room/project at a time since we brought our puppy home. As I moved to a new room and set up his expen in it for the next few weeks or months, i could see that he never, ever had accidents in those rooms, and he would start to cry and get antsy if he needed to go and I lost track of time.


----------



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Wow Bobby and Chila! I love hearing success stories. I gotta get going on getting my bell hung. Willow is like Buddy - just sits there by the door. If I can't see her, I never know! Hoping the bell will solve that problem. I think it will. I really appreciate all the responses. I better get going on the bell. Might have to get a drill charged in order to get a hook under the counter.


How did your bell training go?


----------

