# Ringing Bell To Go Outside/Potty



## Nikkoli110 (Sep 9, 2008)

Titan is almost 15 weeks (tomorow) and he's been getting pretty good with potty training. We've been using the word "Outside" tell him "good outside" when he goes, etc. To go outside, we move a gate that blocks the downstairs, and then they walk downstairs, into the laundry/boiler room and out the bulkhead. Well lately, I've been just catching Titan sitting by the gate, and I'll ask him "Want to go outside?" And he'll get up and start going downstairs. Or sometimes I'll catch him trying to sneak by the gate and down the stairs. But there have been a few times I haven't caught him in time and he tinkles right there. I was thinking (although DH laughed at me) that we should put a bell (like a Christmas bell that you put on the door) by the gate so that we can teach him to ring it when he wants to go outside. Anyone ever do something similar to this? TIA!


----------



## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

ah...good luck...actually one of those bells that you push the top down on might work???


----------



## Fransheska (Sep 11, 2008)

i used to have those bells. my dogs knew what it means
"Bell= human opens door or takes us for walk" 
so they soon figured out that the bell was not JUSt for when they had to go potty, but when they were bored, wanted attentions, wanted a walk, and of course when we had guests because people got a KICK out of it and would give them treats. 

the bell was ringing about 100000 times a day before i got rid of it lol


----------



## Fransheska (Sep 11, 2008)

it was a paw shaped one made especially for dogs made a really annoying high pitched sound and if they kept their paw on it, it wouldnt just go "ding" it would go "DINNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG" which they soon discovered was more effective 

my friend uses jingle bells tied to the doorknob and shes had great sucess with it. its not so..invasive lol


----------



## Ledera (Oct 19, 2008)

I have a Christmas jingle bell that hangs on a rope for Sophie to ring when she wants to go out. She's been doing this since she was 11 weeks old. Everytime she has to go out, whether to use the bathroom or just to sunbathe, she lifts it with her nose and lets it hit the door and waits patiently for one of us to let her out... LOL The darn cat does it now too  I taught her how to do it with her paw first. I'd put her paw to the bell and ring it, then say "outside" and give her a treat for touching the bell. It tood two days for her to get the idea, and I'd reward with a lot of praise a treat everytime....The bell idea works well


----------



## kasbn (Nov 4, 2006)

Hi,

I have had my foster for about 2 weeks now, and we are doing the bell thing. I actually got two bells, (Target, dollar bins) and hung them on the back door.

When it's time to take her out, we go to the door...I take her nose and push the bells....give her a treat and open the door. 

She did it herself today, caught me off guard. I ran to the door, with a treat, told her she was wonderful and opened the door.

Now I am trying to get her to "speak", to open the door to get back inside. This one will take a bit longer.

Good luck with the bell.


----------



## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Bells are a great way to teach a dog to let you know when they need to go outside.

When we first got Abby, we used a bell at the front door and worked on teaching her she needed to touch the bell if she had to go outside. We used the bear bell that came with her dog pack since we had it at hand, but you can use any kind of bell - the dollar stores usually have them, especially around this time of year. 

We pretty much used the same method Kathy (kasbn) is talking about. We would touch her nose to the bell, then praise her for being a good girl and while letting her outside. We did not use treats, as we viewed the door opening as a "life reward" in itself.

We have not used the bell method in some time because we do have a pretty consistent routine, and she doesn't usually need to go out between the times we go normally.

However, I've recently been asked to test a door chime for dogs that fills the same function, and to write about how to train a dog to ring the chime when s/he needs to go. The chime consists of two parts, a plastic paw-shaped button that you can mount on the wall or lay on the floor, and a wireless chime that you can set anywhere or mount to your wall. (There's an optional door button for people who want to use it as their regular door chime.) The chime has the option of barking or meowing, not a "ring" sound. Being my own sarcastic self, I set ours to meow, so Abby now meows if she needs to go out.

To teach her to use it, I placed it at the door and asked her to "touch" (she knows this command, it means touching something with her paw). This got her to pawing at it, which set off the chime, which immediately opened the door. 

It's been about two weeks and she runs to it herself and pushes it to be let out. She has not yet used it at a time other than her normal scheduled going out times, though, although I don't doubt that she will/would if she really needs to go.


----------



## kanabp (Oct 1, 2008)

Tucker learned to use the bells at 10 weeks, only took a couple of times before he learned to do it. DH also thought I was crazy, until he saw it in action. Tucker rings the bell to go potty or just wants to be outside. His newest trick, he rings the bell to remind us that he needs fresh water. If the bell ringing doesn't bring the proper response from us, he really shakes it to get his point across.


----------



## BJDimock (Sep 14, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Fransheskai used to have those bells. my dogs knew what it means
> "Bell= human opens door or takes us for walk"
> so they soon figured out that the bell was not JUSt for when they had to go potty, but when they were bored, wanted attentions, wanted a walk, and of course when we had guests because people got a KICK out of it and would give them treats.
> 
> the bell was ringing about 100000 times a day before i got rid of it lol


Yup!!! I had one of these too! Got rid of the bell really quick! It was easier to teach her how to open the door herself! (which she eventually did!)


----------



## Skye'sMom (Jul 11, 2004)

My dogs are not barkers and I taught them to ring the bells. Although smart dogs do learn that bell ringing will get them outside for anything, it is very easy to redirect.

Mine quickly learned I will accept bell ring for water or out to 'go.' Since I know how often they need to go, it is easy to tell them 'not this time' if it's for fun and games.

I have used the bells for 6 years now and they help tremedously - if I am up in the loft and can't see the dogs, I still can hear the bells.

My bells were a total cost of $1.50 for jingle bells and leather shoe laces.


----------



## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

My pup will not bark to go out. I tried to teach her but I guess I wasn't doing a good job as she just looked at me.

I switched to a bell about a month ago (when she was 3 months) and it works great. She caught on very quicky. In the morning just straight out of her kennel I would place he nose on the bell (hanging from the sliding door) and jingle it. 

Sure she has tried to ring it just because she wants out and when she does this we take her out to her spot on a leash. If she doesn't go we bring her quickly back in. She's getting it. We never let her out in the backyard because she wants to. We let her out when we want her out and we never let the bell ring when we do that.

The false alarms are decreacing. When she really has to go she will ring that bell very loudly and sit by the door looking at the bell.

I see no difference to ringing a bell or barking in realtion to false alarms.


----------



## Rügen (Mar 19, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Historian
> The chime has the option of barking or meowing, not a "ring" sound. Being my own sarcastic self, I set ours to meow, so Abby now meows if she needs to go out.


You're too funny Chris!

I use a sort of bell too.







I've had the same bamboo wind chime hanging next to the back door for ooohhh somewhere around 9 years. It really helped house train Rugen and Lucky and Mully. (Sarge was rescued at 8 years old so he was set) 

To get the pups to use it I would bring them over to the door, ring it myself and ask them to sit. When their little butts hit the ground out we went. If you're consistant they pick it up in no time! Good Luck with Titan!


Note: The cat also rings the bell to go outside! I didn't believe it the first time, but he gets it too! silly cat


----------



## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: kasbn
> When it's time to take her out, we go to the door...I take her nose and push the bells....give her a treat and open the door.


i did this just last night when i suspected Tilden had the runs... he's pretty nosey tho and has already taught himself to nudge the knob when he wants to go in or out, so with the bell i just pointed and said "ooh, whats that?" - he hit it, treat, let him out, repeated it twice, had Gia do it as well (she's Tildens god) and by 9am this morning when he had to go i heard the bell. it didnt register at first because i didnt think he'd grasped the concept yet, then he did the whine pace thing... hit the knob... then hit the bell again and i ran downstairs thrilled and let him out.


----------

