Dog Training with a Bell

By Jade Boz

Dogs need to be able to signal when they need to go outside. Most learn early to bark, whine, scratch, or a combination of these behaviors to let their humans know “I need to go out, and I mean NOW”. The only issues with these are that sometimes these methods cause problems. 
 
The bark method can be very disruptive to strangers and can even frighten young children who are not use to that loud, deep bark. The whine method can grate on your nerves, even if you’re a very patient and loving owner. The scratch method can damage the woodwork around a door or the door itself. 
 
What can be done to train the new puppy to a better method? Why, use a bell, of course. 
 
Go to the bird section of your local pet store. Birds love to ring bells, so buy a medium-sized bell on a short chain. Install the bell and chain at slightly below the dog’s muzzle level on a small hook by the door that you will use for the new puppy to go out to relieve himself. As you progress with house-training, each time you take your pup outside to go potty, take one moment to train the pup to use the bell. Take a paw in hand, swipe the bell, say “good puppy, you want to go outside?” and then continue to take them outside. Praise them each time and do it consistently each time they go outside. When they begin to ring the bell without you, the training is now complete, but the praise should continue. Sometimes, the pup learns the relationship between the bell and going outside and chooses to just hit the bell with his/her muzzle. This works just as well. This method can take anywhere from a few days to even a month, but eventually, your puppy will realize that ringing the bell will bring their human to their aid and allow them to go outside. Once they’ve learned this method, you can install other bells on other doors if the first door is too far away to be easily heard from some rooms in the house. One swipe with the paw to show them that this room also has a “going outside” bell should let them know about the choice now available in the new location. 
 
You now have a pleasant way for your puppy to ask to go outside. Others will not believe that this bell method, which is so easy to train, is the way your puppy asks to go potty. Friends and family members think it’s a cute trick, but you and your pup will know that it’s simply their way to ask to go outside when Mother Nature calls.