How to Train Your Doodle To Ring A Bell for Potty Breaks

[Adina P]

All three of our dogs have learned to ring a bell (it's actually a windchime) that hangs by the back door to signal when they want to go outside (for potty or otherwise). The teaching is actually pretty simple and straightforward:

1) Hang a bell by the door you'll use to take your dog out for potty.

2) EACH and EVERY time you take your dog out, help him ring the bell by touching it with his nose. If yours is a pup it's much easier because you can lift them and make them touch it.

3) Praise puppy and take puppy outside (helps if a puppy in the middle of potty training to keep puppy on leash for this so he knows it is a business-only outing).

Repeat each time you take puppy outside and soon he'll make the connection. When he makes the connection, he'll likely abuse this and ring RING RING more often than he needs to potty. BUT...do not break the connection by restricting outdoor access. Continue to praise him and take him outside. Eventually the novelty will wear off and only ring if he really needs to go out.

For those with big houses or multiple floors I suppose you could hang one on each floor (puppy shouldn't be floors away from where YOU are anyway) so that where you are you can hear puppy ring. There is also this big door bell button I've seen advertised that is intended to be used outside for your dog to ring to come IN--I think it rings like a doorbell.

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Suppose you could use this INSIDE and teach your dog to paw at it.

If your dog is big and you can't just lift it and help it touch the bells with its nose, then hold the bells out for him or entice him to touch them and soon he'll WANT to even though they are just hanging.

You can purchase fancy "designer" bells at www.poochie-pets.net but you can also visit a craft store and by the cord and bells and attach them together. Or buy a little windchime like we did!

Anyone else do this with their dog(s)?

[5a54ofb5qk1d]

I bought a small "cowbell" (2 ") and about 1 1/2 yds of cute ribbon. It's tied onto the deck door handle and just waiting for our Wrigley to come home and learn to use it! Cost less than $4 and it really is cute.

I went ahead and hung it up early so our young children would get over their excitement about the bell. I can easily picture children totally confusing a small puppy by ringing the bell all the time! So far only the almost-three-year-old is ringing it occassionally, but I warned her that I'm going to start taking her to the potty each time she does that!

[Adina P]

You are prepared!

[Tamara & Giada]

Now that's funny!

[Jackie]

I have a quick question. I'm training my doodle to ring the bells too. He's only 10 weeks old but I do it every time. But one problem I have is not him ringing the bells all the time but he's grabbing and pulling(playing) with the ribbon attached to the bells. !!! I haven't been taking him out when he does this. Is that ok? I do take him out if he just rings the bells though. He has done that a few times.

[Adina P]

I wouldn't worry about it. Take him out anyway. The point is he's making noise with the bells. You can always put them away for a few weeks until he's a little more mature and start again then. But at this point if you're going to leave them out, just let him ring however he rings and if you are always being consistent and taking him outside on leash for potty, he'll eventually get the picture.

[Joannie]

Barnie was the same with his bells. He eventually got over the novelty of playing with them, and now only uses them to go outside.

[KJ]

oh boy I can't wait. I had to order the Poochie Bells they are so cute and easy to travel with. So I look forward to training the Paddington on that :) thanks for the tips! :)

[2fetg28jixqki]

Ziggy learned this in a week when he was 3-4 months old. We didn't help him ring it, but just jingled it and then immediately opened the door and took him out. He paired the bell ringing with going out and has began doing it himself in days. Now with the 2nd (smaller) pup, he is beginning to go sit by the door and either he or Ziggy will ring and we'll immediately take him out. This is so easy and prevents the scratching, barking and accidents pretty quickly and completely. Let's hear it for smart doodles!

[KJ]

oooh WOW...that puts my hopes up high...I can't wait!

[Tamara & Giada]

We only have one door the dogs go out to potty, and it has metal blinds. My older dog began moving those to make a gingle to go out years ago, now Giada is beginning to pick it up. That is one of the nice things of having the second dog, she learns from the first! The bells are cute--I'll have to keep that in mind when or if we want to take down the blinds:)

[1w14sgrfac7bx]

How long does it take for them to learn this? I have had my poochie bells for almost three weeks and Prada still seems to have no idea. She is smart at everything else and knows sit, stay, come, drop, leave it, shake hands, high five and wave bye bye, but the toilet training is the only thing she doesn't seem to be getting.

[Liza, Halle and Finn]

I just responded to this discussion (below)before I realized that the original posts were in June!! But anyway, hang in there, she'll get it. Just be really consistent ringing the bell each & everytime you take her out. One night you'll just be sitting there & she'll go over & ring it!! It's funny, because now when Kachi really has to go, like immediately, he hits the heck out of the bell, then stares us down & throws a little whine in there, just to be sure WE get it!!