What to do when door to go potty is in basement?

[Jen and Zoe]

Hi everyone - Our goldendoodle Zoe is 9 weeks old today. We love her to pieces!

I've been working on potty training and crate training this last week since we brought her home.  I have a question about potty logistics and potty bells.  The door to our backyard where we take her out to go potty and play is in the basement.  Zoe has learned to go up the stairs but not down the stairs yet -- she's a bit scared still. So I carry her down the stairs to go out.  Since the door she goes out is in the lower level (and we have a main level and upstairs) once she is trained and has more freedom in the house there's a very good chance she would go to the door in the basement and and we wouldn't see her.

I've been trying to think of a solution.  One would be to start using the front door but our front yard is a postage stamp and not where she goes potty or plays, so that doesn't seem like the right thing.  When she's older if we let her out the front door and she ran around to the backyard we wouldn't be able to see her from that door.

I was thinking about getting the bells that hang on a door but putting them in a high traffic area of the main floor.  That way if she nudged the bells we would hear her and go downstairs to let her out.  Has anyone had success with potty bells and is it important that the bells are on the actual door they use to go out or does my idea seem feasible? 

Thanks so much for any insight.  I know I'll have many more questions as we get into living with Zoe and I'm not so sleep deprived from her waking up all hours of the night!  

Jen

[DJ & Chance]

I have potty bells on a gate that blocks off part of the house (including the door to the backyard), and Chance either sits by that gate if he wants to go out to potty or rings the bells with his head or paw. Chance is now 12 weeks old and we have gone about 10 days without an accident.

[John and Finn]

No just that you ring them or have her ring them just before you take her down the stairs and out to go to the bathroom.  The most important thing is that the bells are where you will hear them, for obvious reasons.  We didn't get big enough bells at first and went to the craft store to buy bigger ones.  

The only issue about having the bells so far away from the exit is accidents on the way but that can happen (i speak from experience unfortunately) even if the bells are on the door she goes out.

[Midge and Gracie]

Bells are the best!   I totally agree with prior responses that putting the bell by the hall door and again by basement would be better than only one set at outer door.  Every time you take her down the stairs, say"ring the bell" and have her touch it with her paw.  She will totally get it in about a week.  In a couple of weeks she will be practicing going down the stairs by herself and she will nose the bells.  They are made to accommodate all heights of dogs.  Even the littlest dog can nose the bottom bell.  I am so jealous!  My little Gracie is now one but I love those puppy days!!!!!

[Jen and Zoe]

Thanks everyone for the replies.  I ended up ordering the bells and we've been ringing them with her nose before taking her out. She doesn't seem to have caught on yet, but it's early!