How to Potty Train a Puppy with Bells: PLUS Why We HATE It!

Do you want to learn how to use bells to potty train your puppy? We show you exactly how to do that in this video! Spoiler alert, we have a better solution for you!
Here is a link to a wireless mat that we really like! amzn.to/3Q1rG6S
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Chiming Mat: amzn.to/3Q1rG6S
Overall we do not like using potty bells. In theory it is an effective system, but they create a few common issues. The bells themselves do not add a ton of value. Most dogs learn very quickly that when I ring the bell, I get to go outside. Over time, your hyperactive dog might not stop ringing the bell and driving you crazy! Do not let your dog take advantage of this system!
Bell training can be good if someone has mobility issues or trouble knowing when their dog has to go, but in these cases we often recommend using a chiming pressure mat. Before we talk about the mat, let's chat about how to teach your dog to use the bells.
To start, your dog should have a decent understanding of potty training. You need to make sure you get your dog to ding the bell every time they go outside. You can teach this by simply knocking their paw into it and taking them out. Over time, your dog will be conditioned to do this on their own. Another way is to put treats in the bell and encourage your dog to nudge the bell to get the treat. We prefer the paw method, however.
One common mistake people make with bells is playing with their dogs outside directly after the puppy rings the bell. A lot of dogs quickly learn that when I ring the bell, I get to play. So we recommend using a leash and collar and taking them out calmly just for bathroom breaks so they learn the bells are for potty breaks only. Most dogs learn this after around 100 tries or so if you are being consistent!
Keep in mind that every dog is different. Use treats if they are motivated by them. If they are easily excitable, you need to make this process of training as calm as possible.
If you are considering using bells for potty training we 100% recommend using a pressure chime mat instead. These are excellent and prevent the issues we mentioned before. The mat has a pressure sensor that when your dog walks on it, it will chime to let you know they need to go out. The one we recommend uses batteries so it is easy to move to wherever you want it to be.
To teach this, you will take your dog to the door and have them step on the mat. Once the mat chimes, praise them and take them out to go to the bathroom. Over time, your dog will learn that this is the place they need to go if they need to go outside. These are quite loud and are perfect in busy or big houses.
Our main preference overall is to teach our dogs to find us when they need to go outside. This is taught through a ton of repetition. However, chime mats and even in some cases bells, can be a great tool that can assist with potty training.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Bell Training
02:38 Chiming Mat

[@alexanderchadesh539]

Most of my clients end up quitting the bell too

[@SuburbanK9DogTraining]

It sure can be frustrating when the dog learns to ding the bell every time they want to play!

[@kenneththompson1587]

Got a 2 week old border collie a few days ago and trying to potty train. Other than taking her out after her feeding times, what’s a good way to get her potty trained?

[@SuburbanK9DogTraining]

Hey Kenneth! Here is the potty training video we send to all of our clients. It discusses everything you need to know! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5vNnYt_max0f9U

[@cjpatterson4711]

I do not understand the difference between the bell and the mat. Dog learns when the sound is made he goes to potty spot. I have trained a bell. The benefit to that is when I go visit someone. The bell is portable and all I have to do is due a quick training to show her where the bell is . Otherwise I have had confusion in the dog on how to alert me or which door he will go out.

[@SuburbanK9DogTraining]

The main reason we don’t like the bell as much as the mat is because we heard from clients that they were annoyed by their dog scratching at the door and ruining woodwork/trim. Since we started suggesting the mat that never happens anymore. The mat is also faster to train since they just have to stand on it and don’t need to hit anything. Either one can work though!