How To Teach Your Dog To Use Potty Bells

Tutorial series

[@ashleybravo4398]

Thank you so much! Just taught my 10 week old German shepherd following this video and she learned to ring the bell to go outside in less than half an hour!! She’s been ringing the bell to go potty all night. We can’t believe how quickly she picked up on it.

[@KatherineK9]

ashley bravo wonderful! I’m so glad!

[@eviem70]

ashley bravo will you come teach mine? Lol 😭

[@theunknownwap]

so cute! lovely

[@LostInThisGardenofLife]

I taught my dog to use them by shaking them every time we go outside. It took a few days, she wasn’t sure of them at first. Those bells are saving the carpet. 🤣

[@glenw3814]

Great video. Really shows how to understand the dogs thinking and how to get them to make the connection between ringing bell and door opening.

[@lenac2284]

I just did this with my dog and it WORKED! She learned in less than 5 min. I did not even do the step to make her touch them off the door. I just tied them to the door and she rang them that way. Then she rang them to get the treat outside. She certainly learned to ring those bells to go out. Now if she will use it for pottying, it remains to be seen but I bet she will. THANK YOU!

[@moosethebernedoodle4860]

cool watching in 2019

[@KatherineK9]

That’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad that you found this useful 😊 Good luck with your continued potty training!

[@moosethebernedoodle4860]

@@KatherineK9 It actully works with a leash too since where do you get potty bells

[@rubyv418]

Did you use a clicker ?

[@Mo-LoveMeForever]

@@rubyv418 Who says you have to use a clicker!? 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@StephanieHart]

I never thought to put the treat outside of the door, right now my pup associates the bell with the treat. thanks so much!

[@christynguyen531]

This video is outstanding! Thank you for walking through this step by step. It was so helpful! Now let's hope our english bulldog puppy is as quick to pick it up as your cute little guy!

[@KatherineK9]

christy nguyen Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Good luck with your English bulldog!

[@Ashley-fc9dk]

tell me how this worked for your English bulldog because I am trying to train mine!!!!

[@Jojowsles05]

Awesome video. There’s another good one that shows how to make the poopie bells at home, by the way. I did basic training with my 3 year old retired laboratory beagle, which helped me to learn how to use YES instead of a clicker, and she learned this doorbell trick in about 90 minutes. Thank you for the very clear instructions.

[@emilyackerson8935]

What a smart girl!! We just rescued a beagal boy who has spent his 2 years of life chained to a dog house. Thank you so much for this video! Hooefully it will help us get him potty trained!

[@cao0323]

My six month old dachshund and 4 year old mixed breed just must be exceptionally stupid because they are TERRIFIED of the bells -_- there goes that idea

[@giselapungello6542]

I have a chihuahua, samw thing, she's terrified!!

[@albushki]

My 8 month rat terrier is mortified of them, don’t know what to do 😭

[@keyahrose999]

Omg same 🙄 my almost 4 month dachshund seems scared too!

[@marisnic9898]

Oh no 😂

[@msmase10100]

Lol

[@robins97365]

It's especially fun when your dog just likes to go outside, like 30 times a day...and maybe ten times a night, lol. Ask me how I know!

[@paskac]

There are a few factors in training a dog. One plan I discovered that successfully combines these is the Bevs Booster Guide (check it out on google) it's the best resource that I have ever seen.look at the super info .

[@diveintodeeplearning8115]

I\'m not sure but ,if anyone else wants to uncover puppy training tricks try Loctavan Quick Puppy Strategy (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my neighbor got cool success with it.

[@lukehallett5644]

My dog just punches the door and you can’t here it at night

[@PinkBlue_Spood]

Although this is an old comment, for anyone new seeing this having this issue: if your dog is not going to the bathroom within a couple minutes and trying to play, put them directly back into their crate, wait 5-10 minutes (I recommend 5, and another 5 if unsuccessful) and then have them ring the bell and take them back outside. Usually that teaches them that the bell only means to go outside to potty, not to play.

[@brandysullivan9653]

@@lukehallett5644 try bigger bells like at Christmas time they have them. You can make your own

[@kateconnellcpdt-ka692]

I have just gone through SO many potty bell training videos before finding one that wasn't horribly confusing. If I had known your channel had one, I would have gone straight to it!

[@KatherineK9]

Kate Connell, CPDT-KA Thanks Kate! I made this video because I needed an easy reference to give my clients, and couldn't find any existing videos that I liked. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@kateconnellcpdt-ka692]

That's exactly what I needed it for. :-)

[@isabellaabood9346]

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS

[@sabaali6628]

For those whose dogs are scared of the bell and feel like they can’t use this technique - you still can! My pup was terrified of the bell as well in the beginning but we taught her to associate the sound of the bell with getting a treat! It took a few days with 5 min training sessions per day, but she eventually lost her fear of the bell. Just remember as soon as you ring the bell you immediately give them a treat.

[@KatherineK9]

Exactly!

[@LisaCullen]

Thanks my pup is skittish with the bell

[@eloisalatimer6253]

We are currently on day 2. My puppy is scared of the bell but slowly losing that fear. Great video

[@topher785]

Good video no riff raff talk thank u. Ill be on it as soon as my bell arrive 😅

[@slamminx3]

Cockapoo just associates the bell with treats now. Still poops in house 😢

[@kimschoenberg2269]

This video was amazing. My 13 week, English Cocker Spaniel (I live in England) learned this within 20 minutes. This is the only video I found that has you put treats outside the door! Genius, Katherine!! I had been struggling for a few days trying to get her to ring the bell. After watching your video, I tried your technique and I could see a light come on in Misty's little brain and she kept running to the door every 5 seconds wanting to ring that bell and get that treat lol. She is very food focused which makes training her easier than some dogs. I don't use a clicker though. Just the word, YES! followed by a treat. :)

[@KatherineK9]

That's wonderful! I'm so happy to hear that you found this video helpful and are having success with your training! Thank you for commenting 🙂

[@barbarawood403]

Sooo glad to see you are training a doxie! That's the type of dog I have and I've heard they are hard to train. Actually, I've been attempting to train my puppy for a month now and some days aren't going well at all. Going to give this method a try. Thanks.

[@GretchenDupree]

ty katie for making this video. its truly informative and also inspiring.

[@diggler64]

Outside for my dog mainly means she gets to play ball... so with this I would end up throwing the ball 24-7 😂

[@KatherineK9]

Lol! 😂 Well, that’s where the potty training part comes in! My dogs also love to play outside, but I don’t want them ringing the bells constantly for play. So, if they ring the bells to go out, I will open the door for them, but I WILL NOT go outside and play with them at that point. I make sure that if I want to take them out to play, I determine when, and I ask them to come out with me, rather than them asking. Does that make sense? If your dog self rewards outside (for example, like to chase squirrels), then for at least awhile I would take them out on leash whenever they ring the bells and go to a specific potty spot. I don’t let them go and chase the squirrels until after they have pottied OR I let them out without them ringing the bells first.

[@shawnmcguire7987]

I really like this video, very helpful. I just wish it had one more step on how to teach the pup the difference between just wanting to go out and having to go potty

[@everfreebrumby8385]

Thanks for the advice. Can’t wait to try this for myself.

[@jonahbettman]

You’re allowed to just open the door for yourself FYI

[@jonahbettman]

😂😂

[@mybenz92]

Awesome demonstration,. Thank you and God bless!

[@MW-pv7rm]

Best demo on KZbin. Thank you very much

[@AllMightsSister]

IM SO HAPPY!!!! YOURE GONNA GET ME MY PET GECKO!!! My dad says that when our Maltese is trained, he'd let me get one and its because of you! Thank you :)

[@marsikonstandinidou5642]

Wow! It's a miracle!!! We tried it today an Nugget, our mini poodle succeed it!!! Today!!! TODAYYYY!!! I can't believe it!!! Thank u sooo much!!!

[@KatherineK9]

You're welcome! I'm so glad to hear that your training went so well!

[@zendoralerue630]

That's a very smart dog! Great training instructions. I will have to try it. Thanks!

[@celvingtonify]

The best My Golden Doodle learned in minutes! This was the best ever 🥰

[@KatherineK9]

Thank you! I’m so glad it helped you to have success!!

[@lencarniato]

Great Demo, thanks very much !!

[@katiemartin3811]

Thank you for taking the time to do this!!

[@veronicalevesque7009]

Thank you so much for this. My dog was afraid of the bells when we first got them which didn't do well for learning, and she liked her previous strategy of barking in our face to let her out. She picked up the bells in maybe 20 minutes with this. It'll take some time to cement but this made a lot of progress really fast (previously we were ringing it every time we let her out, which was what our friends did, but didn't seem to work for us!). Thank you!

[@KatherineK9]

You’re welcome! 😊

[@MikeJB]

Excellent video! Thank you.

[@Troy-Echo]

It is a great idea out the gate, but it isn't long before most dogs start using the bells not to go relieve themselves, but to just ring because they want to randomly go outside. I have to pee - ring. I have to poo - ring. I want to smell the flowers - ring. I want to bark at the neighbor - ring. I hope your dogs never reach this stage, but it does happen.

[@JenIncarnate]

Very well demonstrated! Thank you.

[@KatherineK9]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@lovingatlanta]

🤔😫I absolutely hate hate hate treat training. I like praise training. I trained my dog to tap the bells by tapping the bells every time we went out to pee / poop. It wasn’t difficult, it just took time, patience and repetition. Wishing y’all the best as you train your dog. 💝

[@KuriaNeko]

How long did it take? I've been ringing the bells everytime I take my dog out for at least a month now and he hasn't really figured it out yet.

[@lovingatlanta]

@@KuriaNeko - My dogs learns quickly. It only took a few days. Every dog is different. Are you asking your dog to ring the bell? Ask the dog if it wants to go out, then tell the dog to ring the bell. If “you” ring the bell every time, the dog thinks that what “you’re” gonna do / supposed to do and the dog will let you continue to do it.

[@kaylinn]

The most helpful one I’ve seen

[@benjaminn.1007]

Thanks for the wonderfull video clip. So we have a little complication to this. We want to train our puppy to ring the bells on the doors that go to the basement because we have a walkout style home into our backyard. So I can’t do the last step which is throwing the treat outside because we would have to throw the treat down the stairs and she is too small to go down stairs yet. What is your suggestion for us. We do have a slider door that goes to our upper deck but we don’t want to go out that way because in the winter it will be totally covered with snow. Should we train her on the slider door that she can see outside and then move the bells to the door we are going to use? Help! First time puppy owner here! Thanks!

[@namrego]

This is brilliant and really well explained thank you!

[@KatherineK9]

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@jojo74nyc]

thanks! this vid was really helpful

[@zee0520]

Now my dog has another way to ask for treats and still won’t go potty outside.

[@KatherineK9]

You should be able to transfer off of the treats by teaching your dog that the bell means that the door opens, but no longer results in a treat. If your dog is still trying to get treats from this process then you are using the treats for too long. Once they understand that ringing the bell means the door opens to go outside, just stop giving the treats 😊 Good luck and have fun training!

[@jamillahw9942]

Beautiful dog!

[@Alskyeway]

Thanks so much! I’m training another Siberian Husky with the potty bells and a clicker. I have used potty bells before on my other 2 huskies but it’s been a while so I couldn’t remember how to do it. Hoping this works!

[@kylak310]

What would you recommend for dogs who live in an apartment and cant really do that last step of ringing bell and then going out side?

[@fatxshack]

Very helpful thank you!

[@tarachovancek3534]

Wow great video thank you

[@KatherineK9]

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@SD-zx1uh]

Thank you for the steps going to try with my puppy today lol

[@toottootbleetbleet]

She's so smart!

[@roxanam8391]

Great video! Question though, what is the clicker used for? Sorry, new dog trainer here!

[@angievinny7658]

It's used to signal to your dog that what they did was correct and Is what you were looking for when given a command or an instruction... example teaching your dog to sit.. as soon as that dog sits tou click and reward tells your dog it did the correct thing

[@theplainest]

I can't hear if you're still clicking when she figures out that the bell opens the door to get the treat. When do you phase that out? Thank you

[@shychyenne]

Thank you! I was able to teach my pup to do this! So helpful!

[@fayewagner743]

This is one of the more helpful videos on this!

[@KatherineK9]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@killforce787878]

Great vid. Ill have to try that with my dog

[@MayraLee]

Wow that’s a smart dog !!

[@laceygonzalez6446]

Great video. Bells come today. Can't wait tp train my puppy

[@KatherineK9]

Wonderful! Good luck with your training! 😊

[@AubriNowowiejski]

Thank you sooooo much!!!

[@stevendavis3538]

Now THIS is a great video!

[@KatherineK9]

Thank you!

[@riotwire]

She is so smart!!

[@cosmojinxable]

Smart dog! I just got my bells!

[@Laacce]

great video! how early should we start the bell training?

[@KatherineK9]

Thank you! You can start at any age!

[@lstewart7015]

I'm getting ready to start this with 2 puppies. I'm assuming I should work with 1 at a time? yes, I should...now that I said it out loud it makes perfect sense.

[@jennifermurray4589]

When I was debating getting two puppies at the same time it was adamantly suggested that any training for each puppy should be done separately as they will each learn at their own pace. You don't want one puppy who is learning a little slower and needing more reinforcement to confuse the other.

[@whitneywhitney7955]

I've really enjoyed this video! Thank you so much! However, now I'm having difficulty weening my beagle pup off the treats.. she is losing motivation without the treats. Do you have any advice? She is also ringing the bells alllll the time.

[@KatherineK9]

The treats should be taken out of this process as soon as the dog is ringing the bell to get the door to open. Taking the treats away will help to prevent her from ringing the bell all of the time as well :-)

[@culinlozano1296]

I will try this on my black Labrador!

[@cayleeabrams3396]

I love this video, the information is very clear on what to do. My only problem is how do you keep there attention on it, my puppy does not care about the bells at all and the noise if shaken scares him.

[@KatherineK9]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Start small; don’t shake the bells, just place them on the ground and reward your puppy for any interest in them. Reward frequently; puppy attention spans are short! And don’t move on to the next step until you have mastered the previous one. Good luck with your training!

[@faith3302]

Would you suggest training them right away as puppies or wait a few months until theyre a little older?

[@KatherineK9]

You can introduce the potty bells at any time, but they are most effective once your dog has an idea that they should potty outside.

[@mrs.pitzinger9042]

Did you do that all in one day? Or how long does it take for them to really understand the transitions

[@KatherineK9]

Yes, I did teach this all in one day ☺️ In fact, I have a short on my channel showing this process with a different dog and from start to finish the whole thing took less than 7 minutes. That being said, the dogs in these videos were already well-versed in clicker training and had a lot of general training experience before doing the videos. The learning curve is bigger with dogs who don’t have as much training experience, and of course, the same is true of the human trainer 😉 But, this process should be pretty quick either way, as long as it’s done right.

[@chantelzamudio9747]

Since I leave for work for 5 hours sometimes, how would this apply? Would you recommend me taking the puppy out to potty before I leave and once I come back? I’m scared that if I use the bell potty method he will lose interest. Please help! Thank you 💞🐶

[@angelicadimartino7143]

What if your dog hangs out on a different st floor, upper floor (3), but goes out for a walk on the bottom floor. Bells would have to be on the third floor then we go down to flights to go out. We don’t hang out on the bottom floor and she doesn’t have free range of all floors.

[@KatherineK9]

Hang them on a door on the 3rd floor, preferably the closest door to the stairs. Do all the same steps, but go all the way down the stairs and out for the last one 😊 Good luck with your training!

[@whothehellismalachi6270]

My dog used to ring the bell, but after his surgery he forgot and recently has been having a lot of accidents.I've been trying to get him interested in the bell again. Throwing treats out into another room worked for him! It took a while, but he eventually caught on. There are still some troubles, but he'll pick it up well.

[@julyroblox2677]

What is the thing you are clicking every time the dog touches the bell?

[@Samariapain]

I just started to try and teach my older dog to use a potty bell and just decided to tie an empty poo bag round the handle of the bedroom door she favours using because she always gives me sad eyes when i go upstairs with one

[@garyshaw1002]

hi, getting a puppy soon and i live in a flat so i really want to teach her how to do this, ive found the puppy bells but whats the clicky thing called and where can i get one from? thanks

[@APointedStikXbox]

It’s called a clicker! If you google “dog clicker” you can order it online or your local pet shop should have them

[@rjdlpc]

I like the sound of those bells compared to others. What kind are they?

[@flannelcommander]

Doorbells 😄

[@OleensEmbroidery]

My cat figured it out by himself in a week. My dog ... not so much.

[@hollyparshel]

Thank you for this video although we got a puppy a while ago would it still be ok to train her this 👍

[@tamiramos5873]

Can you do another video where you teach a brand new dog and not your own? Maybe a breed that is notorious for being hard to train.

[@KatherineK9]

Well, Dachshunds are notoriously hard to train! 😂 But I will see what I can do. I have taught many clients dogs this method with success, so it isn’t the breed or experience that makes the difference 😊

[@jimgift8107]

My puppy is 5.5 mo old. For over two months I have been taking him to door, getting him to ring bell before he goes outside. However, he has yet to go to the door and let us know he wants out. If we miss his signs, he goes in the house! How do I get him to go to door and ring bell when he wants out???

[@katematthews7223]

I know this is an older video but I’m still hoping someone can see this and give me an idea. I’m hoping to train my senior dog who pews frequently because of some of the meds he takes. My main issue now is that the living room which leads to the door to get outside is carpeted so there’s a baby gate blocking it, I don’t want to confuse him into thinking that ringing the bell means he gets to go into the living room. Should I hang the bell from the gate, and go DIRECTLY outside when he rings? He’s aloud in the living room when wearing a diaper.

[@KatherineK9]

Yup, you’ve got the idea! Hang the bells on the gate and keep a leash nearby so that when he rings the bells you put on his leash and take him DIRECTLY outside. You can even do the initial training with the door to outside, and once he understands it there just move the bells to the gate 😊 Good luck with your training!

[@feiwong70]

My puppy just runs to sit in front of door and looks back at me waiting to go outside (to play) without the bell training. I think we happened to take him out immediately after his meals so he thought he got to go play outside after meals. How can you associate the bell ring to go potty and not to play?

[@karenh8127]

I had to start it on the ground because they were to scared to approach it but Its day 1: I managed to get one of my three dogs to hit it while on the door and another one just sets his nose on it and looks at me the third is only 14 weeks old and doesn’t get it at all yet so he doesn’t acknowledge it

[@joseluisdelgado6927]

I have 2 dogs, do I train them at the same time? or one at a time?

[@KatherineK9]

One at a time 😊

[@mayankshankar1950]

niceeee

[@coniquekey8231]

This going to be a task my dog is stubborn

[@KatherineK9]

More often than not, dogs who seem “stubborn” are actually unclear on what you are asking for, or have not had enough reinforcement history (getting rewarded for the behavior) to create a reliable behavior. Break the behavior down into smaller pieces, rewarding frequently, and be sure to NOT show your dog the treat until AFTER they have performed the behavior 😊 Good luck with your training!

[@18beamer1990]

This dog was already trained to ring this bell before the video

[@KatherineK9]

No, she actually wasn’t trained to ring the bells before this ☺️ I also have a short on my channel that shows this same process with another dog and the whole thing took less than 7 minutes.

[@moreenpinto2550]

What is the clicking thing you are using and what is it for?

[@KatherineK9]

A clicker. The clicker helps to mark the behavior I like. The clicker is always followed by a treat, and allows me to accurately pinpoint behaviors. Appropriate use of the clicker actually helps establish communication that allows you to get the dog to really think about how to EARN the click+treat versus just searching for the treat itself. If I am training a behavior WITHOUT the clicker I would still need a clear marker, like a verbal “yes!” always said in the same tone. Without the use of a marker it is likely that a dog will become too “treat focused”, trying to search out treats, or determine whether you have them or not, rather than thinking about performing a behavior that will earn them the treat. For example, if I taught this behavior without the use of a marker I would need to give the dog a treat at EXACTLY the moment that they are doing what I want (ringing the bells). Not only is this difficult because the timing of getting a treat directly to the dog’s mouth can be challenging with a behavior like this, but also because delivering a treat at the moment the dog rings the bell would likely distract them from ringing it and may cause the behavior to deteriorate. Clicker training is a fun and effective way to teach your dog new things and develop a strong communication system between you and your dog 😊

[@nicolel7654]

My puppy thinks that the bells are a toy. Is there any way to get her to ring then only when she wants to go outside?

[@Ethan_Lifts08]

It is hard to teach my puppy because he keeps biting the bells.

[@KatherineK9]

Puppies are like that 😂 Be patient and try rewarding more frequently at first. Most dogs find food in their mouth more rewarding than metal bells 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@rlpolicarpio]

Hi how early you can train the dog to do this? i am getting a puppy next week and he is about 8 weeks.

[@KatherineK9]

Ruzzet Policarpio as long as you teach your puppy what the clicker is, you can start teaching them how to ring the bells right away 😊

[@ctrouble2309]

Ruzzet Policarpio how goes it? still have your puppy

[@glorialoya2724]

What's the clicker used for

[@casuallykatie8149]

Would this still work if I have the bell at the top of a set up stairs that lead outside?

[@KatherineK9]

Yes, you may just need to take the dog down the stairs and outside to potty each time to help them figure it out 😊

[@courge37]

Do you have to do all the steps in one day? And hould you repeat them all for a few days or one step at a time? Also, what if my dog barely rings the bell? 😂 Thanks 😁

[@KatherineK9]

No, you can take this process at any pace, particularly if your dog isn't showing much interest. Be patient and only move on to the next step when they have mastered the current one! Good luck!

[@Kris-nt7yp]

What's the clicking thing for? Curious

[@aimyers]

The clicker is used for marking a behavior. When the dog does what you want, you click to mark, then reward with a treat.

[@aty2604]

What is that in your hand? Is this another training device supplementing the bell?

[@KatherineK9]

A clicker. The clicker helps to mark the behavior I like. The clicker is always followed by a treat, and allows me to accurately pinpoint behaviors. Appropriate use of the clicker actually helps establish communication that allows you to get the dog to really think about how to EARN the click+treat versus just searching for the treat itself. If I am training a behavior WITHOUT the clicker I would still need a clear marker, like a verbal “yes!” always said in the same tone. Without the use of a marker it is likely that a dog will become too “treat focused”, trying to search out treats, or determine whether you have them or not, rather than thinking about performing a behavior that will earn them the treat. For example, if I taught this behavior without the use of a marker I would need to give the dog a treat at EXACTLY the moment that they are doing what I want (ringing the bells). Not only is this difficult because the timing of getting a treat directly to the dog’s mouth can be challenging with a behavior like this, but also because delivering a treat at the moment the dog rings the bell would likely distract them from ringing it and may cause the behavior to deteriorate. Clicker training is a fun and effective way to teach your dog new things and develop a strong communication system between you and your dog 😊

[@lawtonrogers9491]

that is soooo cool! is it really that easy

[@yousefyuksel8096]

No unfortunately it's not

[@christywegner3749]

None of these videos answer my biggest question though. For people in town who have to leash their dog, what makes the dog realize the bells mean potty and not go play? I have watched lots of these and they all seem to have fenced in yards. Am I missing something?

[@KatherineK9]

When your dog rings the bells grab their leash, put it on, and take them outside to their potty spot. Don’t play with your dog or go for a nice long walk, instead just wait in your designated potty spot for your dog to do their business. Once they are done, praise them and THEN you can play or go on a walk, or just go back inside 😊

[@mybenz92]

At what age and stage is a good time to start this? I'm getting an 8 week old pup.

[@KatherineK9]

SSCF S as long as you teach your puppy what the clicker is, you can start teaching them how to ring the bells right away 😊

[@mybenz92]

Thank you!

[@emilyact4248]

SSCF S as soon as you get the puppy

[@thomaskiema3111]

F.F. Fox'SFarm Of ALAPAHA BLUE BLOOD BULLDOGS

[@audreytafish5259]

When they take all their shots You can take it earlier as long as they are not near dogs?

[@racheldidia3356]

What does the clicker do? Is it necessary to have when teaching your dog to go to the bathroom outside?

[@KatherineK9]

No, it is not necessary. The clicker is just a marker sound to help identify the behavior the dog did that you liked. To the dog the clicker means "I did the right thing, now I get a treat!"

[@BeReadySelfDefense]

We live on a multi floor townhome and our little guy can't go downstairs yet. Any advide on how to adapt this?

[@KatherineK9]

You can still teach him to ring the bells and then just pick him up to take him outside :-)

[@rileygirl]

My pup was initially terrified of the bells. I sat on the floor and laid them down an rewarded him every time he approached them. Then I hung them and did the same. Then I did the treat out the door. Each time saying potty with the bells. He now rings the bell. He seems to ring when he wants to go out so that's success HOWEVER he also rings it for a treat. If I don't give him one, he rings it again. So I don't know if he's fully or correctly trained

[@KatherineK9]

It sounds like you did really great with most of the training process! Now you need to fade the treats out of the equation. Once the dog understands that ringing the bells means that the door opens for them to go outside you want to stop using treats. It sounds like this may have already become a habit for your pup though, so he may go through an “extinction burst” (trying the behavior that has previously worked; I.e. ringing the bells for a treat) as you go through these next steps: •If your pups rings the bells, calmly and quietly go and open the door for him. •DO NOT give him treats for this behavior anymore. He will likely try several times before getting the picture that the bells don’t equal treats anymore, but instead just mean that the door will be opened 😊 Good luck with your training!

[@TT-kl5nj]

How would this work if youre potty training them inside & to go onto the puppy pad?

[@KatherineK9]

If you want your dog to continue pottying inside you can still use the bells if the puppy pad is placed somewhere that your dog can’t get to on their own. If they have free access to the pads though, the bells really aren’t needed for anything 😊

[@charlotteleagan5286]

What age is best to start ? I’m getting my puppy this weekend and she will 8 weeks

[@KatherineK9]

You can start as soon as you allow your puppy to have access to more areas of your house :-) However, you can start teaching the concept right away! Positive reinforcement training is very safe and gentle, so you can use it even with puppies!

[@bb971]

Does it work the same if you’re not able to put the bells on the outside door?

[@KatherineK9]

Yes! Go through all the same steps, but with the last one (opening the door when they ring the bells) take them all the way out to where you want them to go. If you are in an apartment, do this part of the training on-leash and take them out to where you want them to potty as soon as they ring the bells. 😊 In this case, ringing the bells will actually mean that you go get the leash to take your dog out. Good luck with your training!