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What is Dog Bell Training?
Some dog owners like to give their dogs a means to let them know when to go outside for a potty break. There are a lot of ways to do this, but one of the most common (and maybe one of the easiest) is to train your dog to use a bell as a cue.
When your dog is trained to ring a bell to go potty, they will be able to let you know when they need to go outside, taking out all guesswork and sometimes mitigating the need for a structured housetraining schedule (once most of the housetraining work is complete, that is).
Do Dog Bells Work for Potty Training?
Dog bell systems can be a fantastic solution to some dogs and some homes. It can especially be helpful for new dog owners who aren’t sure of what to look for in their dogs’ body language when discerning if their pup needs to take care of business. Some dogs will have very subtle indicators, and for a lot of dog owners, having a clearer means of communicating that need can be very helpful!
However, this type of training can actually backfire on the dog owner when their dog learns that bell means go outside, not just potty.
More often than not, I’ve seen dogs learn to use the bell do be let outside for play, watching squirrels, barking at neighbors, and other very not-potty-related things. In extreme cases this looks like a dog that rings the bell incessantly until being let out for nonsense behaviors simply because they are bored or because outside seems more interesting at the given moment.
This is especially true for apartment-dwellers and other dog owners who don’t have a designated area for their dogs to “go out and potty.” Ringing the bell can quickly become associated with going for a walk, as opposed to the dog actually relieving themselves.
I find that potty training is most effective when the dog owner takes initiative and sticks to a schedule.
Being accountable for your dog’s potty schedule is what we tend to teach at Lugaru K9 Training, but we also believe that at the end of the day it comes down to personal choice!
What is the Best Dog Bell
There are a number of different types of dog bells available that are each going to serve different needs better than others.
One bell that is going to work well for most homes is a mounted brass bell design, like the one shown below. These bells are installed into the door or directly nearby, and are a more permanent solution. What they provide better compared to other bells is that they have a loud, crisp sound.
If you own your home or are set to be there long-term, or if you have a large space and need to be able to hear the bell anywhere in your home, I recommend this bell so that you will always be able to respond, no matter where you are.
A less permanent solution is a hanging bell that attaches to the doorknob or can hang on a hook near the door. These are especially good dog bells for sliding door, because they can attach to the handle of the door without damaging any part of the area.
These dog potty bells are more renter-friendly, as well, because they simply hang on a doorknob without having to be hard-installed anywhere. Even if you don’t want the bell on the door itself (to avoid association with “outside” vs “outside to potty” from the bell ringing any time the door opens), these types of potty bells for dogs can hang on a command hook or other damage-free solution.
Finally, a tech-lover’s option: digital doorbells for dogs.
These bells have two components. One half of the set plugs into any wall outlet, and gives off a sound when the other component is pressed. The other attaches at dog-nose-height to the door, and activates the other when the dog applies pressure by touching its nose or paw.
The benefit of this type of system is that the plug-in sound portion can be moved to any part of the house where you can hear and are likely to be able to respond. If your home office is on one side of your home, and the door to the backyard at the other, you can plug the bell into a socket in your office, and know exactly when your dog needs to go out.
Each option is going to serve different people, dogs, and homes better than the others, so when you are considering training your dog to ring a bell to go potty, make sure you are selecting an option that best fits your needs.
How to Train Your Dog to Ring a Bell
The training process of teaching your dog to ring a bell to go out is going to be more or less the same regardless of which bell option you pick.
To start off, set up your chosen bell system on or near the door. I recommend attaching your bell near the door rather than directly on the door, as mentioned before. This is to avoid your dog associating the bell with going out or with the door opening for any reason. As much as possible, we want the bell to mean potty, not go out for whatever.
For about three days, take a moment to ring the bell yourself right before taking your dog outside to potty. Do not ring the bell for going out for play, or for a long walk, or for leisure time.
If you are in an apartment, make sure that you ring the bell only for quick potty breaks, not actual walks for structure, enrichment, and exercise. When you ring the bell, head straight to your quick-potty spot, have your dog go, and come right back in. Doing this will help reduce the likelihood of your dog associating bell ringing with going for a walk, and can help reduce the aforementioned doggy doorbell nagging.
After a few days of ringing the bell yourself for potty breaks, add some sort of spreadable treat to the surface of the doorbell. Not so much that your dog wants to stay there indefinitely; just enough that your dog will notice and smell it.
You can use peanut butter, wet food (if the consistency is just right), or any dog-safe food you have on hand that will stick to your doggy doorbell. Kong’s Easy Treat happens to work really well for this, as well.
When your dog goes to get the treat, the bell will ring. As soon as the bell rings, (leash up your dog, if it applies to you) and take your dog outside to their potty spot.
After a few days, most dogs will start to go over and investigate the bell regardless of whether or not treats are present. Any time your dog happens to ring the bell — on purpose or not — praise them and take them outside to potty.
It is usually a matter of a couple weeks before dogs really get the idea of what the bell is for.
While doing this, remember that to avoid unwanted associations we want to make sure that the bell always only means potty. If you need to leash up your dog to make sure they don’t get up to nonsense in the yard instead, take that time to do so. If you’re diligent and consistent with the expectations around the bell, and with a little luck, your dog should use the bell only for potty breaks.
