Ring My Bell

Getting a dog to ring a bell to go outside is very convenient and easy to teach! Follow these steps and your dog will be ringing the bell in no time.

Step 1

Sit in front of your dog with the bell behind your back and a clicker in your other hand. Then, present the bell to you dog, about six inches away from his nose and wait until he touches it. Because dogs are naturally curious, he will move toward the bell. As soon as he hits the bell with his nose, click and give him a treat.

Repeat this exercise many times moving the bell in different positions so your dog gets really excited about touching the bell.

Step 2

Once your dog is hitting the bell every few seconds, now you can raise the stakes. Now, you will no longer click and treat your dog for touching the bell, you will only click and treat when he rings the bell. Give him a few minutes to figure this out. He’s going to touch the bell and then look at you. Eventually, he’ll get frustrated and touch it harder to make sure you saw him. That’s when I want you to reward him.

Step 3

Now you are ready to move the bell to the door. Hang the bell next to the door that he will be using to go outside. Simply stand in front of the door (and the bell) until your dog goes over and touches it. At this point you can click and treat him for just touching it so he gets the idea. Then you can make it harder again and require him to actually ring the bell. Keep clicking and treating for his success.

Step 4

Once he is hitting the bell by the door every few seconds, you are ready for the next level. Now, when he rings the bell, say “Okay” and open the door and throw a treat outside. This is starting to teach him that the bell opens the door. Do this exercise for a few days.

Step 5

Now every time you take your dog to the door to go for a walk, wait until he rings the bell, then say “Okay” and let him out. You don’t need treats because his reward is going through the door. If you do this enough times, he will start ringing the bell to go outside on his own!
 

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Frequently Asked Questions - Ring My Bell

What if my dog starts ringing the bell to go outside for fun and not to use the bathroom?

Yes, this is sometimes a problem.  If your dog gets bell happy, use a cue that lets your dog know they cannot go outside at the moment like "Not now." Remember, you must keep track of your dog's housetraining schedule so you know when they do actually have to go to the bathroom and when they don't.  It can be a tricky game.

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Green Paws Training Options

We teach and practice Leave It in our Puppy Manners and Basic Manners group classes. 

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Books and Tools

You can buy bells of all shapes and sizes at www.thebellpeople.com.

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