Ha! Yeah, Thor's bell experience was very similar.
I'm happy I tried it because the training I used to convince him to touch the bell ended up being a huge help in teaching him to shake hands, but I had to give up eventually.
I also got a counter bell because at the time, the only potty bells I saw were ridiculously expensive and not long enough for a tiny guy like Thor to reach. FYI, someone here on YT sells very cute ones now. Anyway, I got Thor to the point where he wasn't scared when
*I* rang the bell, as long as he was a safe distance away.
I started doing training sessions with him where I would reward him when he touched the bell. One day, just like I planned, he accidentally rang the bell. He was scared out of his wits, but I gave him a fantastic treat and praised him to the skies. After that, he was willing to touch the bell, but he was super careful not to touch the scary top part. He acted like he was defusing a nuclear bomb.
I also realized that Thor doesn't like to go outside when the weather is bad, and there was a good chance he would choose to sneak off and relieve himself indoors if it was raining. So yeah, the bell is over.
I still think it's a really cool idea, though!