You can also buy a product call the "Tell Bell". It sits on the floor near the door. You tap the top of the bell to ring it (kind of like the bells at a store where you "ring for service"). Before bringing your dog out, take his paw and use it to tap the bell.

There is a website with a video.

Good luck! :)

For me, bell training was probably the best thing that I did. I wish I would've tried it when Sasha was first starting potty training. For her during her stages of taking her out every half hour or so, before we left, I would stop in front of the door, pick up her paw and have her hit the bell while saying "go potty." I would then take her outside and if she went, she'd get a treat. I kid you not, within 2 days she was going up to the door and ringing it herself. During the summertime, it would get annoying at times because she would ring the bell and then just go outside to run around. She eventually did learn though that ringing the bell was for pottying only.

I have tell bells on my site. They are on sale for $20. + $5 shipping. Usps has been having issues so if anyone has problems when it calculates the shipping just let me know. Thanks!

My boy is fully potty trained but I wanted to try this as well. The reason is my boy doesn't bark. The way I know he needs to go out is he just stares at me. Mostly he will put his paws on my lap and just stare at me. I am like can't you just run over to the door and bark..lol.. I am going to try the bell.
I have heard some say they like to go out so much they will ring the bell all the time. So for now I just have my boy on a good schedule and that is when he goes out. :D

OK, I just hung the bell earlier today... when he wakes up from his nap, we're going to take him outside and and ring it for the first time! I hope he's not scared of it... maybe for the first few times, we'll give him treats for ringing it, so he associates it with something good?

Here's a picture of it - it's actually meant for a parrot cage, but it rings pretty loud, and has a slightly fun looking "cage" around it that's a little soft. Gosh I hope this works! Please, anyone who has done it already, please chime in and let us know how you went about it. And thanks to everyone who has already replied. :-)

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Lauren & Nikko

Just wanted to say good luck! I'm sure if you're consistent, you're little one will pick it up in no time!

Hmmm... ok, so I do need some advice now, definitely.

We went out to pee earlier, hit the bell with his paw before we walked out the door (and gave him a treat for hitting the ball so he wouldn't be scared of it, just in case). Yay, he then pottied outside and got another treat immediately after the pee.

Then we let our fluffy little empty bladder run around and play for awhile once we were back inside. He obviously was NOT scared of the bell. Twice he went over to the bell and rang it, just for fun I think. Both times we happily squealed "outside! outside!," scooped him up, and took him outside. But obviously he didn't have to pee since he'd just peed, so we brought him back in within a minute or so, tops. After that, we decided to just keep him away from the area of the kitchen with the bell, by distracting him away from it a bunch.

Am I doing the right thing so far?

Lauren & Nikko

Sounds like you are doing good. Once they figure it out they will ring the bell to go out if they like being outside mine did. Even now that it is cold today he wanted to go out often because of a biscuit he left outside. So the distraction will help but try to remember the time interval for the next potty break so that you can do the bell thing. Next week you will be telling us ow easy it was. :)

LOL Roseanderson - I'm praying you're right. He's only 15 weeks old, so my hopes aren't too high... but I am REALLY looking forward to the day he doesn't need constant supervision or a crate and can roam around freely. Believe it or not, I actually have another life besides constantly watching Nikko, and I'm starting to miss it! :-) But on the upside, we have a maximum of one accident a day, and some days none at all.

I think introducing him to the carpeted areas will be the hardest part... our carpet looks really great to chew on, and I've spilled water on it before - you can't even tell it's wet unless you step on that part. Weird stuff, like a medium brown very long berber that's had all the loops cut. So we'll see...

Thanks for the encouragement.

Lauren & Nikko

Oh Lemonlauren 15 weeks is early in the training but from what you say he is doing well......I do admit that I did not have alot accidents as I was home and it was easy.....but you are right it does take alot of your time and it may be helpful to crate when you cannot watch him......while my boy can hold it pretty much and is trained my girl that I got at 7 months can't hold it long and doesn't ring.....she is getting it but will stoop and go if we forget the time interval....so I know the feeling....lol......rain can be a problem but snow not so much.....:)

trying to bell train
 

Hi! I have a 12 week old baby girl yorkie and I just got the bell. I did hang in on the door, and when we go out I take her paw and push the bell. So far I think it kind of freaks her out, but I am hoping that she will get used to it. She does use a pee pad that is by the door, however, sometimes she will just go pee on the carpet. It's like she knows to use the pee pad, but then she will also pee elsewhere. I don't get it. Anyway, I am praying she will catch on to the bell ringing. I think I will try adding a treat when she does pee - maybe that will help. I just pray she will eventually ring that bell! thanks for all the posts on this subject.
Lucky and Hayleys mom

Luckymom, good luck! Almost everything I've read says a good treat is essential, and a "special" potty treat is a good idea too. Nikko has a super special treat (Kona's Chicken Chips) that he only gets if he pees or poops in the right place, and I give him one immediately after he's done with his business, while we're still outside, along with a little party of praise and verbal happiness. He seems to be coming along... we haven't had an indoor accident in a few days, and earlier today I knew he wanted to poop because he very subtly (around the same time he normally poops, so I was already clued in a little) stopped playing with me and walked halfway over to the door and the bell.

BTW, Nikko seems a little freaked out about the bell too, and I do the same thing with ringing it with his paws right before we go out. He's rung it a couple times totally on his own, but with no relationship to needing to go out. But I took him out for a minute or two anyways - he's gotta learn that bell-ringing = going outside!

My fingers are crossed for both of us, and all the other people who are attempting the bell training. I sounds like such a good idea in theory - I just can't wait to see it in practice here at our house!

Lauren & Nikko

Lemonlauren,
thanks for the fast reply. I am definitely starting the treat reward thing. Unfortunately it is supposed to drop to 22 degrees tonight and stay really cold for the next several days. We are expecting snow too - I just hope this doesn't hinder my training (I live in Oklahoma). But yes, I pray that you and I both get our pooches to figure this bell thing out. Hayley only weighs 1 1/2 pounds (she is 12 weeks), so the whole thing is kind of funny. But I will not give up! ha THANKS!

This happened to me tonight!!! after about 10 days of having him touch the bell before going out, and getting him to not be scared of the bell. He finally went to the door without me there and rang it. I did have an eye on him from afar and I was like..hmmm..i think he is thinking about it. And then we heard the little jingle and my husband and I jumped for joy and took him straight outside.
I am soooooooooooooooo proud of the little bugger!

for those of you that have young puppies i would say don't give up hope. My puppy is two years old and i would say it took a full year to get him 100% trained. And now that we moved he back slided a bit, hence starting this bell training. It just takes them longer b/c they have pretty small bladders so they need to be really mature to control them. So try not to get frustrated (trust me I KNOW it is difficult) and just hold out hope that when they're a little older they will get it ;)

Aw, congratulations! How wonderful!!! Nikko's still a bit freaked out by the bell, but we're still trying... :-)

Lauren & Nikko