Potty Training Using the Tell Bell
 

I responded to someone in another thread regarding the Tell Bell potty training method and got quite a few private messages. I'm sorry about the duplicate post, but it seems a lot of people are interested.

Tell Bell - Kelston Products

Take a look at the website. I know it seems ridiculous at first but Cooper is trained 100%. The Tell Bell comes with instructional video and manual. I bought the Tell Bell when Cooper was about 10 weeks old. It took about 4-5 weeks before he rang the bell and the first time he did I was such a proud mommy!

When I took him out to potty I put his leash on, took his paw and tapped it gently on the bell and went outside. I continuously said "go potty" "coopy go potty" every time until he finally went. I always brought treats outside and made a huge ordeal when he went. If he didn't potty, no big deal. We just tried again after a short while.

I work from home so I had the time to properly train Cooper. I would take him outside about every 30 minutes or so. My vet always told me to take him about 5-10 minutes after he ate and also right after he chews on toys.

I'm sure you can purchase a regular office bell at Walmart or an office supply store much cheaper. However, I wanted all the help I could get so I bought this product.

Our puppy is bell trained and potty pad trained. When we are away, she goes on the potty pad and when we are home she rings the bell. She gets a treat once inside after going potty. Anyway, after a few months of using the bell, she got really smart.

She started ringing the bell, going outside to pee, coming back in and getting a treat, ringing the bell a few minutes later, going outside to poo, coming back in and getting a treat.

What a little smarty...unfortunately, mommy and daddy are smarties too!! =)

LOL. Yes that's the problem with the bell.

My Bella Rose is potty bell trained.
 

A trainer oncve told me that if you give your dog a treat for doing something you need to be right by it's side and giving it as soon as the job is done. If you wait until it comes in then it thinks it is getting the treat for coming in not going to the bathroom.

this is all such great info, and good point about treating immediately when they potty and not when they come in!

Tell Bell
 

Sorry for bringing up an old topic, but I just got a Tell Bell and am trying to work with Bailey with it, and have a couple problems/questions.

Bailey's almost 2 years old and has been primarily pad trained. At about 5-6 months I would say she was 90% trained, but then when I went back to work and started leaving her, even though she was confined to the kitchen while I was gone, she started peeing on the carpet when I was home. I still swear that she knows better and does it anyway, because if I see her sniffing around and say her name a certain way she'll stop and look at me, then go to her pad. Another problem I have with pads is that she seems to think rugs, christmas tree skirts, etc. are interchangeable with her pad. So I want to transition her to only going outside.

She will pee in the backyard most of the time when I take her. Many times when I work (8+ hours) and come home I see she hasn't used her pad the whole time so I take her out back to potty. As far as I know she has never done a #2 outside though. But then after initially getting home I just never know when she needs to go so she ends up using the pad (or carpet). That's why I bought a Tell Bell.

The day I started using the Tell Bell with her she figured it out and rang it herself, but she rang it because she wanted to go out and explore and not go potty. So she's still ringing it all the time to go out. So now I want to know how to get her to only ring it for potty. I know one problem is that I'm leaving out an important step of leashing her. When I go to the door with the leash she runs away from me. So a lot of the time when she rings it after she just went I ignore it. But I'm still unsure exactly when she really needs to go out to potty. :rolleyes:

I had to say this, this post made me crack up laughing. I could see my female (Josie) doing that. She is the little smartie pants.
Although they both are 90% potty pad trained and do go outside when it is not as cold as it is right now. Would it be too late or too confusing to bring in the bell? Jack is 14 months and Josie is 10 months.

I created this post back in May when I was so very proud of my Tell Bell ringing super star, Cooper. And still, Cooper is 100% perfectly trained.

My 7 month old Max is a Tell Bell ringing lunatic and trickster. He rings it all day long, whether he wants to go potty or sit outside in the sun. He rings it so hard that every single time it flips over. When I ignore him, he takes it in his mouth into another room.

He started something new last week. He and Cooper were teasing back and forth with a toy. After about 1/2 hour of play, Max gets up and slams the bell repeatedly. "Oh good he needs to potty", I think. So i get up, walk to the door, turn the knob and open it. Cooper and I go outside while Max darts back to where Cooper left the toy!! He now tricks Cooper and myself to open the door so he can get his toy.:rolleyes:

So this morning I decided start over by treating him every time he rings and potties. I'm hoping starting over will help. Also now, when he rings the bell I take him out and after 1 minute if he doesn't potty, he comes back in. If he goes out to sit, he comes right back in.

I have read the same thing in many training books, that the reward needs to be given instantly, otherwise the dog won't connect it with the desired behavior. My experience with my 2 boys has been that if I give praise immediately and say "How about a treat?," the dogs know what they are being treated for when they trot to the kitchen to receive their reward. They know they aren't being rewarded for going to the kitchen.

Max, don't tell your mommy, but I think you are very clever and funny. :D Teeheeheee. Maybe you shouldn't tell Cooper either.

Max will potty outside then run to me for his treat. Should I give it to him standing beside him while he's pottying? I actually tried that and he stops mid-stream to eat the treat and then doesn't finish pottying.

I think you should wait until he is finished and let him run to you for his treat. That is what I do with my boys and they know they are being rewarded for the potty action.