The bell on the door

Potty training your puppy is a challenge. Clear communication between you and him will make the process easier. If you teach your puppy to ring a bell attached to a door, he can tell you every time he needs to go out. Here are the steps:

1. Take your puppy out the same door every time you take him outside for a potty break. Within a couple of days, he will know that when that particular door opens, he gets to go outside - which most puppies love to do. Most likely he will start gravitating toward that door when he has to go potty.
2. Get a bell. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, only something loud enough for you to hear throughout your house. And don't make it so big your puppy can't easily set it ringing with paw or nose.
3. Hang the bell on the "go outside" door knob at puppy-nose-height. Or hang it on a hook on the wall or even from the ceiling. The only thing that matters is that your puppy can see the bell as he approaches the door and can ring it with paw or nose without jumping.
4. When you get ready to take your puppy outside for a potty break, put on his leash, approach the door, and jingle the bell(s). Your puppy, being the curious sort, will most likely touch the bell with his nose. If he does (even if it doesn't ring), open the door and your happiest voice, with a spring in your step, take puppy with you, telling him he is brilliant for ringing the bell. In most cases, the only reward he will need is being outside with his person.
5. Repeat until your puppy rings the bell on his own.
   
   
   

    

   
   

   This "cow bell" (above) is a bell worn by hunting dogs on their collars and works well as an inexpensive "bell on the door". Attach with twine.

   
   

   

   And then there are the designer versions - lots of options available online. 

   
   

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