Vet Q & AHow do I train my dog to ring a bell when he needs to go potty?
Dogs can be taught to ring a bell easily to go outside. Such bells are easily found in pet stores or you can get something from a craft store or farm store. As long as it can hang at his level to reach it and you can hear it easily within the house, it'll work. Keep in mind that a younger dog can only hold his bowels and bladder reasonably for as many hours as he is months old, so 4 months= 4 hours.
Start by showing your dog the bell. Then show him the bell and only feed him a treat when he rings the bell by touching it.
Hang the bell by the door that you want your dog to use to go out and show him the bell. Give him a treat when he rings it. Once he is ringing the bell by the door each time you point to it, go on to the next step. Put the bell away when you are not practicing with it.
Put your bell up by the door. Let him watch you as you place a treat outside the door. Close the door and then point to the bell. When he rings the bell, open the door and let him get the treat. Once he rings the bell right away when you place a treat outside go on to the next step. Leave the bell in place by the door.
Next time you think he has to potty, go with him to the door and point to the bell. When he rings it, open the door and let him potty. Reward him with a treat when he finishes. Each time you let him out to potty, ask him to ring the bell first and feed him a treat when he finishes.
Leave the bell on the door and when he rings it let her out to potty. If he starts to play or dawdle outside, bring him in. This will prevent him from ringing the bell when he sees a squirrel (or at least prevent him from learning that he can get you to let him out to play instead of just to potty)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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