Training Your Dog To Ring a Bell To Go Outside

You may have seen this online as it is becoming more and more popular. A dog rings a bell near the door and this signals to us that they would like to go outside. This can be a super helpful signal to avoid any unexpected accidents inside the home.

Fi's dog trainer, Or Nessim, provides some instruction on how to help teach your pup how to try and accomplish this.

The trick to teaching your dog to ring a bell when they want to go outside needs to be taught separately and then integrated together. This means your dog needs to first master ringing the bell and then comprehend that ringing the bell means going outside.

To start take the bell in your hand and say the command “touch” and hold it as close to your dog as possible. Once your dog touches the bell with their nose or paw say “yes!” and give a treat reward. Repeat this step until your dog touches the bell right away when you say “touch.”

After your dog has mastered touching the bell when you hold it in your hands,
you can transition to simply pointing at the bell when it is hung in a location they can reach and by saying “touch.” Follow the same steps to mark and reward them.

Once your dog understands how to touch the bell, begin to open the door and call your dog to go outside after they touch the bell. When calling your dog to go outside, say it in a positive and playful tone so they will be inclined to continue touching the bell. When accomplishing the desired behavior, treat your dog with a valued reward.

Repeat this step several times till they have fully recognized how to ring the bell.