Ring the bell!

Sometimes we have trouble understanding what our dogs are trying to tell us. English is not their first language, and "dog speak" is not our first language, and as such, there can be some miscommunications between us and our furry friends. There are lots of different ways you can increase your effectiveness of communicating with your pet. One way is to teach them to ring a bell when they want to be let through a door (eg to go outside to toilet, or to come inside where it is warm).

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AIM

• Increase effectiveness of communication by teaching your dog to ring a bell to ask to go through the door

SUGGESTED CUES

• Verbal: "paw", "touch", or "ring the bell"
• Visual: point to the bell, walk near the door

PREPARATION

• Bell such as those found in reception areas or on a cat collar
  • Test it out yourself by having a person ring it in the desired location whilst you are in another room to ensure the bell is loud enough to be effective
  • Also ensure your dog is not scared of the ringing sound the bell makes by ringing it near your dog and observing its reaction
• Location near or on the door where bell can be secured, either at nose or paw height
• Decide if going to teach your dog to use its paw or nose to ring the bell
  • If you are unsure, try both methods and see what comes more naturally for your dog

RING THE BELL!
Stage 1: touch bell using paw or nose

• Paw (if you already have a paw target on cue eg for shake)
  • Hold the bell in your hand whilst using that hand to ask your dog to "paw" or "shake"
  • Bridge ("yes" or click clicker) and reward as its paw hits the bell in your hand - it does not have to make a noise at this stage
  • Now, hold the bell in your fingers so it is away from your hand, and repeat the cue
    • Bridge and reward only when they paw the bell, NOT if they paw your hand
• Nose
  • Put a tasty treat or spread on the bell, hold it in your hand or fingers, and ask your dog to "touch" or "push"
  • Bridge ("yes" or click clicker) and reward as its nose hits the bell - it does not have to make a noise at this stage
• Repeat this stage multiple times (eg 10-15) until your dog is reliably touching the bell with either its paw or nose whenever you ask it to

Stage 2: ring the bell

• You now want to repeat Stage 1 with either the paw or nose target, but only bridge and reward when they push the bell hard enough so it makes a noise
  • To start off with, they may not push it very hard or it may not ring very loudly, but reward the attempt so they don't give up trying
• Continue with this stage until they are ringing the bell loud enough that you will hear it

Stage 3: ring the bell in location

• Secure the bell in its chosen location on or near the door
• Repeat Stage 2 until your dog is ringing the bell loud enough that you will hear it
• Now, stand a small distance away from the bell and ask your dog to "touch" or "ring the bell"
  • Bridge and reward when it rings the bell
• Gradually increase the distance from which you can send your dog to ring the bell

Stage 4: ring bell and go through door

• Now, ask your dog to ring the bell, bridge and reward when it does, then open the door and allow your dog to go through, again bridging and rewarding
• Ask your dog to "ring the bell" EVERY time your dog goes through the door with the bell attached
  • You will need to remind your dog to ring the bell to start off with, until ringing the bell is a consistent and reliable predictor that the door will open
  • ALL members of the family will need to be consistent in this approach to increase your dog's chance of success

Stage 5: dog chooses to ring the bell

• If your dog happens to ring the bell when you approach the door without being asked, ensure you make a huge fuss and reward with a jackpot (=several treats) reward, then open the door and allow your dog through, again giving a jackpot reward

Stage 6: dog goes to bell on its own

• If your dog goes to the door and rings the bell when you are in a separate area, then again reward with a jackpot reward and open the door to another jackpot reward
• Over time, give less and less treats and praise as a reward, but continue to open the door and encourage your dog through
• Eventually, the only reward your dog will get from ringing the bell is being let through the door

TIPS

• Have a treat jar located nearby the bell door to make it easy to capture and reward the correct behaviour in a timely manner
• For a cheap, DIY bell, try some jingle bells from your Christmas decoration box attached to a shoelace or piece of string and hang it over the doorknob of the desired door
• If your dog is constantly ringing the bell to get your attention or food, then remove the food rewards and praise, with opening the door to be let in/out being the only reward for ringing the bell
  • This way, your dog will eventually learn that it is only to ring the bell when it wants to go through the door, not at any other time
    

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