For dogs and humans to happily coexist, it is critical that the dog is trained to potty outside, and not in the house. I have found the most effective and least frustrating way to toilet train a puppy is by using a Training Bell, and of course I recommend the one at www.gizmo2wizmo.com in conjunction with crate training. Crate training is particularly helpful when your dog is left in your home while you are away at work or school, but is useful even if you are home most of the time. More on crate training later.

So, to teach your puppy to use a potty training bell to go outside, here is what you do:

1.  Take your dog to the door adorned with the Gizmo2wizmo Puppy Training Bell. Say to your dog “Go outside” (or whatever your phrase is – just use the same phrase every time).

2. Before opening the door, take your dog’s paw and use it to tap the Gizmo2wizmo so that it rings.

3. Praise your dog and open the door to let him or her outside.

4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 at regular intervals daily and consistently until your dog uses the Gizmo2wizmo dog potty training bell on his or her own. The necessary frequency of these intervals really depends on the dog. If you are training a puppy under 6 months old, I recommend starting with every hour or so. If your puppy has no accidents between outings for at least a day, then increase the interval to 2 hours. If your puppy has no accidents between outings for at least a day, then increase the interval to 3 hours, and so on.

Remember that puppies typically cannot control their bladders for more than a few hours until they reach about 6 months of age. So, you must be present to let your dog outside when he or she needs to go potty if you wish to avoid having potty messes in your home. Some dogs are more difficult to train than others, but consistency is the key!