I don't know about you, but I find a dog standing silently by the door until I notice is fighting a losing battle.  I have to be alert all day at work, the last thing I want to do when I get home is be on high potty alert.  Not all dogs will bark to be let out, and Scott isn't a big fan of the scratching at the door, so my solution was the Good Dog! Tinkle Bells.  Now our puppy, Argus, knows to ring the bells at the door whenever he needs to go out, and I know I need to wake up when the bells ring.  It's a win-win situation! 

How do I encourage my dog to use
Good Dog! Tinkle Bells?                                              

 It's actually a pretty quick and easy process.  If your dog already knows to go to the door to let you know he needs to go out, simply point to the bells and make sure he touches them before you open the door.  Argus uses his nose to gently nudge the bells for a first notification, if I don't move as fast as he thinks I should, his next step is to swat them forcefully with his paw. 

We wouldn't recommend that you reward your dog with a treat for using the bells - your dog will quickly learn that ringing the bell produces a treat, and will ring the bell all day long.  The opening of the door should be the treat!  

Our dogs sleep in our bedroom with us and are not crated at night, so we have Good Dog! Tinkle Bells on our bedroom door as well. 

If your puppy is brand new and you haven't started potty training yet - there are entire books on the subject, but here's what we found works the best for potty training.  Vigilance is key.  We don't start our puppies with puppy pads or newspapers, as we don't want them to think it's okay to go ANYWHERE inside the house.  The moment we bring the puppy home, we stay outside with the puppy until he goes potty, then we give him praise and accolades as though he has just finished a marathon.  We continue to watch the puppy vigilantly, taking him out after he's eaten or had any water, after he wakes up from a nap, and every few hours throughout the night, depending on age.  We make sure he touches the bells before each of the jaunts outdoors, or, if he's especially young, WE will ring the bells before he goes outdoors so he associates the noise with the door opening.