Bell training????

Welcome to the forum!

I used clicker training to do this.  If you're not familiar with this method, there are lots of resources out there and many folks here could also elaborate.

I recommend the book The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller.  It goes step by step through using clicker training to teach a lot of different commands.  It has instructions for this exact thing...ringing a bell to go outside.  I used her instructions to teach my dog Harry how to do this.  Now he's a bell-ringing fool, lol!

Good luck!

 Bell training backfired for me. She rang it just to go out and play. My theory is she doesn't tell me when she needs to go, I do.

 I know someone who taught her dog to do this. She taught him touch with his nose first, then transferred it to touching the bell. To make sure he didn't just ring it whenever he liked they pushed him outside whenever he rang it and shut the door on him. No bells for coming back in!

Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjW8Neb-2c

It's not instructional, but it does have a freaking adorable Keesie puppy ringing a bell in it.