Basically, to get the dog to hit something like a bell, you get the dog to hit a target. In other words, how to get the dog to hit the bell? Target.

Some folks choose to use the actual object as the target. So, from the beginning, they would attempt to train their dog to hit the bell. However, depending on what the actual object is (i.e. it could be a light switch, a door, etc.), that can get tricky.

That's why I like using Post-It notes. Once I train Ivy to hit the Post-It note, I can stick that Post-It note on ANYTHING, and Ivy generalizes the targetting behavior. I don't have to re-teach her to hit the door, the light switch, the bell as separate behaviors. She knows it all as targeting a Post-It note. Once she understands it, I quickly fade the Post-It note and voila! It significantly speeds up training if you do a lot of targetting. If not, you can just use the bell as the target. The video shows how quickly Ivy generalizes the behavior