# Help with Submission- and potty



## Forbulous (Mar 23, 2009)

My dog Molly is 18 months old and is too submissive.

I ask her to sit and she she will, but then when I put on her leash, she cowers from me, even though I have never hurt her.

When I ask her to sit when I am grooming her, she will, but as soon as I start brushing, she lays down. Even though I repeatedly remind her to sit. She won't. 

I have had her for 14 months and whenever I take her out I repeatedly say, "Go Pee, Go Pee" and she will just sit and look at me sideways, licking her lips, which I know is a sign of submission. She appears to notknow what is expected of her when I say " Go pee". 
She has learned all other commands easily, so saying "go pee" should come naturally.

I want to take her to a dog therapist to get soem ideas, but I can't afford to at the moment. 

I was hopign to pick some brains!
Jenifer


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## mikeb (Mar 11, 2009)

I am not an expert but I would say to socialize her as much as possible. Take her to places like pet stores or your credit union or to parks, maybe training class with nice dogs. Georgie is only 5 months but is getting more sure of himself every day he gets out and meets people and dogs and faces his fears. Have to make sure every experience is positive. Teach her tricks and build up her confidence and help her slowly face things she is afraid of with lots of praise and treats. Like I said I'm not an expert this is just what helped with my puppy.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Jenifer,

Bring Molly to our Troronto Hav playdate, and we will fix her up! 
Do you have many havs out in your area?

Ryan


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## Forbulous (Mar 23, 2009)

Hi Ryan, 
No, to be honest I have never seen another Havanese dog around here. 

Mike - I do take her to the local off leash park and she is great there. She can hold her own with large and little dogs....maybe take her more?


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## susieg (Aug 28, 2009)

My puppy Lola was extremely shy when we first brought her home. Not sure if that's the same issue you're dealing with because you're using the term submissive.... but I hired a trainer because I was freaking out with dealing with my first puppy. She advised me to take Lola to 5 new places a week. So I've been taking her to different shopping centers, the bank, cafes, starbucks. Sometimes only for 10 or 15 minutes. At first she would cower and hide between my legs with her tail down & was afraid of every person walking by. But after just a few weeks she is bouncing around, tail up and curious of everything & even lets some people pet her. It has really helped to build her confidence.

With the "go pee" issue.... Molly might not be associating the phrase "go pee" with the action of going potty. When you see Molly sniffing/circling/squatting and starting do her business THEN start chanting "go pee". Praise her profusely and maybe give her a small treat immediately after she goes. Soon, she will associate the phrase with going potty & getting a reward. Then you can start saying it to get her to pee as soon as you take her to her potty spot. 

Try signing up for a puppy class. This will also help build her confidence & have her associate you putting on the leash with fun times.

Good luck!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Jenifer, has she always done this? If so, I wouldn't try too hard to change her. It may just be who she is. I hung onto one of my own puppies who demonstrated the exact same behavior from the time she could walk. I would call her name and she would come to me so happy and wagging her tail, but cowering the whole time. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was a rescue dog that had been abused. She just has a very soft personality. Oddly enough, she is one heck of a bold, tough cookie with other dogs. She has a blast with my brother's large pit bull. Her behavior with humans always looks so fearful though. Molly & my girl sound a lot alike.

With my girl, I ignore the cowering and reward her for her bold behavior with me. When I call her, I say "Up" and make her reach her paws up on my thighs so I can pick her up. Now she doesn't cower with me, but tries to jump into my arms instead. With grooming, I let her lay down since it doesn't really make a difference if she's sitting or laying.

Try to teach her some other ways to compensate. It may take longer with Molly because she is an adult now and has trained herself in addition to probably being genetically wired this way. For example, when you go to put the leash on her, give her the "down" command, since she's going to do it anyway, and then "chin up" so she looks up at you. Gently lift her chin and tell her "good chin up" and slip the leash on her. Keep rewarding the good behavior and try to work around the other stuff and not let it bother you.


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## Forbulous (Mar 23, 2009)

Susie Q- good point. saying it once she is sniffing. She USED to obey, and then stopped. Now she just looks at me. Sits and licks her chops.

Molly isn't so much shy with others, she gets submissive when you try to get her do anything. You're right it does sound like she is a rescue dog, but she isn't.

Havtahava- all of your points are great, and you are right, our dogs sound the same!

Molly was born first of her litter and had to be taken to the vet as she wasn't breathing properly. I often wonder if she has brain damage from that.

I got her from my co-worker. He and his wife had started a Havanese breeding business. Unfortunately while the mother was pregnant with her first litter, his wife died. She never even got to see the puppies. 

There were 3 in the litter, and the first two were already sold. Just my Molly left. Of course my co-owrker was so distraught over his wife, that he didn't really train Molly. he had a few people come look at her, but no one bought her...so he sold her to me at 67 months old...so she was looked oafter, but not....left her paretns at 8 months, so I wonder if she was with them too long??????


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Hey Jennifer!

Welcome to the forum! Molly is pretty! We have got to see more pictures of our new pups here..... it's the rules! :wink:


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Forbulous said:


> My dog Molly is 18 months old and is too submissive.
> 
> I ask her to sit and she she will, but then when I put on her leash, she cowers from me, even though I have never hurt her.
> 
> ...


Hi Jenifer if you feel she is too timid, I can recommend one of our trainers in the Guelph area. I am from Kitchener. Oddly enough her name is Jenifer as well . She is excellent and is in the process of opening a new training centre. Here is her website.http://www.touchfreedogtraining.ca/


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

Hi Jennifer-

Welcome!

It sounds as though you and Molly are not "communicating " with each other. These are very smart dogs and I think a lot of her cowering is because she doesn't understand what is expected and she doesn't want to upset you. 

She doesn't speak English so cannot possibly connect "Go Pee"with the act of actually peeing, unless you connect the 2 by saying it as she is actually doing it, or looking like she is about to do it. Once she has the sensation of peeing and hears you say 'Go pee" a few times, she will quickly learn what you are talking about. If you say "Good pee, Molly!" and give her a treat after she does it, she'll connect that action with pleasure instead of upsetting.

It really sounds as though she has connected you being upset with her going outside and you saying things to her. All she is hearing is "blah, blah, blah" and she may be able to tell it's upsetting to you that she has no clue what the blah, blah is all about. 

Do you get upset or tense when you are grooming her? Might she sense your exasperation and try to lay down and show you she's trying to be submissive to you?


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

One more approach you might try is not to appear big when you are facing her. Never stand and lean over.....but squat to her level and let her approach you. If you must stand then turn sideways..a person is less intimidating that way. Use a soft voice but not too "wordy"--keep it simple and upbeat--like "potty" etc.

Just a few ideas.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Dora was very shy as a younger dog as I don't think her breeder socialized her with people at all. I did a lot of obedience and agility classes with her and this helped make her more confident. She was able to get her therapy dog title this way too. Although we dont really use it, it was a good goal for us. Also touch is a great command to train dogs that are scared of human hands and lay down, etc. It turns hands into games and makes them go to you. It takes patients with shy dogs but works great. I also used tugging games and to this day that is Dora's favorite play activity.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

ama0722 said:


> Also touch is a great command to train dogs that are scared of human hands and lay down, etc. It turns hands into games and makes them go to you.


 Yes, I love this command!


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## Forbulous (Mar 23, 2009)

Hi iluvhavs,

That is EXACTLY what I do! LOL...I have been waiting until she IS peeing or pooping to say " Go Pee Molly!" and GOOD pee Molly!" 

To be honest, I don't know if she gets the difference between going outside or inside.

I was thinking, maybe I should change the word? Like GO POTTY Molly! since the other word isn't working?

As for grooming, No, I don't get upset with her. She looks so pathetic laying there trying to curl up, that she breaks my heart. 
I jsut talk firmly and reasuuringly telling her to stay, and good girl. 

Dave- I used Leader of the pack with my last dog! I have been using the same lessons I learned with him. But I guess I need to go back and brush up!

Jenifer


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