# Please help! (potty training)



## Blondie13 (Mar 27, 2011)

Our Havanese, Tim, is 10 months old and is everything you would expect from a dog.........other than one small detail he is not very good at potty training we have tried everything from the special mats to make him go to putting a outside where he should go but, he still doesn't understand the idea for him to go outside. So, we are asking for advice for those who have had or are having the same problem with there Havanese or family pet.

Thank You,
K.S.


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

maybe you need to get back to basics. sometimes too many things can confuse our little guys. questions: how many hours can he go before having an accident? are you taking him out enough times and giving him enough time to pee each time?


----------



## ilovemyhav (Aug 23, 2010)

i got my first havanese when he was 8 weeks and we started training him the day he got home. we initially started with the pee pads and then as he got older we took him outside. he really started to get the hang of it, as when he was done we would make a huge deal have a potty party and give him treats for his good work. he was fully housebroken by 5 months. we used natures miracle pee pads, and also simple solution puppy training spray (from petsmart) it has a scent that draws dogs to the spot where he should go. you could also try paying attention to where he goes the most and put a pee pad there. what you should try doing also if possible if take him outside and remember to always use a go word like "go potty" or "hurry up". dogs feed off of how you're feeling so you have to feel and trust that they can do it to help them feel like they can. i hope this helps. we just got another puppy and after the first day he goes to his pee pad when he's in his x pen.


----------



## Blondie13 (Mar 27, 2011)

When we go outside he does his business most of the time if we use the command "go potty" he goes but, sometimes we bring him back inside and he goes instead 
Another problem is maybe because we are often not home till 6 pm he is confused when and where to go and he shows no sign of when he has to go


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

you might need to give your pup more time outside. que words are great but remember, their still puppies. can someone come home during lunch to let your pup out? django pees 2x sometimes when he's outside.

everytime we took our dog as a puppy out to pee, we had a bell by the door. when he would go to the door to pee, id ring the bell and say lets go outside and go potty. within a few days, he was ringing the bell to go out to pee. we also made a big deal about things when he peed and gave him a treat when he came in the house. our dog was easy to train but we took baby steps and kept things simple.. 
maybe take your dog out several times on a day you are home and log how often she actually pees. this could give you a better indication of how long she can actually hold it.


----------



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Blondie13 said:


> When we go outside he does his business most of the time if we use the command "go potty" he goes but, sometimes we bring him back inside and he goes instead
> Another problem is maybe because we are often not home till 6 pm he is confused when and where to go and he shows no sign of when he has to go


Tim sure is cute (that's him in your profile pic, right?)!

Did you just get him, or has this been an ongoing problem? I am no expert but I would say, if you just got him, go ahead and give it some time, and be patient but vigilant. Follow what the training books say to a T every time you can - try to take him out often, praise vigorously when he goes outside, etc. (We, like django's parents, also use the bell-on-the-door and it works very well...) From what I hear - and our experience so far (which granted is less than a month) has been no exception - potty training is often the most difficult part about having a Hav. Also, what is his setup when you are not home? X-pen with a pee pad? In other words, does he have a consistent place to go potty during the day? Try experimenting with your indoor set up as well - if he doesn't seem to like the pee pads you can try the indoor turf thingie, or a doggie (not a kitty) litter box, try the pee spray stuff mentioned above - anything that can get him going in one spot inside when you are not home sounds like it would be progress (and in my experience, and from what I have read here on this forum, it will not confuse him when it's time to go outside). Oh and I am sure you are already doing this but it would remiss of me to not mention it - make sure that you are cleaning up his messes completely, along with some sort of cleanup spray (the opposite of the puppy pee spray lol), or vinegar works (and is what we use), wherever he goes in the house where he is not supposed to.

Finally, you said he is 10 months old - is he fixed? If not, could he be marking? -just a thought... 

If, on the other hand, you have had him for a while and nothing seems to be working, I would suggest bringing in an experienced trainer or dog specialist who can help both you and Tim figure out why the house training isn't working, before you both get too frustrated.

Just my thoughts. Let us know how it goes!


----------



## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

I think I'm confused by the email...does he pee on the pads and you are trying to train him to go outside now? If you don't get home until 6pm how long is he confined? Are there pee pads available for him to use during the day when you are not home?

I did not have success training on both.....they caught on really quickly once I did away with the pee pads and only took them outside...my vet advised agaisnt the pads...she said what you are actually doing is training them to go inside your house and how can they tell the difference between a pad and carpet......BUT I know there are alot of people who have success with them and use them instead of going outside. 

I had a collie years ago who was newspaper trained and with her I just moved paper outside and slowy decreased the paper size until she learned to go just outside.

Both of mine were potty trained between 6-7 months, which I think from reading about the subject on here that seems to be about average. 

Judi


----------



## Blondie13 (Mar 27, 2011)

Thank you all for your advice.Yes that is Tim in the photo. This is an ongoing main problem for 7 months for him to go poo outside or on the pads he doesn't really have problems with going pee. We have used the doggy litter box (he chews the pellets and never goes) and the spray we have used doesn't catch his attention. 

Yes, Tim does have mulitiple pee pads when we are not home and water. Unfortunately, we can not be here during lunch time. We keep him in the kitchen and only the kitchen when we are gone.

We have the bell on the door and we have tried using it but, he doesn't catch on to the idea.


----------



## Blondie13 (Mar 27, 2011)

Also, we are a bit worried about this because we caught him laying on a pee pad and chewing a bone, that doesn't seem normal to us. What should we do?


----------



## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

Had he done anything on the pee pad or was it a new one?


----------



## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Blondie13 said:


> Thank you all for your advice.Yes that is Tim in the photo. This is an ongoing main problem for 7 months for him to go poo outside or on the pads he doesn't really have problems with going pee. We have used the doggy litter box (he chews the pellets and never goes) and the spray we have used doesn't catch his attention.
> 
> Yes, Tim does have mulitiple pee pads when we are not home and water. Unfortunately, we can not be here during lunch time. We keep him in the kitchen and only the kitchen when we are gone.
> 
> We have the bell on the door and we have tried using it but, he doesn't catch on to the idea.


 I have a 8mo old and a 5mo old both do much better pooping if I run them. If you cant do it outside throw a ball for about 10 to 15 min then go outside it works every time for me.


----------



## Blondie13 (Mar 27, 2011)

No it was plain no do-dos on it.


----------



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Blondie13 said:


> Also, we are a bit worried about this because we caught him laying on a pee pad and chewing a bone, that doesn't seem normal to us. What should we do?


I think that laying on a pee pad is not a reason to be worried by itself... BUT, if you have been working on this for 7 months as you said before, then, as I said before, it _might _be time to bring in a professional.

I know that professionals are expensive, but in the long run, it will be worth it - the *right *trainer or dog behavior specialist will be able to show you how to help Tim realize that he should be going outside, and will also be able to help you to help Tim to realize that. And there is no shame in this - our baby Ceylon (13 1/2 weeks) has no problem right now with peeing outside, but he doesn't seem to consider pooping inside as a bad thing, no matter what we do... and if it keeps up, we will definitely hire a professional as well...


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Keep the pup tethered to you at all times. Watch him like a hawk! And learn his body language and soon you will know what your pup wants. Have Poo Parties! Praise! Praise! Praise!


----------



## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Our boy puppy was not really interested in using the pad to pee or poop. Instead he was happy to shred the pad.

He's just turned one year old, and he is wearing a belly band in the house while we are working on the string of bells at the door. Excitement and praise alone have not worked, so we are trying treats for both him and the almost 2 year old girl [who otherwise barks at me [to go outside, for an empty water bowl, when there's a strange dog walking by on the sidewalk]. sigh....


----------

