# New Havanese ower...lots of questions!



## Lori (Mar 1, 2012)

Hi Everyone...I am so glad I found this forum. We (my husband, 3 kids ages 18, 12 and 12 and I) are brand new owners of a part havanese part shih tzu (more havanese then shih tzu) little boy puppy named Shamus. He is 8 weeks old and we have had him about a week. He is just about the cutest thing we have ever seen and has been a pretty good puppy so far. I do have some questions though.

We are working hard on potty training (using crate and bell) but he still has accidents when we allow him even just the slightest bit of freedom by setting him down in the kitchen! He does great in the kennel and will not soil it. He has even gone as long as 7 hours at night..he does not whine to go potty in the night so we all sleep through. When he is up, we are either playing with him on a blanket under supervision or put him in a playpen we have set up on our front room or in our gated off laundry room (upstairs) with a puppy pad. He will usually hold it when he is in any sort of confined place...including the laundry room where there is a pad. He won't go on the pad, he will just hold it until we take him out. But, even if we have just taken him out and he has gone pee, he will pee again on the kitchen floor 5-10 min later if we let him roam around there. It is so hard because we either have to be playing with him and keeping an eye on him, hold him or put him in one of the blocked off areas...which he hates and will start whining as soon as we put him in there. He very rarely whines in his kennel. One day he peed 4 times within a 1/2 hour period...after he had been taken outside and had gone potty. And they were not just little piddles. He went a lot every time including the times we took him out. We started just taking him out every 10 min. and he usually goes each time. This seems to work and is saving our floor but we live in Iowa and it is cold right now. (although we have had a pretty mild winter). It starts to get old taking him out every 10 min. I know it takes lots of time and patience but I was not expecting to have to take him out so often!

Questions...

1. Is it normal to have to take him out to pee so often?

2. I want him to be able to just be in the kitchen with us because that is where the door is where we take him outside to potty. How do we get him to go to the door when he needs to go out when I can't trust to put him down even for 5 min. Am I expecting too much from a 8 week old puppy?

3. Can we get him to use the potty pad in the laundry room area without messing up what we have already started with going outside? I would like him to have that option if we are going to be gone for longer than 3-4 hours and at night. How do I get him to start using it though. I saw some sprays at the pet store that you can spray on the pad to attract them. Do these work? I don't want to go backwards on our outside training! He almost always goes when we take him outside and we praise him and give him treats when he does.

Sorry for the long post. So new to all of this and I am sure I have more questions!! Thanks for any help you can give us!!

Lori


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm no expert by any means, but I do have a 17 week old so I'll give you my two cents.


Lori said:


> 1. Is it normal to have to take him out to pee so often?


We got Timmy when he was ten weeks old, yes we took him out or put him on his pee pad ALL THE TIME to pee and poo, yes every ten minutes sometimes. I tried to use a pee pad but he seemed to gravitate to doing his business outside.



Lori said:


> 2. I want him to be able to just be in the kitchen with us because that is where the door is where we take him outside to potty. How do we get him to go to the door when he needs to go out when I can't trust to put him down even for 5 min. Am I expecting too much from a 8 week old puppy?


He is young. I put Timmy's pee pad by the back door that we take him out. He does scratch on the door to let us know he has to go out, but that didn't start until about 3 to 4 weeks ago and even then it wasn't necessarily consistent. That would have put him at 14-15 weeks old before he started to do that.



Lori said:


> 3. Can we get him to use the potty pad in the laundry room area without messing up what we have already started with going outside? I would like him to have that option if we are going to be gone for longer than 3-4 hours and at night. How do I get him to start using it though. I saw some sprays at the pet store that you can spray on the pad to attract them. Do these work? I don't want to go backwards on our outside training! He almost always goes when we take him outside and we praise him and give him treats when he does.


Never used the sprays. I know someone here might fill you in on the process of leaving the puppy in the crate and only letting him out to go pee or poo and then you would put him on the pad. I'm not sure of how long you're supposed to keep them in the crate though. Don't forget the key times for peeing, take him out or put him on his pad right after he wakes up or after you play with him especially if he's running around. I think the key is being consistent, keep putting him on the pad and tell him to "go potty" and when he does throw a pee pee party, lots of praising and in Timmy's case CHICKEN, which he loves.



Lori said:


> Sorry for the long post.


No apologies, this forum is an awesome place for information, advice and support when you're ready to rip your hair out.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your baby!!!

ONE requirement though ... we love PICTURES!!! 

8 weeks old is VERY young, you will need a TON of patience and carpet cleaner! Since he is holding it at times when he is confined that is a VERY good sign!! Just remember that he is like a baby... would you expect a 2 month old baby to go pee and poo on a potty??
Keep doing what you're doing and be patient!


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

welcome to the forum.

These pups make pee-pees frequently and often.
8 weeks is quite young. It is beyond learning, at this age they are still developing the muscles around their bladder to hold it, so puppy will need a few more weeks. In Henry's case it was a full year.


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Hmmmm havanese/shih tzu.

Hava-shih? hehehe

I kid I kid.


Congrats on your furball.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

He is very young to have any or much control. I do think going 4 times in that short amount of time is alot. Two suggestions: 1. when he does go, get a little in a paper cup or bowl and put it on the pee pad. If it has the smell, he is more likely to use it. 2. He probably has a vet appointment for shots in the near future. That day, collect a urine sample and bring it with you to the appointment and mention about the frequency of eliminating. It's probably nothing, but I'd want to check it out. 
Enjoy your puppy and welcome.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Welcome to the forum we do need pictures. Your pup is very young, you have many months ahead of training, you just need to be patient and consistent and have a stress free plan for handling accidents he has along the way. It is not too late to train him to use a pad. What is important is for you to understand there is no magic bullet, house training takes time and each pup is different, don't beat yourself up about housetraining, set good habits and a foundation while your puppy is maturing, and just enjoy the eary days.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

I'd expect him to need to pee shortly after he drinks ANYTHING. If you see him at the water bowl, figure he'll need to pee within 10 minutes (maybe less for some). He'll need to poop shortly after he eats (about 10-30 minutes). And they'll typically pee after any activity. If he's been napping and he wakes up, he'll need to pee. If he's been playing for around 15 minutes, he'll need to pee. If you're playing and you see stop and kind of veer off, he's gonna pee.

As for blending outside potty training with pad training, I have no idea, but others here have done that. Just remember, if 15 minutes have passed - he's gonna pee. Rollie didn't start "telling" us he had to go until around 9ish months. Some go sooner, and some take longer.

Good luck and WELCOME! (and pics, pics galore please!)


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Lori said:


> Hi Everyone...I am so glad I found this forum. We (my husband, 3 kids ages 18, 12 and 12 and I) are brand new owners of a part havanese part shih tzu (more havanese then shih tzu) little boy puppy named Shamus. He is 8 weeks old and we have had him about a week. He is just about the cutest thing we have ever seen and has been a pretty good puppy so far. I do have some questions though.
> 
> We are working hard on potty training (using crate and bell) but he still has accidents when we allow him even just the slightest bit of freedom by setting him down in the kitchen! He does great in the kennel and will not soil it. He has even gone as long as 7 hours at night..he does not whine to go potty in the night so we all sleep through. When he is up, we are either playing with him on a blanket under supervision or put him in a playpen we have set up on our front room or in our gated off laundry room (upstairs) with a puppy pad. He will usually hold it when he is in any sort of confined place...including the laundry room where there is a pad. He won't go on the pad, he will just hold it until we take him out. But, even if we have just taken him out and he has gone pee, he will pee again on the kitchen floor 5-10 min later if we let him roam around there. It is so hard because we either have to be playing with him and keeping an eye on him, hold him or put him in one of the blocked off areas...which he hates and will start whining as soon as we put him in there. He very rarely whines in his kennel. One day he peed 4 times within a 1/2 hour period...after he had been taken outside and had gone potty. And they were not just little piddles. He went a lot every time including the times we took him out. We started just taking him out every 10 min. and he usually goes each time. This seems to work and is saving our floor but we live in Iowa and it is cold right now. (although we have had a pretty mild winter). It starts to get old taking him out every 10 min. I know it takes lots of time and patience but I was not expecting to have to take him out so often!
> 
> ...


......


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Hi welcome The idea of collecting some pee on a pad is good. When he has an accident on the kitchen floor just put the pad down to soak it up. You can also have his pin where he stays in larger with a area just for pee and poo. 
7 weeks is very young to have a puppy. If he were still at the breeders he would not be running around much yet but would be more than likely in a x pin with his brothers and sisters and maybe created at night. It is really hard to listen to a puppy cry. You can add a sock or something you have warren and put it with the pup while you are confining him. There is a really good trend started by Tom King about litter training a puppy. He starts at at much younger age but it is not to late for you to start. 
My first Havanese Maddie was a smart little rascal she always wanted out and would fake peeing for treats. We have been trying to train 4 dogs to use the bell system for about a mo now. Zoey is the only one who has it down. She rings it about every 2 min . I can say she is getter better and better at making it louder and louder


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## Lori (Mar 1, 2012)

Wow...thanks so much for all the good advice! I would really like to implement the litter box/pad with the outside training. Like I said, this winter has been mild here but could very well be another story next year and I would like to have another option. We have been taking him to the same area (under a tree in our backyard) to go pee and poop outside. Do you think if I put a pad or the pellets around the tree it would get him use to the feel of it and make him want to go to the pad/litter box inside the house? Just a thought. He really is a good puppy for being so young and little. He was the runt of the litter! 

I will attach some pictures tomorrow when I am at my other computer!!

Thanks again everyone!!
Lori


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## Lori (Mar 1, 2012)

narci said:


> Hmmmm havanese/shih tzu.
> 
> Hava-shih? hehehe
> 
> ...


LOL! A friend of mine said the same thing!!


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Lori said:


> Do you think if I put a pad or the pellets around the tree it would get him use to the feel of it and make him want to go to the pad/litter box inside the house? Just a thought. He really is a good puppy for being so young and little. He was the runt of the litter!


Hi Lori,
Me again, Shamus is very cute. Here's some info that I read about in regards to crate/house training. I found this site very informative.
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/errorless-housetraining
I did take Timmy outside to the same area to go potty and always said "go potty", I didn't bring a pad out. I found that he does gravitate to the area I took him, but if he seems distracted from peeing or pooping he does get back on track when I tell him to "go potty" so consistency with that command worked great for me, he doesn't always go in the spot I brought him, but if he goes that's good enough for me.


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## OscarsDad (Feb 29, 2012)

Welcome to the forum from another new member.

I'll echo what's already been said, adding from my own recent experience, though I can't comment on the indoor pads, since we've trained exclusively for outside (it's cold here in CT as well, but he's going to have to get used to it eventually, so might as well start now). 8 weeks IS very young as others have said, but we got our Hav at 10 weeks, and it wasn't a lot better then. My Oscar is now 19 weeks old and he just started being more demonstrative about his needs to go out to potty. Up until last week, when he started barking to let us know, we had to watch him like a hawk when he was out of his crate for any sign that he might have to go. Often his signs were VERY subtle. You need to think of this as a journey, and be prepared for accidents and set-backs. As I've read here and elsewhere, the key is being consistent, and managing for success constantly. You have to do a lot of work to minimize accidents. At this young age, the accidents are because they physically can't control themselves, so you'll have to go out often. As they get older, and develop the ability to hold it, accidents will be because they get too much freedom, and don't know that this new room which is far from their crate / food isn't the same as outside, or because they are trying to hold it and you don't see the signs in time. The other key is to be sure that if they do have accidents, you are being vigilant, and can try to catch them "in the act". If you can stop them mid-way and bring them out (or to the pee pad), this is enforcing of the desired behavior. This is where the management comes in. During this phase, if you or someone in your family can't be watching him vigilantly, you need to put him in a crate or xpen, or somewhere you know he won't have an accident. Though you might eventually want a dog that's free to roam anywhere in the house, you cannot start that now. Start with a single room or two that you keep him in consistently (for play or whatever). Soon he'll learn that these areas are not for eliminating. As you expand that area, be vigilant until he becomes reliable in those areas. Be prepared to step-back and restrict again if things don't go well. The worst thing you can do is punish "after the fact". This will lead to a dog that sneaks off to corners to eliminate, making it that much harder to eventually house train. Our Oscar does still have occasional accidents, but he doesn't try to hide it. They're always in the open, as far away from his crate as he can get in the areas he's allowed in (or areas he's escaped to when we let down our guard). Good luck, try to keep a positive attitude, and remember, it WILL get better.

Come back when you need advice about the incessant chewing. We're there now, and I'm sure I'll learn a few tricks by the time you get there.


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## OscarsDad (Feb 29, 2012)

One other thing I forgot. Make sure to get yourself a spray bottle of "Nature's Miracle". It's a spray that contains enzymes that eliminate the odor in places where they do have accidents. Not only will it save your flooring surfaces from the odor, but it will prevent him from finding spots he's already used to do it again. Dogs are definitely creatures of habit. As he gets older, you will notice that he almost always sniffs around for the "right" spot before eliminating, and that it's usually very near to a spot he's eliminated before (at least outdoors). By getting rid of the scent indoors, you prevent this effect.


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## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

"Come back when you need advice about the incessant chewing. We're there now, and I'm sure I'll learn a few tricks by the time you get there."

The excessive chewing is from teething, once they start losing their super sharp baby teeth that will calm down considerably. Make sure you have plenty of nylabones/cheweys for them.


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## miller123 (Aug 13, 2011)

when we first got miller at 8 weeks, he decided he liked to go outside evey 5-10 mins. at night he went outside 4-6 times


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