# Can successfully potty-train Indoor & Outdoor simultaneously?



## SherryLee

Hello everyone,

Can anyone share how they successfully potty-trained their Havs to go potty on an indoor wee wee pad AND an outside designated spot at the same time? Is this even possible? Hank will be 9 weeks when we bring him home in 2 weeks and we will be crate training him indoors for the first few days home. However, my 19 year old daughter plans on socializing him by bringing Hank to various friends houses to meet strangers AND dogs who we know are not sick.

This of course will mean she needs to adhere to bringing him to go outside every hour as we will be doing at home. However, it is obvious that this will cause him great confusion. Is there a time period where we should wait to bring him all over in the car? Or, when I can get him to sometimes go outside rather than the paper?

I read in that "Before you Bring Your Puppy Home" ebook that they should meet 100 new people in the first 3 months and between my daughter and I, we certainly have enough opportunities to do that. However, I would love to hear how others have trained their puppies successfully AND what DIDN'T work as well.

Sherry


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## Naturelover

I'm by no means an expert at this point but I can chime in as to what has worked so far with my little guy. He is 14 weeks now & I brought him home at 9 weeks. I have been bringing him lots of places as well. I bring him in his crate, and bring it into the house. This is great because if he is visiting another dog, or family with kids, he knows he has his special place to retreat to if need be. And when he gets whiny or I can't effectively supervise him anymore, in the crate with a bully stick. Before he had his 2nd set of shots I didn't allow him outside on the street. So I brought a pee pad and placed it near the crate at every home I visited. I had to be vigilant about reminding him to periodically go to the pad, but soon he started to figure out what the mobile set-up was. I also trained him to go on a pad in my hatchback trunk when he was really little and when he brought him home (long journey). 

Now, he is 14 weeks, and we don't use indoor pads anymore. We moved his indoor potty to our patio, and showed him where that was. So, he is either in his crate while I am away, and when I come home I let him out and immediately carry him downstairs for outdoor relief. Or, he is playing with us indoors and supervised, and will go over to the patio door to be let out when he has to go (or, I have to remind him when he starts sniffing and looking distracted). I thought it would be harder to stop him going in his ex-pen but he hasn't, as I usually only place him in there when I am home and I know he is empty. When I see he starts getting more active and looking to get out, I take him to his patio potty. He is pretty good about it so far and knows the cues "on your tray" and "business". We click and treat and praise every time he does it right. He still misses sometimes, like will go on the ledge on the way to the patio potty, so I just don't reward that. And when we visit friends, I usually leave his harness on and have the leash and treats ready, so I can whisk him outdoors if he starts getting the look. It used to happen that he peed so quickly and it almost seemed to take him by surprise. Now both of us are getting a little more warning time and he seems to be getting better control.

Hope that helps!


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## raeshan

I think you and your puppy can accomplish anything as long as you decide what your goals are and are diligent in helping your puppy not make mistakes.

Ginger was housebroken by 20 weeks. In our case, we never provided an indoor option. We just made every effort to get Ginger outside frequently (time was short in the beginning and longer later); after a nap; after eating; etc. She did have a few accidents, but she normally had them in her open expen. We also used the bell to have a way for her to tell us she needed to go outside. (I know this works for some, but not every dog). We got Ginger February 2nd, so the winter was brutal. 

We did have accidents along the way, but I am still thrilled that it only took 9 weeks to get her housebroken. Ginger is my first Havanese, and after hearing that they can be difficult to housebreak, I was worried that we would have a rough time of it, but we have been lucky to be able to provide consistency with her and it has paid off.

We also took Ginger to family & friends homes to visit, and I was even more diligent with getting her outside to do her business.


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## SherryLee

Thank you NatureLover and RaeShan,

That is VERY helpful information. I too plan on using a bell right from the beginning but the kind that is on the floor like a hotel bell. I think that it is an excellent suggestion to bring wee wee pads with me to different homes just in case. I will tell my daughter to have treats in her pocket to continue rewarding everytime Hankins goes where he is supposed to.

I know that he cannot walk freely on the streets outside until he is immunized but will let him go out to areas that other dogs are not.

Looking forward to more advice!

Sherry


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## Tom King

Once the pup is fully trained to the inside option, start carrying him out first thing in the morning when you take him out of his crate, and take him to the spot you want him to use. He will have to go. NO input from you until he goes, and then Much praise IMMEDIATELY after success. We don't use treats for something that they have to do anyway, and certainly wouldn't recommend treats for anyone without perfect timing-which takes experience AND understanding.

Pretty soon he will probably start to prefer going outside. Most do, but a few will not. You do the very best you can, and take what you get.

Any of them can be properly trained to go both inside and outside. All of ours do. None want to go out when it's raining hard sideways.


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## Jessx3

I just wanted to say goodluck on the potty training! We are bringing our havanese home Saturday and I am looking for tips myself! BTW your puppy is adorable, he reminds me of our little guy!!!!


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## orestis

We trained Mucho to go to a pee pad at the balcony until he got his shots. When visiting friends houses we brought wee pads with us, set them up on their balcony, and immediately get him out there and show him the pad. He would usually pee there immediately.

During our visit we got him to the pee pad frequently, and never had an issue. Sometimes we'd bring his crate so we don't have to be as vigilant. No need to have a pee pad in the crate.

We now don't give him a pee pad anymore and instead walk him out.

Unfortunately, months later it seems that he has a preference for peeing on absorbing things - he has peed on friends rugs etc a few times. So we tend to watch him a lot and don't allow him to go explore unsupervised anymore.


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## Carefulove

Orestis, that is the reason why I do not like pee pads. Bumi was pad trained when I first got him and he loved peeing on rugs at first. Once he was trained to go outside he has never peed inside again, rugs or not.
I have noticed that once they learn to go outside, they will stop going inside.


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## bigbadboss101

Good info, thanks for sharing.


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## SherryLee

Well I have had Hank for a week and a half and he is doing pretty good on the pads. What I did was shake the treat bag when I put him on the pads and tell him to "go potty". As soon as he does and get all excited what a good boy and give him a treat from the bag. In 2 days he now associates the sound of the bag with going the bathroom. My dilemma now is when I bring him with me in his crate like I have had to do the past 2 days, Hank doesn't understand how to go on the grass or the pad when I lay it outside. So he had an accident in his crate. I think what I am going to do is bring him outside first thing in the morning when I know that he HAS to go and shake the bag out there too. We will see.

My other issue is that yesterday Hank had loose stools and of course it gets all over his backside fur. What a mess!!!! I immediately had to put him in sink and wash him with shampoo and blow dry him. Does anyone cut their puppy's hair in the back to eliminate these messy issues? I don't want him to look funny but I can't keep giving him half baths everyday. Ugh!


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## krandall

Carefulove said:


> Orestis, that is the reason why I do not like pee pads. Bumi was pad trained when I first got him and he loved peeing on rugs at first. Once he was trained to go outside he has never peed inside again, rugs or not.
> I have noticed that once they learn to go outside, they will stop going inside.


I've heard a lot of dogs trained to pee pads tend to mistake soft indoor surfaces as pee spots. Kodi was litter box trained, and still uses the litter box in bad weather, though he prefers to go outside as much as possible. But he has never mistaken any other indoor surface for a potty spot&#8230; probably because nothing else indoors feels like litter!


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## SherryLee

Karen,
I think this is a great suggestion. Would you say using a litter box is cleaner? Any suggestions on inexpensive trays? I assume the litter cakes up for easy scooping out right?


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## krandall

SherryLee said:


> Karen,
> I think this is a great suggestion. Would you say using a litter box is cleaner? Any suggestions on inexpensive trays? I assume the litter cakes up for easy scooping out right?


The litter boxes I use are Rascal Dog. They can be used a number of different ways, but we just use them with litter.

You don't use clay cat litter for dogs. It would get spread all over the house with them getting in and out, and it would be very dangerous if they ate any of it. While you CAN buy dedicated "dog litter", I have found that the commercial type is TOO absorbent, and get's REALLY smelly before you can even tell they've wet it. When Kodi was young, he had a few accidents because I didn't realize the commercial litter was dirty, and he WON'T use a smelly potty.

My breeder uses wood pellets used for horse bedding (sold as "Equine Pine") and that's what I usually use. But you can also use wood stove pellets. Instead of clumping, wood pellets actually disintegrate as soon as they become damp, and puff up, making an obvious "lump" in the litter box that you can easily scoop out. I use the little pan that comes with the dustpan and brush sets meant for brushing crumbs off a table. They can often be found at dollar stores.

Poop can just be lifted off the top with a couple of kleenex, and flushed down the toilet. I wouldn't flush LOTS of litter, but a few pieces clinging to poop won't hurt anything. The wet litter is completely biodegradable, so can just be tossed in the compost pile.


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## Pucks104

You can trim a bit of the hair on your pup's backside if you wish to help reduce the number of bum baths needed.


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## Carefulove

krandall said:


> I've heard a lot of dogs trained to pee pads tend to mistake soft indoor surfaces as pee spots. Kodi was litter box trained, and still uses the litter box in bad weather, though he prefers to go outside as much as possible. But he has never mistaken any other indoor surface for a potty spot&#8230; probably because nothing else indoors feels like litter!


Karen,
Toby (who was litter trained) stopped using his litter box the minute he was fully trained to go outside. Even in bad weather, neither of them would go on the box. I went as far as putting them in the garage with the box for a few minutes to give them privacy. They would stand by the door looking at my through the glass, refusing to use it. We just have to clean a patch of snow all the time so the dogs (now dog) could go.
Bumi has held his pee for hours and hours refusing to go out during the rain, but he will not go inside, litter or pad. Toby didn't really cared much if it was raining or snowing, he would just go out and do his business. He loved sitting by the fire with me to dry!


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## krandall

Carefulove said:


> Karen,
> Toby (who was litter trained) stopped using his litter box the minute he was fully trained to go outside. Even in bad weather, neither of them would go on the box. I went as far as putting them in the garage with the box for a few minutes to give them privacy. They would stand by the door looking at my through the glass, refusing to use it. We just have to clean a patch of snow all the time so the dogs (now dog) could go.
> Bumi has held his pee for hours and hours refusing to go out during the rain, but he will not go inside, litter or pad. Toby didn't really cared much if it was raining or snowing, he would just go out and do his business. He loved sitting by the fire with me to dry!


I'm sure that would have happened with Kodi too, if I hadn't worked really, REALLY hard to maintain his understanding/willingness to use the litter box. We have SO many Coyotes around here that I've been afraid to take him out in the morning before it's light in the winter. (our yard was only JUST fenced this month) and there are times when the driveway hasn't been plowed yet that the snow is too deep for him even to get off the steps. Also, because we show, there are times we are in an upper level hotel room, and it's VERY nice not to have to put clothes on at the crack of dawn, just to take him down to potty.

So the litter box is very much for our convenience, not his. But I knew from the beginning I wanted to maintain that behavior, so really worked at it&#8230; And even so, he will RARELY poop in it, and he won't use it at all if it's not completely clean. He'll just cross his legs and whine at the door.


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## SherryLee

It is obvious from all these posts that "one size" doesn't fit all. Each have their own personalities and likes and dislikes. But, that is why I enjoy reading what each of you are sharing. I will take pieces from everyone's personal best practices.


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## Carefulove

SherryLee, I also wanted to tell you, I used a sterilite (sp? ) long flat container from Walmart (the one that would fit under a bed) and regular wood pellets during training. It was much cleaner than pads. Pellets turn to dust after a few minutes of getting wet and never smells. Poop was easy for me since I switched him to raw the minute I got him, so his poops were dry and didn't smell either.


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## lfung5

My brothers hav uses both the outdoors and liter box. He just has a large plastic liter box. I know i have seen them at Petsmart. The litter he uses is like large pellets. His dog is 100% reliable.


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## krandall

SherryLee said:


> It is obvious from all these posts that "one size" doesn't fit all. Each have their own personalities and likes and dislikes. But, that is why I enjoy reading what each of you are sharing. I will take pieces from everyone's personal best practices.


You've got the right idea. The best thing is to decide what you want to do and then stick to it. Consistency is REALLY important. (right up there with supervision and confinement!)


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## Thumper

I believe that we have done this, successfully..WITH the exception that Gucci thinks that small bath rugs and floor rugs are fair game when it comes to peeing indoors 

She's even peed on a towel on the floor (that was laid out in place of a bath rug)

I did this because we travel with her and I wanted the option of pee pads, and for her to be able to use one at night or if it was raining or snowing, etc.

I wish I could figure out how to convince her a small rug isn't a plush pee pad.. lol

Kara


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## Miss Rosa

*Both indoor and outdoor potty training-*

Dear Thumper:
There are many indoor dog toilets out there. Some you can bring traveling with you and are easy to take care of. Check out reviews for them and you come to a decision of what is good for you. Your baby is beautiful!


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## MarinaGirl

Miss Rosa said:


> Dear Thumper:
> There are many indoor dog toilets out there. Some you can bring traveling with you and are easy to take care of. Check out reviews for them and you come to a decision of what is good for you. Your baby is beautiful!


Miss Rosa - the only time you seem to participate in Havanese Forum is when you share marketing materials for Piddle Place, and you just put a link to the same site twice in your response above. In order for people to not wonder about your intentions, can you please refrain from responding to any posts on this forum regarding potty systems? Thank you!


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## Miss Rosa

I was only responding to potty training. Why do you have to be so judgmental? I read a lot of other issues on the forum too.


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## gelbergirl

Thumper said:


> I believe that we have done this, successfully..WITH the exception that Gucci thinks that *small bath rugs and floor rugs *are fair game when it comes to peeing indoors
> 
> She's even *peed on a towel on the floor (that was laid out in place of a bath rug)*
> 
> I did this because we travel with her and I wanted the option of pee pads, and for her to be able to use one at night or if it was raining or snowing, etc.
> 
> I wish I could figure out how to convince her *a small rug isn't a plush pee pad*.. lol
> 
> Kara


I've learned to no longer have have bath rugs in my bathrooms/powder rooms.
Henry thinks it's all the same too!
Now I use a pee pad in front of the toilet (to keep my feet warm and for Henry to pee on!!!!) Bath mat only goes down for me for my bath then up again when I am through. :bathbaby:


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## lfung5

MarinaGirl said:


> Miss Rosa - the only time you seem to participate in Havanese Forum is when you share marketing materials for Piddle Place, and you just put a link to the same site twice in your response above. In order for people to not wonder about your intentions, can you please refrain from responding to any posts on this forum regarding potty systems? Thank you!


This wasn't very nice......Maybe she has had great results with these potty systems and is sharing. I know I often share my favorite custom sweaters, collars, car seat harnesses etc. I don't gain anything from posting these things, I just like to share when I find something of quality that others might find interesting.


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## MarinaGirl

lfung5 said:


> This wasn't very nice......Maybe she has had great results with these potty systems and is sharing. I know I often share my favorite custom sweaters, collars, car seat harnesses etc. I don't gain anything from posting these things, I just like to share when I find something of quality that others might find interesting.


Miss Rosa hasn't been on the site in months and in 3 days she's posted links to Piddle Place 5 times. This is not new behavior; the majority of her posts since she's joined HF are to tout this product and when she includes links to it in posts that have nothing to do with potty systems then that is highly suspicious and makes me think she has a financial connection to the company. It's one thing for HF members to share the products we're happy with but no one else does what she does, which is to include links to one specific product in an excessive number of posts.


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## SherryLee

*How old before your Hav was housebroken?*

Hank is 15 weeks and when he's in the kitchen he does go on the paper. When I walk him outside he DOES go. But he still has accidents if I let him run around in one of the other rooms of the house. He doesn't get to go into the kitchen from another room yet. Wondering how old to expect him to be consistent on average that is?


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## krandall

SherryLee said:


> Hank is 15 weeks and when he's in the kitchen he does go on the paper. When I walk him outside he DOES go. But he still has accidents if I let him run around in one of the other rooms of the house. He doesn't get to go into the kitchen from another room yet. Wondering how old to expect him to be consistent on average that is?


Just like kids, I don't think there is an "average". I DO think 15 weeks is W-A-Y too young to expect it. Keep him in an area where he can be successful. If you have him elsewhere in the house, pottying is then YOUR responsibility, and you need to watch him like a hawk. *EYES ON*, *EVERY SECOND*! The more accidents you allow him to have, the more successes are necessary to counteract the accidents. So keep them from happening to start with. That's the biggest mistake people make.

A FEW people say their pups are reliable at 4-5 months. My bet is the "average" is much closer to one year, and some have a "backslide" right around a year&#8230; just when you're SURE they've got it. Be slow to expand their territory, and watch them CAREFULLY at each new expansion. At the first sign of trouble, go back to to the space they can be 100% successful in. Potty training is all about developing good habits.

Another thing people forget is that teaching them to potty in certain places (a potty in the kitchen, or out in the grass) is MUCH easier to teach than all the very many places that it's NOT alright to go. In all things, it is easier to teach a positive than a negative, and dogs don't generalize well. So just because they've learned "I do not go potty in the family room" doesn't mean they have any idea that they also shouldn't potty in the dining room.

Does that make sense? He's still a little baby, and is going to need your support for a good long time yet!


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## SherryLee

Karen,
Thank you so much for some great advice. I am definitely going to take those suggestions. And it is good to know that he is still way to young to expect him to be trained at this age. And I do have only the Kitchen designated as the potty and then also outside which I have been trying to do in the early evening immediately after he eats to establish this as a habit.

Thank you so very much!!! Your answer helped a lot.

Sherry


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## Marbel

We have been training Chloe for outside since the day we got her (May 27). So far I believe she grasps the concept and we only take her to one door to familiarize her with that location. It's our patio door. There have been several accidents, and right now I'm dealing with a UTI issue, which has interrupted our training. You do have to watch them like a hawk, you literally need 10 sets of eyes to cover your bases. Also with my Hav she sits so low to the ground, sometimes I'm not sure if she's sitting or squatting, having me jumping around every couple of minutes. I know her cues, sniffing, circling around etc. Also on occasion she'll go to the door or start going toward the door and looking back. I agree training takes time, I say a full year as well to be comfortable with her not to have an accident. It definitely takes patience. I haven't had any poo accident since early on, which is a blessing. Directly after eating she goes out and does her business.


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## krandall

SherryLee said:


> Karen,
> Thank you so much for some great advice. I am definitely going to take those suggestions. And it is good to know that he is still way to young to expect him to be trained at this age. And I do have only the Kitchen designated as the potty and then also outside which I have been trying to do in the early evening immediately after he eats to establish this as a habit.
> 
> Thank you so very much!!! Your answer helped a lot.
> 
> Sherry


Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about transitioning to outside right now. As long as you walk him outside regularly, that will come along, all on its own. It actually becomes harder to maintain the INSIDE option once they start going outside regularly. (Not that you can't do it, but you have to work on encouraging them to go indoors)

When Kodi's training backslid, it was because the weather got really foul, and he had gotten used to pottying outside most of the time. I had to do some serious "remedial litter box encouragement" to get him to realize that if it was too bad to go outside, the litter box in the kitchen was also an acceptable potty solution. His litter box habits needed to be "buffed up" at the beginning of both his first and second winter. (He was born on 4/30, so about 8 months and 20 months) Fortunately, after the first year, I was on my guard. When the snow got deep or the weather was really bad the second winter, I knew to keep a VERY close watch on him until I was sure he'd used the litter box. So there were no accidents, but it was because I helped the situation along. since that second winter, even when the weather gets bad, he remembers to use his box independently.


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## Miss Rosa

I really like the product and have no stock in it, that's all. I won't mention it.


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## lfung5

Miss Rosa said:


> I really like the product and have no stock in it, that's all. I won't mention it.


I believe you I get so passionate about products i like, people often ask if I have stock in it...LOL


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## DianaNY

SherryLee, I have that same problem from time to time. I make a point of wiping Marley Anne when ever she goes it potty. I also wipe her face and feet when ever she goes to potty. However, poo still sticks hard and fast so I often end up having to bath her. Once I even had to cut the section of her hair.

If anyone can provide suggestions on how this grooming issue can be handle I am all ears.


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