# 7 week old lifts leg



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

One of our 7 week old males just lifted his leg to pee standing in the middle of the litter box. I don't remember ever seeing one this young do that.


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## Melissa Miller (Aug 2, 2006)

Oh my goodness! 
Stogie is 10 months and he still doesnt lift his leg. 
Do all male dogs eventually do it? Stogie just stretches out!

I would be just fine if he never lifted his leg!!!


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## murphy (Sep 19, 2006)

i HAVE A 9 MONTH OLD WHO LIFTS HIS LEG IN THE HOUSE... ON THE WALL! hELP! aRE THESE DOGS HARD TO TRAIN OR IS IT US?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

To me, Havanese are very easy to train. I can have an eleven week old pottying on command. But we start them as soon as they can toddle--around 3 weeks or so they will leave their bed to go to the potty area, whether paper, or litter, or piddle pads. As they age their area gets larger. They don't want to mess up their bed if they have somewhere else to go. Puppies raised on grates or raised floors, as is typical in puppy mills and pet stores, have no reason to not just let it fly anywhere.

But potty training and house training are separate issues. A lot of people think that when a puppy is so good at going in a potty area in an expen, that they are house trained. Problems arise when even such a potty trained puppy is allowed free range in the house not under constant supervision. The next step for us after an enclosed expen, is to open one side and see if the pup will go back in to find the box. But then you need to constantly watch and be in tune to any signals that the pup needs to "go". If it looks like the pup is going to have an accident, it is IMMEDIATELY picked up and placed in the box. It's much better in the long run to not allow such accidents to happen. Boys usually start to circle before they poop and will sniff around for a place to pee. You might only have 3 seconds of warning but that's why they have to have constant supervision when loose until they are housetrained. When there is a problem you have to go backwards on the size of the area allowed. 

The answer to house training problems is ALWAYS--too much freedom. 

Havanese are a lot like Arab horses. Both are very intelligent but creatures of habit. Once they learn how to do something one way that's the way they want to continue to do it. I guess "harder" is not necessarily the right word but it takes MUCH longer to retrain one than to correctly train one to start with.

We're baby sitting for a couple that just bought a puppy from us a few weeks ago. They had one of the first Havanese from Goodale and this is their second one. The pup is now 12 weeks old. They have been training her to go outside. She's very consistant. As soon as she wakes up or well into a play session, we take her out. She stays in an expen in the living room (except when she's out playing)with a litter box, which she was trained to before she left here but she prefers to hold it and go outside.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Here is the question: Do males learn to lift a leg from other males or do they just know to do this? Dexter is almost 6 months and still stretches out to pee.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Maryam said Pablo never lifted his leg until he saw other dogs in Germany do it. Jackson is 1 1/2 (tomorrow, actually  ) and has never done it TG! But he was humping away at a very young age, so I think some things are just inborn LOL. 

Tom, sounds like you have a little stud there!


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## murphymoesmamma (Apr 1, 2009)

*Lifting leg*

I think male dogs just are born with the urge to lift their leg to pee! My Murphy Moe is 7 months old and litter trained, but I definitely agree that constant supervision is the key. Murphy was doing great at home but when he was at my company I was having problems. I realized that it was because he had too much freedom here. I now keep reminding him to use his pan and go after him if he leaves my office. I also have to watch him when he is in the warehouse as I can actually see the thought entering his mind that the boxes look like a great place to lift his leg. I then say "Murphy don't even think about it!" and he gets the most hang dog expression on his face. Once they get the idea of where it is that they are allowed to go it really does get easier but you have to watch them constantly! Good luck with the training!


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## Mick-a-doo (Jun 1, 2008)

I have 2 males that are 1 year apart. Mick the oldest (he will be 2 in June) didn't lift his leg most of the time. He just squatted and went. Sully(1 in June) was lifting his leg from the day I got him. He was so cute with his stubby little leg about 1" off the ground. It was the cutest thing. Now both of them lift their leg, except Mick occasionally still just squats. So I am not sure if Mick watched Sully and decided if he lifts his leg I will also. They are so much alike but sooo different in many ways. They both potty trained easy, Sully seemed to just "get it" real quick, I think having a big brother helped a lot. During the day while I am at work (only 5 hours) I have a pad set up next to a piece of wood just in case. They have used it a couple of times but usually they both wait until Mommy comes home and lets them out. So I have no advice about training just sharing what my guys do!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

what? no pictures of this macho-hav? come on Tom---indulge us with some puppy pictures.


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> Maryam said Pablo never lifted his leg until he saw other dogs in Germany do it. Jackson is 1 1/2 (tomorrow, actually  ) and has never done it TG! But he was humping away at a very young age, so I think some things are just inborn LOL.
> 
> Tom, sounds like you have a little stud there!


He actually lifted his leg AFTER he was neutered. He was literally staring at a dog lifting its leg in front of him and did the same 1.5 min later. I freaked out on him and didn't allow him to do it again. Well, then he saw 55,000 other males in Germany lift their leg and we both went 'the heck with squatting', LOL. I have never seen him mark inside though (on an outside deck with plants yes, but not inside). He will occasionally still squat, including the last time he peed on his pad (ca. 6 months ago).


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Lifting leg is a learned behavior. Kubrick has only done this twice in his life. Once it was inside on a pee pad... I freaked out at him and he's never tried it again inside (or outside really with the exception of that one other time). The second time was in California at my mom's house where he did it in the backyard (she has two cats and we thought that was why). Other than those 2 times, he's always squatted to pee and he's turning two years old at the end of this month. Hitchcock still squats to pee, but he's only 4.5 months old.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Wow, this is an old thread. I don't even remember which puppy it was without looking up the date in the litter records. Pam would probably remember but she's out shopping. We have a number of pets out there who never lifted a leg. We are baby sitting for one this week who is nine years old and he still stretches out like a puppy.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Scooter began doing it one day and still does, but he doesn't lift it up high so he looks silly. Murphy still squats!


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Beamer is just over 2 years old and he still does the puppy stretch.. have never seen him lift his leg before.. its kinda funny.. lol

Ryan


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I love the "puppy stretch" - great name - and Ricky did that all the time until we had both him and Sammy watched for a week last Aug. while we were on vacation. It was in a home with another male Hav (all 3 neutered) and Ricky came home lifting his leg at everything!! :frusty: He still squats, but he also lifts his leg. 

Sammy's always lifted his puny, scrawny leg and it's a hoot to watch! ound:


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

As for humping...Dexter started that a very early age. He occasionally tries to hump his favorite toy.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Tom King said:


> Wow, this is an old thread. I don't even remember which puppy it was without looking up the date in the litter records. Pam would probably remember but she's out shopping. We have a number of pets out there who never lifted a leg. We are baby sitting for one this week who is nine years old and he still stretches out like a puppy.


Ha ha, Tom! I didn't even look at the date . . . thought you were bringing along a new macho man. That's not the first time I have started reading a thread and realized it is two or three years old LOL


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I don't see the problem with dogs liftng his legs to pee/mark when they are outside.* None of my males, I have two now and had two before* one of which was an entact shepherd, ever lifted the leg in the house.* It doesn't bother me at all when they do it outside, to me it seems normal dog thing to do. I see females do it as well.


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

juliav said:


> I don't see the problem with dogs liftng his legs to pee/mark when they are outside.* None of my males, I have two now and had two before* one of which was an entact shepherd, ever lifted the leg in the house.* It doesn't bother me at all when they do it outside, to me it seems normal dog thing to do. I see females do it as well.


That's how I see it as well Julia. Until I moved to the U.S. it never occurred to me to 'correct' outside leg lifting. My cousin has two intact males, both of which are quite dominant, none of which EVER marked inside, not even with Pablo around. I'm fine with it now, unless he dares doing that inside.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Kodi lifts his leg and he has since he was young (he's 3 yrs). But, I had a German Shep who never lifted his leg. He squatted.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Ha ha ha-- I didn't t realize it was an old post either. 

both my boys do a very delicate one paw off the ground when they have to pee...but when they are communicating with the other dogs in the neighborhood they really lift their legs. it's very funny.


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

juliav said:


> I don't see the problem with dogs liftng his legs to pee/mark when they are outside.*QUOTE]
> 
> I'd have a cow watching the side of my house or planters get peed on. The dog would be so sick of listening to me rant that they'd think 10 times before doing it again.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Missy-They're just showing their masculinity!


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I was so nervous about it when deciding to add an intact male. If anyone remembers making fun of Dash at National- he would throw himself on top of his hostas to potty. He was well aware of the ladies at just under 9 months but had no clue on marking. And then I made the mistake of staying at someone's home with 2 intact males that lift their legs ON EVERYTHING! She constantly kept them in a belly band in the house. Well Dash learned it there. Now he marks outside too. My neighbor's dogs are intact next door so there is a tree marking area right up against there too. 

However, Isabelle marked as a puppy and her and Dash can go round to round outside!


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Gryff lifts his leg sometimes, but not always. He doesn't go against a tree or anything like that. He just lifts...or he stretches out. He's never seen other male dogs go pee before, so I think it's just a comfort thing. Then again, who knows. I don't understand why sometimes he lifts and sometimes he doesn't.


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

Missy said:


> Ha ha ha-- I didn't t realize it was an old post either.
> 
> both my boys do a very delicate one paw off the ground when they have to pee...but when they are communicating with the other dogs in the neighborhood they really lift their legs. it's very funny.


Cody's the same way. And he's become an exclusive right leg lifter. He'll do contortions to raise that right leg instead of the left.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Jill in Mich said:


> Cody's the same way.* And he's become an exclusive right leg lifter.* He'll do contortions to raise that right leg instead of the left.


That's hilarous, we need a video!!!


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Jill in Mich said:


> Cody's the same way. And he's become an exclusive right leg lifter. He'll do contortions to raise that right leg instead of the left.


Pablo is a right leg lifter too and will turn around instead of lifting his left leg.
Missy, Pablo does the same thing. In front of other dogs he lifts his leg to a,most 180 degrees. I call him my Prima Ballerina.


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