# Rain & Snow, How does your Havanese go?



## Bocce (Aug 25, 2017)

Hi all! Okay, one response to my earlier post raised some questions for me. Since Havanese don't like to do their business in rain and I'm assuming not in snow either, how did you do it last winter? Did you have to make modifications during heavy rain or a snow storm to get your guy/girl to go? I would love to hear in detail how you and your doggie handled this.

Thanks so much!!

~CJ


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Shama will go out in all seasons, all weather (including Minnesota snow and cold). If it's pouring rain, she may choose to potty on the rocks underneath the deck instead of out in the grass, but she often ventures out into the grass even when it's raining. We don't bother with jackets or boots, but we're always with her and make it quick in bad weather (unless she lingers, which she does sometimes when we think it's really cold!)


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Perry doesn't mind going out in Rain or snow (He does, however, oppose wet grass - pouring down rain is ok, but dew wet grass is evil apparently). But, like Shama, he is still happy to go outside, he'll just try to potty on the dirt or the patio instead of the grass (which is when we developed the 'yard' command, to remind him that he needs to go into the yard, not on the patio). For the snow, as long as they have a path of sorts where they can squat, etc we didn't have a problem.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Molly is a small girl and is a little more delicate when it comes to nasty weather. In a pouring rain I take her out with a golf umbrella. In the winter she wears a parka and I shovel an area if the snow is too deep. We occasionally get severe weather like high winds, blizzard conditions, or dangerous wind chills. I have set up an emergency potty area in my basement which she will use. It is a tarp, covered with newspapers, surrounded by a large expen.


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## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

Mine will go potty outside in the rain, but sometimes will stay close to the house under eaves.


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

Loki goes outside rain or shine. He has his private potty right outside the back door. (It used to be my herb garden but DH thought Loki needed a close place to potty in bad weather so up came my herbs and in went Loki's sod. LOL!) 

Sometimes he will sit under the eave and then venture out to potty. He will even go in the sprinkler. Last winter was his first. During the first snow, he wasn't sure what to do. He went on a clear place on the patio under a chair. As soon as we went to walk, he saw other dogs had gone on the snow so he figured it out. I will put on his raincoat for a walk but that is mostly for me. It helps with the drying. Otherwise, he just runs out and I keep a towel by the door to dry feet.


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

I've never had a problem getting mine to go out in the rain or snow. Heck I took my last Ha Apollo out during Hurricane Sandy, he practically blew over sideways as did I but he refused to go potty inside. Once he stopped using his piddle place potty he never went back to it. I should have worked harder to keep him using that for foul weather. He loved the snow, but I used to have our snow removal crew snow blow our back yard. They'd snow blow a large rectangle with some trails lol.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Willow will go in any weather. If it's raining hard, I do put a little light raincoat on her. The worse the weather, the less fooling around she does so it's usually pretty quick. It there is snow on the ground my husband shovels a bear patch for her to use. We usually don't get much snow here in the Pacific NW so it hardly ever gets very deep.

I hope Dee Dee sees this post as she created a novel potty area for Sophie and posted a pix of it once.


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Willow will go in any weather. If it's raining hard, I do put a little light raincoat on her. The worse the weather, the less fooling around she does so it's usually pretty quick. It there is snow on the ground my husband shovels a bear patch for her to use. We usually don't get much snow here in the Pacific NW so it hardly ever gets very deep.
> 
> I hope Dee Dee sees this post as she created a novel potty area for Sophie and posted a pix of it once.


I'm glad I am not the only one who shovels (or pays someone else to) their yard in the snow lol. Apollo would not poop unless there is some grass visible, if the snow isn't too deep he is OK. The back of my house is 3 stories with a walk out basement. I have a huge deck that runs the length of the house and comes out 30 feet. I had the underneath area paved in PA bluestone...It stays free of snow but Apollo would not go potty on it! When we were at our condo on the beach he refused to go on sand lol. He was a tempermental "pottier" God I miss that little boy!


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## abi38 (Mar 23, 2017)

Mine doesn't like rain and I have to shoo them out, we don't get downpour often, just a lot of drizzle. I also shoo them away from the front porch covered area because it smells really bad after a while without any rain to wash things off there. They don't like it, but they will do their business.

However Link loves running in the snow that we had (mind you we only have a few inches in Seattle). Zelda doesn't really care one way or another with our snow. I'd imagine they would not appreciate deep snow.

Supposingly if they were exposed to rain when they were puppies they'd better. Unfortunately mine are both summer puppies when we hardly have any rain here so they definitely did not get a chance to acclimate.


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## flowie (Jul 29, 2017)

I do not have porch or awning with an area sheltered from rain. Has anyone had success putting up a EZ up as a dog popping area ( canopy for camping) . Does this sound like it it would hold up in the winter?


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

flowie said:


> I do not have porch or awning with an area sheltered from rain. Has anyone had success putting up a EZ up as a dog popping area ( canopy for camping) . Does this sound like it it would hold up in the winter?


They don't hold up well if you put them up and leave them in place. I tried putting one up beside my bluestone patio area on the grass, the UV light does a number on them add to that the bad weather. Mine seemed like it was doing good but then tore when we had heavy snow with ice. If you had something you could just pop up and down when a storm is coming that might work.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Another place Willow pees when there is snow is the snow that is piled up the deck from my husband shoveling a path. That's the only time she pees on the deck. Maybe she thinks the pile of snow is part of the ground.


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## LoriJack (Aug 21, 2017)

Bocce said:


> Hi all! Okay, one response to my earlier post raised some questions for me. Since Havanese don't like to do their business in rain and I'm assuming not in snow either, how did you do it last winter? Did you have to make modifications during heavy rain or a snow storm to get your guy/girl to go? I would love to hear in detail how you and your doggie handled this.
> 
> Thanks so much!!
> 
> ~CJ


I put up an ex-pen with a heavy duty tarp over the top before I brought KC home at the beginning of this month, because I was afraid he would not go out in the wet grass or rain. I replaced the plastic with artificial turf, which covers the mulch that was in that area. As it turns out... he could not care less if the grass is wet or it is pouring rain....he LOVES it outside. We have a large yard, so I do like have the ex-pen, for him to sit and run around in without fear of predators.





















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## LoriJack (Aug 21, 2017)

LoriJack said:


> I put up an ex-pen with a heavy duty tarp over the top before I brought KC home at the beginning of this month, because I was afraid he would not go out in the wet grass or rain. I replaced the plastic with artificial turf, which covers the mulch that was in that area. As it turns out... he could not care less if the grass is wet or it is pouring rain....he LOVES it outside. We have a large yard, so I do like have the ex-pen, for him to sit and run around in without fear of predators.
> 
> View attachment 148418
> 148426
> View attachment 148434


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## Genie1000 (Apr 13, 2017)

Penelope goes outside in all kinds of weather. When we brought her home it April it was quite rainy here... seemed constant! 
She gets distracted from her business when it’s stormy so we have to keep chanting go potty, but she does so in all weather.
That being said, this will be her first winter and we do get some big storms. We shall see how that goes. Our plan is to clear a large patch in front of the garage and see how that goes.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I want to make it clear that it's not that my dogs WON'T potty outside in bad weather. This is MY decision. With two (mostly white) dogs in full coat, it is a HUGE amount of work when they come in drenched to the skin several times a day. If it's raining hard and they ask to go out, I say, "go use your potty!" and they do. 

Same is true in the winter. They actually LIKE the snow. But there are days here in N.E. when the snow is piled so high until the snow removal is completely that they simply can't get out the back door. Rather than them having to wait for someone to shovel off the deck, then shovel out a place for them to potty, they can use their box. When the deck and a "potty place" in the yard is clear are clear, they, preferentially, go back to going outside.

I also like that if, in a pinch, I HAVE to leave them for a longer period of time, they can and will use their box. This was a life-saver when my husband had an extremely serious heart attack in another state, and I was gone for 12 or more hours at a stretch, going up to the hospital and dealing with things there. I had no time to arrange dog care, although we normally do, if we know ahead of time that we will need to be out all day. I only had Kodi then, but although I'm sure he didn't enjoy it (heck, none of us were exactly having a good time!  ) he did just fine, and with no accidents on those long, long days alone.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Another place Willow pees when there is snow is the snow that is piled up the deck from my husband shoveling a path. That's the only time she pees on the deck. Maybe she thinks the pile of snow is part of the ground.


I think that's pretty common. I know a LOT of dog friends, with all sorts of breeds have told me the same. (mine will potty on snow on the deck too, and would never, otherwise, potty on the deck) I think they truly don't understand the difference between snow on the ground (which we encourage them to use) and snow on the deck. If it were there all the time, I'm sure we could teach it as a "not-potty" spot. But because it tends to come and go, n(at least on our deck.. we clear it as soon as possible after a storm) it's pretty hard to get the message across.


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## RedSoxFan (Aug 22, 2017)

Bocce said:


> Hi all! Okay, one response to my earlier post raised some questions for me. Since Havanese don't like to do their business in rain and I'm assuming not in snow either, how did you do it last winter? Did you have to make modifications during heavy rain or a snow storm to get your guy/girl to go? I would love to hear in detail how you and your doggie handled this.
> 
> Thanks so much!!
> 
> ~CJ


We've had some heavy rains in Boston and our 4 month old has no issue. She doesn't love the rain but goes potty no problem. Now snow? We'll see what she does. Can't wait. Lol

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## OhHenry (Sep 9, 2017)

Really appreciating this thread. Our Henry hates the rain. We had torrential downpours on Sunday and he barely could pee outside. Pooping was out of the question. 

LoriJack, I love your outdoor setup and will try that.


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