# Housebreaking Havanese



## Deborah A.

I am still in the process of selecting a puppy and want to make an informed decision. My new question involves housebreaking a Havanese. I have read differing information about the difficulties in housebreaking this particular breed. I have had other dogs in the past, so I am fully aware of the time/effort and consistency it take to housebreak a puppy. I just wanted to know if Havanese are more difficult to train, because they are small, or if it is about the same as a slightly larger breed. Would love to hear everyone's experience!


----------



## luv3havs

I've had larger breeds and now have 3 Havanese. We got 2 as puppies (2 years apart) and one was an older rescue dog. I was very conscientious in housebreaking each puppy. It did seem to take longer than the larger breeds. 

Overall, it wasn't too much of chore and they were reliable by 6 months or so.It helped that they were each pad trained when they came. I did spend a lot of time outside with each one and watched the puppy like a hawk when indoors. I used confinement when I couldn't have an eye on them, so they didn't have opportunity to make mistakes and I think this helped a lot.
And my rescue was pretty much housebroken when he came, I just watched him carefully for a few weeks until he got adjusted to our home.
Now they never have accidents.( I did a problem with the males marking, but that has ceased and really is a different issue.)

At any rate, even if it might take longer to housebreak them, they are definitely worth it. They are a wonderful breed!


----------



## krandall

I think it is REALLY important to buy your puppy from someone who gives them a good start on potty training from the beginning. I think also, that in general, small breeds can take longer to potty train than larger breeds. That said, as Nan said, it's not that big a problem. You just have to be careful to confine or supervise closely until they are reliable. BECAUSE they are small, confinement is pretty easy until you can trust them!


----------



## KateR

One of the easiest breeds I've ever housebroken/trained in my life.


----------



## J and Paul Anka

PA is a training whiz, he picks things up so quickly at 4 months we Sit, down, drop it, leave it, we are on a roll in training heeling, we have taught up and off (for the couches), loose leash walking, roll over, four on the floor (for greetings), and proper manners in social situations (like no jumping or barking in public etc). We also have an almost reliable come and fetch. We also have solid whip the head around name recognition and good eye contact. 

Potty training= feels like we are lightyears away from being reliable in any way and we have been working on it for two months. I feel like I am always just a second too late in thinking. I really feel like they are just like any other toy breed, harder than larger dogs but not impossible with a consistent schedule. Also, make sure the breeder lays the foundation for you! That is vital.


----------



## Deborah A.

Thank you all for chiming in with your experiences! I'm feeling so much better. I really love this breed and was getting a little nervous about the house training issue. I am very much on top of a pupppy when it comes to this (probably took my others out every 30 mins!), so this shouldn't be a problem. I am getting very excited. One breeder we are consider is expecting a litter in 9 days and a different one is expecting puppies by early July, so we should have our new little member by the end of the summer.


----------



## TilliesMom

I agree with most of the posters, get a puppy from a reputable breeder who does all the things they should with regards to early training (potty AND socialization) and be consistant and set your pup up for success and you should be okay!!

I got my hav at 14 weeks at within 2 days she was ringing the bell to go out (sometimes they NEED a way to tell you) and has only had maybe 4-5 accidents in the house in 2 yrs and they were all MY fault because I was busy and didn't hear the bell.... okay well, there was the ONE time it was a MONSOON outside for days ... if you can train to an indoor option, or the breeder has started this, I HIGHLY recommend it!!! 

Welcome to the forum!


----------



## morriscsps

Okay, I will be the negative one.  

OMGosh! Compared to our previous big dogs, Jack was terrible. He was our first little dog. My other doggie experience is with Border Collies and Aussies. When we brought them home at 8 weeks, they were trained - no accidents at all. 

Jack - nightmare for six months, semi-reliable by 9 months, mostly reliable by a year. Granted, we didn't do peepads but I work at home. Honestly, I don't think his I-need-to-pee signal was developed until he was 6 months old. 

I would classify Jack's training as horrific. It was miserable. We went through pallets of paper towels but Jack was worth it.


----------



## Tuss

morriscsps said:


> Okay, I will be the negative one.
> 
> OMGosh! Compared to our previous big dogs, Jack was terrible. He was our first little dog. My other doggie experience is with Border Collies and Aussies. When we brought them home at 8 weeks, they were trained - no accidents at all.
> 
> Jack - nightmare for six months, semi-reliable by 9 months, mostly reliable by a year. Granted, we didn't do peepads but I work at home. Honestly, I don't think his I-need-to-pee signal was developed until he was 6 months old.
> 
> I would classify Jack's training as horrific. It was miserable. We went through pallets of paper towels but Jack was worth it.


My experience is the same. My labradoodle (50 lb) was housebroken reliably by 4 months of age. My havanese is 6 months old and not reliable at all. I have to take her outside frequently if she even looks towards the door just in case she is trying to tell me something. It's improving but is definitely much much harder. On the other hand she learns everything else so much more quickly. She's a superstar in obedience. So funny to have the little dog that is healing perfectly in class to stop mid walk and poop on the floor!


----------



## Rileys Mom

Riley's problem was that he wouldn't ask to go outside, so I had to keep remembering to take him out. When I remembered, we had no problem; if I didn't, we had a problem. Then, I read on some Havanese blog to hang a bell on the door that he could reach. Just before you open the door, ring the bell, then open and take him out. It took two times and he had it. So did both cats...almost as quickly. That bell gets a lot of banging--but we have no accidents!


----------



## Sonic and Aries

I second what everyone says about good breeders.. 

Sonic was fully reliable by 6 months and is now 14 months (he came from a good breeder who got him off to a great start). Aries is almost 8 months now and we have just stopped having almost daily accidents, in fact her major accomplishment this weekend was that she "told" my husband and I that she needed to go potty. We really didn't do anything different between potty training them and in fact I had heard often times a second can pick up a lot from the first, but we just had so much trouble with Aries. She did not come from a reliable breeder (I know, I know). She came from a pet store where she was there for almost 2 months and I couldn't stand to see her stay in there any longer, so my husband and I brought her home and I have refused to go back in that store since, so I don't get tempted to do it again. But anyway, I can definitely tell you what a difference a great breeder can make when they get the puppy started off right.


----------

