# Nothing I read about Havanese fits Webster



## KellyAnne4Peace (Jun 19, 2011)

First of all, I love him... But I need advice. 

Webster has been with us for about two months. He's seven months old. We were told he was the last of his siblings to find a home because he was the most timid. And he is. We've gotten a few laughs at his reactions to inanimate objects. But...

He doesn't like anyone except my husband and I. When a friend comes by, (and there is really only 2 or 3 that do), he barks and is aggressive. We have a border on our property, (10 acres) who is also our friend. He's a soft spoken gentle man. Webster sees him every day... But he isn't getting any better. He barks at him and is uncontrollable... He even runs from us when we try to pick him up while anyone else is around. He has actually lunged as though to bite on three separate occasions. We had him neutered at 6 months hoping it would curb his aggressions. It didn't.

Everything I read says they are social... Not Webster. I assume it's a fear of sorts, but even gentle warming efforts don't help. He's taken treats from our friend, (timidly), but the next time he sees him it's the same aggression.
And the "looks" he gives others... OMGosh talk about the evil eye!

I have three kitties also. Webster gets along with them, but the youngest seems to be his target. He knows "not to chase the kitties" but with the youngest, Baxter, Webster just can't control himself. I know he just wants to play, but he is too rough, to big and too strong. I have to watch him 100% of the time. I even have to put him in the bathroom with me when I shower.

I have a studio on the property where I spend most of my time... We've fenced in a nice yard for him there and he has tons of toys. He can go in and out as he pleases. But there is wildlife outside his fence. Deer, squirrels and lots of bunnies. Whenever someone opens my gate, if Webster is near, out he goes! He runs faster than a speeding bullet and doesn't stop at my commands. He never "comes" when told. I've tried rewarding him with treats when he does, but it's rare that he comes at all.

I walk with a cane... I have back issues. Webster is so hard for me to control. He is extremely strong. On a leash he pulls me as hard as he can. I try my best to remain the boss, but I think I'm losing.

He also hates to go in the car. I have tried to get him to like it by always buying him something when we go out. It isn't working. If we go to a place to take him out for a walk, he resists getting out... Even wets himself if we try to force him to.

He also wets himself when he sees my husband or I after even a few minutes separation. If we go into a store when we come out he is so excited! He jumps at me and wants to lick, lick, lick! It's always at my face... And half the time he wets. He has a bad habit of lunging at my face and has scratched me on my cheek more than once.

Please help me if you can... I do love him. Finding him another home is NOT an option. I believe in pets for life. But, it would be nice to curb these issues before he gets any older.

Thank you,
Kelly Anne


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It sounds to me like the breeder really didn't do the necessary socialization with him when her was younger, for starters. That's important for ANY puppy, but VITALLY important for a shy puppy. 

As far as listening to your commands, especially to "come", NO puppy is reliable at the at 7 months, so you need to be working on it on a regular basis if you want a solid recall. That means, for the time being NEVER calling him unless you are 95% sure he is already planning on coming to you. (at which point you reward him and tell him what a smart boy he is) 

It really sounds o me like you need to get a good, positive-based trainer to come and help you get your little guy on track. It doesn't sound like you have the experience to train a guy with some problems on your own. I think with some help, you can learn to turn him into a dog that you can enjoy instead of worry about. I doubt he's enjoying his out-of-control life very much either!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I think at this point a professional dog trainer to come in and help is the way to go, it sounds like you've exhausted the standard treat/reward and the aggression..the sooner you nip that in the bud, the better.

I did deal with separation anxiety with Gucci and that seemed to get better with time, but she'd never pee, so I'm not sure how to deal with that 

It does sound like the breeder maybe dropped the ball on early socialization and training, but the pups are born with certain personalities and dispositions that they cant' be trained OUT of, and if the breeder knew he was aggressive, they should've told you. I'm sorry you have so many issues with him to work out, hopefully someone will pipe in with some helpful tips and advice.
Kara


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## KellyAnne4Peace (Jun 19, 2011)

Actually, he is quite happy. When he's with us, that is.

One thing I do know happened... We were told that the breeder took the puppies to the horse stable with her each day. One puppy was killed when horse stepped on the poor thing. After that, Webster was left in his kennel during the day. I don't know the length of time, but he has an open door kennel here that he goes in and out of without seeming hesitant.
Also, Webster is only half Hananese... The other half is Boston Terrier. Could that be it?
(Thanks for your reply).


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KellyAnne4Peace said:


> Actually, he is quite happy. When he's with us, that is.
> 
> One thing I do know happened... We were told that the breeder took the puppies to the horse stable with her each day. One puppy was killed when horse stepped on the poor thing. After that, Webster was left in his kennel during the day. I don't know the length of time, but he has an open door kennel here that he goes in and out of without seeming hesitant.
> Also, Webster is only half Hananese... The other half is Boston Terrier. Could that be it?
> (Thanks for your reply).


Well, you can't expect a dog that is half ANY kind of terrier to act like a Havanese. The other side of the dog's genetic make-up is for a much more tenacious, higher drive, feisty animal.

One way or another, though, the "breeder" (though I wouldn't use that term for someone who randomly lets two different breeds of dog mate) dropped the ball in many ways. That doesn't mean, however, that he can't be trained. Boston Terriers make good pets too. (though, again, with the careless behavior in other areas, I wouldn't count on the owner of the mother (or parents) caring particularly whether the parents had good temperaments) But YOU really need a trainer to help you.

I'm not so concerned about the "aggressive behavior"... I'm not sure if that really is what you're seeing. It could be fear, (there is a strong probability that this is at least part of the problem) it could territorial issues, or other root causes of his behavior that require a knowledgeable trainer to be there and really SEE what's happening in order to know how best to address the behaviors.


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

I'm not familiar with the Boston Terrier personality or potential puppy problems - just Havanese. These guys can be timid and shy. BUT the key - to echo everyone so far is getting the dog to great puppy classes with a positive reinforcement based trainer. 

Supervised puppy play sessions are a great way to get your dog confident with other dogs and owners. Your dog may be shy (mine was separated in an expen from the more rambunctious dogs for the first 3 visits) but they'll warm-up, see how other dogs play, and soon want to join in themselves. A good trainer will separate dogs that get a little too aggressive and keep the timid ones aside until they get their confidence up.

Otherwise, treat-based clicker-training will be your friend. You don't walk around without a clicker and bag of super-small treats, rewarding good behavior. It'll do wonders to get your puppy into a puppy class. Teach you how to get a happy, behaved dog. They'll help teach your dog confidence as well as how should monitor your own body language when you meet strangers to help him respond correctly.

I'd also try to do strict crate-training until he's accident-free in every circumstance; then keep him in an expen when you can't keep your eye on him 100% of the time. It sounds like he might have too much freedom. 

He needs to be potty-trained first (no wetting himself inappropriately), then/concurrently basic obedience trained, walked regularly (not just let outside to run around - but a 30 min walk), and then 100% supervised playtime (15-30 mins at a time). Granted, he's going to be stuck in his crate/ex-pen much of the day (sounds like he already considers that his safe place - a good thing!), the quality interaction (treats/clicker in hand) will do wonders for his behavior. Depending on your dog and how he progresses (for me about 2 months), you can start giving him more freedom and let him "be underfoot" or "run in and out as he pleases." Too much freedom too early can really derail training efforts and reinforce some unwanted habits.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

The only thing I wouldn't agree with in Marlowe'sgirl's post is about the peeing on himself. That doesn't have anything to do potty training. It can either be from an immature bladder (which will go away on its own) or submissive peeing. If the latter, building his confidence with a good solid training program and helping him overcome his fears will go a long way toward solving the problem.


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

Go with Karen - I never had that issue with my pup. Though at 7 months, my pup could easily go 8 hrs - so likely it's submissive peeing. Get a trainer!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yep you need a trainer to help you with some of this. If you want help finding one , let me know , I'm trying to remember who the trainer was ,I found for another member who lives on Whidby Island. But they were very happy with this trainer. I', m racking my brain trying to remember who it was.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Hey, Dave, that was me that you got the name for. Diane Garrod seemed very good, and I bet she'd be great with this situation. She had never met a hav without issues, (how sad, huh? Says a lot about the breeding involved with the havs found on south Whidbey, apparently,) Tucker was such a well behaved, well adjusted hav that she didn't do much to help me, but I did like her; she gave me some training tips in the one time I met with her that.

Here is her link:
http://www.caninetransformations.com/

(I moved to Idaho in January.)


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Sheri said:


> Hey, Dave, that was me that you got the name for. Diane Garrod seemed very good, and I bet she'd be great with this situation. She had never met a hav without issues, (how sad, huh? Says a lot about the breeding involved with the havs found on south Whidbey, apparently,) Tucker was such a well behaved, well adjusted hav that she didn't do much to help me, but I did like her; she gave me some training tips in the one time I met with her that.
> 
> Here is her link:
> http://www.caninetransformations.com/
> ...


Yeah Sheri ,it just came to me that it was you. I have helped so many with trainer searches that I lose track . The Whidbey Island rang a bell. How many hav owners can there be on this Island. LOL But as you say ,obviously more than one.


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## KellyAnne4Peace (Jun 19, 2011)

Thank you... I will contact her. 
Webster isn't from South Whidbey. I got him through an ad on the mainland. The lady said that she was told the Havanese she bought was fixed but wasn't. That's why she let them breed, I guess.
I can't walk... A little but not enough to walk him for that long. My husband is a truck driver and isn't here much, so he can't do it either.
Webster is potty trained. He wasn't when we got him, but he is now.
He does some really adorable things too... His paws both go in the same direction as he stands on his hind legs. He cocks his head and is just so cute.  I think he is saying, "Pick me up." And, I do...
Thank you for your help. I told my husband and he says yes, to contact the trainer.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Good for you Kelly. This doesn't have to be anything extensive. Just to get some guidelines to get you on the right path. Let us know how it's going ,and don't hesitate to ask more questions here. That's why we're here.


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## KellyAnne4Peace (Jun 19, 2011)

Thank you Dave and Molly  I wrote to her yesterday... Haven't heard back yet, but I'm sure I will.
He has another quirky thing that just cracks me up... if I give him a treat that he isn't wanting to eat, he keeps it in his mouth and runs the perimeter of the room with little whiney noises. I finally have to reach in and take it away. He always seems a little bit grateful, too! 
I do enjoy him.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

You've been given some really good advice. Do let us know how it goes. For now, how about a picture of your little one.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

I agree...photos please. We all love to hear about the success you are about to have with a trainer...thank you for being so honest and sharing with everyone, and it will pay off for sure! This forum is invaluable for help!!! I have asked many times..and always received.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

KellyAnne4Peace said:


> Thank you Dave and Molly  I wrote to her yesterday... Haven't heard back yet, but I'm sure I will.
> He has another quirky thing that just cracks me up... if I give him a treat that he isn't wanting to eat, he keeps it in his mouth and runs the perimeter of the room with little whiney noises. I finally have to reach in and take it away. He always seems a little bit grateful, too!
> I do enjoy him.


That's great Kelly Anne, just a word of caution. I don't recommend taking anything out of your dog's mouth unless it's an emergency. The ideal way is to get your dog to voluntarily give you something whether it be food or anything. Dog's will whine like that because they would like to hide the object and are not sure where. LOL . Molly does this. Taking things out of their mouth can lead to resource guarding. The best way is to get them to surrender things and then give them back. Just a little tidbit I thought I'd throw in. Keep us posted.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

I guess that is what Sir Winston does, he takes his treat to his crate or bed and puts it between his front legs, or under them to hide it...he barks if the cat walks to close when he is doing this...thanks Dave, did not know what that was about..


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