# New Puppy… Reis is home



## vssinfl (5 mo ago)

Our precious new puppy is home. She is 14 weeks… smart as a whip. And seems to be very well housebroken. This is my first Havenese. After only a week she has separation anxiety. I have a gated off area in the house for safety.. she is way to young to be roaming the house. She screams and screams the whole time she is there. Is this something a trainer could help me with. I need to nip this in the bud. Suggestions?. I want to say the gated area is well supplied with toys… chews stick Etc. i have had many many dogs over the years…. Herding dogs. And I never had the separation thing. Love the Forum.. I have gotten many awesome suggestions to prepare for her. Thanks again. vssinfl


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## NotAMuggle (Dec 4, 2020)

I'm not a professional with eyes on the situation, but I would wager she doesn't have true separation anxiety right now. She's more just a baby who wants to be near her main caretaker because it feels safest and coziest when she is able to be near 'mom.' She just isn't used to being alone yet and is throwing a bit of a temper tantrum. Getting her used to being alone is definitely an important part of puppy training though! 

I will say that in my (limited) anecdotal experience different breeds are going to have different needs/things to work on. Havs are companion dogs/velcro dogs, literally bred to want to be your shadow and so the separation stuff is going to be something that will likely have to be worked on. I don't think they're the type of breed that comes 'out the box' being like "oh you're leaving? Ok, whatever" like say a more aloof/independent herding breed might be. My sister's corgi doesn't even greet her when she gets home after hours lol - meanwhile my Hav is ecstatic and doing happy jumps and twirls and jumping into my arms after I've been gone 15 mins. But the velcro-ness has so many pros too. My hav is amazing offleash exploring large fields and parks with me BECAUSE she is a velcro dog. My sister's corgi can never be offleash - that pup would be gone in an instant. So every breed has their 'stuff.'

Mine doesn't have separation anxiety but when she was a puppy I did practice leaving her alone sometimes. I would throughly tire her out outside first, then drop her off in her ex-pen (with crate attached) and go. I had a puppy cam so I could see how long she carried on for. My thought was if she barks and yowls but eventually settles down and naps then it is a puppy tantrum. If she barks for hours straight and is NEVER able to eventually give up and nap, then it is separation anxiety. She would bark for maybe 10-15 mins at first. Then maybe 7 mins the second session/day. Perhaps 5 minutes the third time. I wanted to see the duration decreasing over time and I did. After like a week or two she wouldn't bark at all. She'd go to town on her kong or treat puzzle then climb into her crate and nap until I came home. 

If they don't have actual separation issues then it will just take practice and time. I really believe tiring out their minds and bodies before leaving helps. To this day (my dog will be 2 in January) if I am leaving for a few hours, I will make sure to give my pup a nice session of walking/romping around/sniffing at the park first. She will then nap the entire time I am gone - which she would've done whether or not I was there anyway. 

For your puppy carrying on when they're in a pen and you are going into another room, I would try to only come back into the room when there is a lull in the noise/bedlam. And then let her out only once she is quiet. I would leave the room and come back and toss a treat into my hav Piper's ex-pen only if she was being calm/quiet. These are smart dogs, they catch on quick. She soon realized "mom leaving the room is actually a pretty good thing because it often means i'll be getting a treat."

I hope some of this helps!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

If she is gated off in an area away from you, this is to be expected. Havanese are a companion breed. They NEED to be with their people. You need to get a pen and have it in the area where people are.


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## vssinfl (5 mo ago)

NotAMuggle said:


> I'm not a professional with eyes on the situation, but I would wager she doesn't have true separation anxiety right now. She's more just a baby who wants to be near her main caretaker because it feels safest and coziest when she is able to be near 'mom.' She just isn't used to being alone yet and is throwing a bit of a temper tantrum. Getting her used to being alone is definitely an important part of puppy training though!
> 
> I will say that in my (limited) anecdotal experience different breeds are going to have different needs/things to work on. Havs are companion dogs/velcro dogs, literally bred to want to be your shadow and so the separation stuff is going to be something that will likely have to be worked on. I don't think they're the type of breed that comes 'out the box' being like "oh you're leaving? Ok, whatever" like say a more aloof/independent herding breed might be. My sister's corgi doesn't even greet her when she gets home after hours lol - meanwhile my Hav is ecstatic and doing happy jumps and twirls and jumping into my arms after I've been gone 15 mins. But the velcro-ness has so many pros too. My hav is amazing offleash exploring large fields and parks with me BECAUSE she is a velcro dog. My sister's corgi can never be offleash - that pup would be gone in an instant. So every breed has their 'stuff.'
> 
> ...


Thank you for such wonderful ideas. I have always had herding dogs in the past who are much more independent. I will try all of your suggestions. She is really the cutest and smartest little thing. We just love her so much already.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Congratulations on your new arrival, Reis! Any pictures to attach the name with a cute Havi face?


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## vssinfl (5 mo ago)

Ditto's Mom said:


> Congratulations on your new arrival, Reis! Any pictures to attach the name with a cute Havi face?


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## vssinfl (5 mo ago)

I know! Too cute,right?


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

She is beautiful. Congratulations.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Congratulations! She is very cute!!!


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## anna7 (4 mo ago)

I put the new pup on a short leash and take it wherever I go in the house.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Reis is just adorable!!


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

I love them name. So cute!


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## GrannaK (Jan 11, 2020)

vssinfl said:


> Our precious new puppy is home. She is 14 weeks… smart as a whip. And seems to be very well housebroken. This is my first Havenese. After only a week she has separation anxiety. I have a gated off area in the house for safety.. she is way to young to be roaming the house. She screams and screams the whole time she is there. Is this something a trainer could help me with. I need to nip this in the bud. Suggestions?. I want to say the gated area is well supplied with toys… chews stick Etc. i have had many many dogs over the years…. Herding dogs. And I never had the separation thing. Love the Forum.. I have gotten many awesome suggestions to prepare for her. Thanks again. vssinfl


Suggestion: search “housebreaking Havanese” 
After going outside with mine …starting after HE received all puppy vaccines (breeder used medical pads and I continued indoors until housebroken)….

I started to wonder when will my Hav learn outdoors is his potty? I called breeder (my lab and cocker “got it” much earlier than my Hav)….and she said around 8 months they will have their last accident….count 30 days after his last accident. Bingo! 

He was 8 months last accident, therefore 9 months old housebroken. 

The key is to be with Hav at all times when he is outside. I count using 1001, 1002, etc seconds he pees. This lets me know how soon to take him out again. 

Online website (housebreaking Havanese—forget the name since my hav is now 3yo) will assist how often to take them outside depending their month age.


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