# New puppy - help, please!



## Jonathanf3738 (Feb 13, 2012)

Hello to all of you Havanese owners out there. Our family just adopted a beautiful, healthy 8-week-old pup from a great breeder. This is our family's first dog. Chewie is wonderful so far - playful, affectionate, everything we hoped for. But, we would love some suggestions on crate training and *especially* nighttime. We temporarily adopted the breeder's set-up, with an ex-pen w/bed and potty tray and food. We have a small permanent crate which is currently outside of the ex-pen. Our end-goal is certainly to have a crate-trained dog who potties outside. Our immediate concern is nighttime: our little puppy has quite a voice - many octaves and frequencies, and it's nearly impossible to ignore him at night. His cries are waking up our four-year-old son, which is not good. Granted, he's only been with us for 3 nights, but is this wailing normal? He lived/slept in a pen with his three siblings (one of whom was adopted by my sister and is now a regular visitor to our house). Now he's alone in his pen at night, so I know there has to be some anxiety, but I am hoping it's temporary. Can an experienced owner give us some tips to calm the nighttime nerves?


----------



## Milo's Mom (Aug 31, 2008)

Try putting him in a crate on a small table right by your bed. He'll feel secure knowing you're nearby. If he cries, put your fingers in the crate to comfort him.


----------



## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

Piper howled like a wolf the first few nights, I couldn't believe my little puppy could make so much noise. I think it took 4 nights for that to stop so I think you're almost there! I know how hard it is and I almost gave in a few times but was so glad I took everyone's advice and waited her out. 

Most people keep the crate in the bedroom with them and I think it is easier that way. I had Piper's crate in the kitchen and within a week or so, she went to sleep with no problems.


----------



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Milo's Mom said:


> Try putting him in a crate on a small table right by your bed. He'll feel secure knowing you're nearby. If he cries, put your fingers in the crate to comfort him.


This. (or on a chair)

Talking to him won't do a bit of good at calming him. He needs you to be strong, and there, nothing more. At most just move your covers a little so he knows you're there. The best way to teach him to be quiet and go to sleep, is for you to be quiet and go to sleep.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

where is his x-pen set up? if it isn't IN your room, can it be?? these little guys NEED us... to be close to us, to know we are THERE.


----------



## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

Tom has great advice - good luck, just remember he's a baby and missing his pack alot!


----------



## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Our dogs aren't allowed upstairs. That is cat territory. Jack did cry the first few nights but we suffered through it. Since yours is just a baby, he should probably have a late night piddle (11ish) and an Oh-my-gosh-it-is-early piddle. I think I set my alarm for 5 the first couple of days. Then Jack caught on.

good luck.... *muhahahaha*


----------



## Jonathanf3738 (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks all. I think we're working at a disadvantage, as the breeder recommended starting nights out in the ex-pen (with the bed), then ease him into the crate over time by having him spend more and more time each day. The ex-pen is in the kitchen and we're upstairs. Am I hearing a consensus that we should just put him right in the crate and forgo this gradual transition? Our other issue is that he will not go to the bathroom outside. Before we picked him up on Friday, he spent limited time outside- just out on a deck, I think. We've been vigilant about taking him out, and he does love the outdoors, but doesn't think of it as a potty opportunity. We've even got the bell on the door, which he knows how to use it.


----------



## Kalico (Jan 11, 2012)

I say forgo the transition. He's already had a huge one going to a new home and it will help to be close to you at night. He will eventually get the going outside thing. It takes patience and consistency on your part. Eight weeks is very young. You will see improvements by ten weeks.


----------



## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I would definitely put the crate on a table right near you. I did it with all three of mine and it took only a tiny whimper or two the first night for them to feel safe, seeing me right there.

As for the pottying, I had mine use the wee wee pad at first, then transitioned into our outdoor pottying. On that topic though, there are many ways people use to train. 

Good luck with your new puppy. How lucky for you all that his litter mate is so close by.


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

companion dogs don't like to be left alone, I can't even go to the bathroom alone without her protesting to let her in and the only way we were ever going to get sleep is to let her on the bed, lol, but I know that is not the answer for everyone.

I'd agree to keep the routine consistent, gradual transitions and changes will just confuse. They like their routines and need routine.

:welcome: to the forum!

Kara


----------



## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

You can try patting the top of the crate when he wakes you up. That seemed to help our dachshund.

I agree with everyone that you should just do the crate and that having the crate next to the bed is best. BUT -- our Baxter (our Havanese) is a very light sleeper and, whenever he opened his eyes and saw me, he started barking. After two weeks of never quite getting it, we moved the crate to another room. Without us to distract him, he was crate trained in two nights. So, definitely start with you there for security, because that's what's really best. But, be open to a different approach if your presence seems to make things worse.


----------



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Go right to the crate.

As for pottying outside, spend a long play time outside on a pretty day, and he'll go when he has to. They go more often when they are playing.

Teaching potty on command will come a little later.


----------



## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Does your crate have a divider panel that you can move to make the area smaller for the puppy now and gradually enlarge it? You want to make the area he sleeps in no larger than the space it takes for him to stand up, turn around, and lay down comfortably so that he cannot move a little distance away and pee or poop in the crate. You want him to let you know when he needs to go out of the crate to pee/poop.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Welcome. I would also put his crate on a table next to your bed. When my guys were pups, I used a larger crate with the bed in the front and litter pan in the back. I took them out a few times throughout the night. The pan was for emergencies only and they rarely used it unless they had the runs. 
A heart beat pillow works wonders and an item of clothing with your scent on it also helps! Good luck


----------



## Jonathanf3738 (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks all for your help! I just have to convince my wife now!


----------



## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

We went the xpen route with a large one in the kitchen (with bed and food and piddle pad that is never used) and a small one by our bed. Our puppy who came home at 9 weeks (Lucky) went right into the one in the kitchen the day he arrived, piddled on the pad, and curled up in the bed after a tense ride home. He also started dragging the few toys he had into the pen which made us feel he'd declared it as his home. In our bedroom, we have a smaller pen, just big enough for a bed and a piddle pad but the piddle pad is so close to the bed, he's never used it. We keep a piddle pad outside that pen across the bedroom and of course have two stations in the kitchen. I think Lucky's breeder shut the door to the puppy room at 9 p.m. and opened it again in the a.m at 7. Since his first night (he's been with us a week), Lucky has slept well at night (he may have whimpered a little the first night), only making noise when he wanted to void. I followed the advice of everyone on the forum and picked him up when he whimpered and carried him to the piddle pad, resisting his cuddly appeal, praised him for the go and then set him back in his x pen. Our routine now is dinner, play, and then pack up the kitchen and move up to the bedroom where Lucky has a few prized items (he goes wild with an old ace bandage) like a towel and a cushion and he goes nuts up there for about a half an hour, running like hell (which is hilarious) and collapsing on the floor in exhaustion by 8 or 9. I lift him into the x pen when we go to bed, and last night he didn't even wake for the carry to the piddle pad. He makes it til 6 which is a wake up time I like. I followed Tom's advice and pass it on: no need to put your hand in the pen and pet him etc.-think it only raises the pup's hopes that he can charm you into a middle of the night visit. I make a big deal of cuddling up on my pillow (have even faked snoring) in his line of sight so he gets the idea that this is a time that all of us sleep. We've put off the crate thing-his breeder gave us a travel crate that I have with an open door in the kitchen, but he only goes in if I throw a toy in there. I'm hoping we're not missing an opportunity with the crate and that the x pen is as good a way to go. Wow, a long entry. Hope it's helpful. Congratulations on your new puppy. This is our first Havanese and it's clear that he's a little smarter and a lot funnier than either of us.


----------



## Jonathanf3738 (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks - right there with you on the crate thoughts. Hope it won't be too late. As far as nighttime, we're just really resistant to bring him into our room. We'll give it a few more days and see if he calms down, I guess.


----------



## Miss Paige (Apr 4, 2008)

I agree with the others crate-by the bed. I do foster care and I have a Big crate right next to my bed-the fosters sleep in there-my fingers are through the side of the crate so they can smell me-I do talk to them softly through out the night so they know they are not alone.

My foster at this time has been here long enough that she sleeps in bed with my other two-have a queen bed-badly needing a King-three dogs-me & hubby-and some nights I give up the ship & give them the bed & I head for the couch-but then the dogs join me on the couch.

Pat


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jonathanf3738 said:


> Thanks - right there with you on the crate thoughts. Hope it won't be too late. As far as nighttime, we're just really resistant to bring him into our room. We'll give it a few more days and see if he calms down, I guess.


Kodi sleeps downstairs, and we (and our elderly cat) sleep upstairs. That's the way it has always been, and will remain at least as long as our cat is alive. It is HER time to be with us.

We got through that first week by putting him in his crate and sleeping on the couch beside him in the family room. I traded off with my son. He slept through the night with no trouble doing it this way. By the end of the first week, he was settled in enough that we just left him in his crate inside his ex-pen and we went up to bed. A couple more weeks, and we left the crate open inside the ex-pen so that he could get to his litter box during the night if he needed to. He never looked back.


----------



## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

Roshi didn't cry at all, but I had the crate beside my bed (it's still there, and he's 1), but that's because of all the advice I got before bringing him home.

When he first entered the home around early evening, I brought him directly into the crate and stuck his 'mommy' blanket (from the breeder) in there. He was hesitant to stay there maybe wondering why am I enclosed in this space?! But then I just kept my arm in there with him and he passed out. And that's all the 'introduction to crate' issues I had. 

No crying.


----------

