Housetraining 101 - Please Read this Thread in its Entirety

[kian]

Just curious, why can't you have him next to your bed? That really can make a difference in just a short time and then the household is peaceful again.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kian, I also thought that since he's been dewormed today, he may need to relieve himself more often than usual in the next 24 hours! He may need to go out.

Your idea of laying beside the crate is a good one. I might be inclined to put him out to do business, no chat, no play, no nonsense, and right back into the crate to make sure he doesn't have an upset tummy from the deworming meds.

Normally, I would do exactly as you said Kian.

It is a lot of work in these early weeks, but it's so worth the effort put forth now. You end up with a dog that can be trusted anywhere to not soil. You also have a companion that can go anywhere with you as the crate is the safe place. Consider it a Work In Progress.

Kian, GMTA....I was relieved to see we were on the same page. You describe better than I do as you have the actual knowledge.

[kian]

Deb I thought you did a better job explaning than me and I hadn't realized the pup was dewormed today. That's why I like two minds!!! Good luck Les!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Sympatico Kian!

[Nileska]

With the advent of "Panacure"it is no longer nessecary to make your dog violently ill in order to deworm him/her...For pups 4 weeks and older "Nemex" is safe and gentle...Some of the wormers of 50 years ago that required withholding food, were really brutal and were unsuitable for pups.

..I personally find the Horse version of "Panacure easiest to use and the most cost/effective to buy...My practice, if a negative fecal is suspect and symptoms are present,is to go ahead and worm..More often than not the problem is solved and nothing is lost...And YES kiddies,a pinch of garlic every day helps.

.....Most Vets will prescribe a course of the granular type which is very expensive and is mixed with food....Now consider that one symptom of the presence of worms is loss of appetite, so a 5 day regimen of the granular type can be wasted.....The horse variety is an apple flavoured cream in an applicator which can be injected in the back of the mouth,or if the appetite is ok,in the food...Two doses schould be adequate, if not then repeat.

...The applicator is marked with a scale (remove one zero to get the appropriate dose for your dogs wt.) Not to worry,an overdose is perfectly safe [just wastes the product ] There is NO LD50 for Panacure...NOTE: 500 on the scale = 50#,250 = 25# etc for other weights, estimate on the plus side.....Horse Panacure can be bought without prescription whever Horse supplies are sold.

Richard

[kian]

Great info Richard as always!

[JesseGirl]

Hello All,

My husband and I will be picking up our little guy next week, an 8-week-old Havanese. I've been doing tons of research on housebreaking methods, but very little on tips, strategies, advice for people who work. We have someone who will be coming over daily around mid-day to take him out, feed him, and play with him, but she can't stay all day long. I'm just wondering what other people's experiences have been with housebreaking while working.

We want to use the crate, but I'm not sure if we should put an 8-week-old in a crate for 4 hours at a time, which would be how long he'd have to hold it till our puppy-sitter comes and then until we get home. I hate to confuse him with puppy pads, but we may need to use them at least some of the time until his bladder grows.

I've been waffling greatly and would appreciate any feedback or experiences anyone would be willing to share.

Thank you!

[4 the Dogs]

Hi, I housebroke my puppy while working. Are you able to take the first week or so off the first week your puppy is home? That would be ideal in order to start getting to know your puppy's schedule and most importantly bond. I was not able to and I do think it may have stressed my pup a little bit in regards to the kennel. He really isn't fond of it, where my other dogs love thiers.

I had the same schedule you are anticipating, leaving Pup alone for 4 hours, with a lunch time break, and then again for 4 hours. While it is not ideal and makes things a little harder,it is what it is. I used the kennel and had a few issues with accidents while in the kennel. If there was one, I just cleaned the pup and kennel up without any fuss. I did limit water for an hour or so before going in the kennel.

Congrats on your new puppy! Good luck, have lots of patience and let us know how things go!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kris (4 the Dogs) gave you excellent advice. It would be optimal if you had a week or two off when bringing the puppy home. Perhaps you could arrange some time off of work, between you and your husband for the first 2 weeks.

I would strongly advise against the puppy pads! While they are helpful for those living in a high rise apartment, if your ultimate goal is to always have the dog relieve itself outside, the pads not only are a choking hazard, but add an extra step in the overall housetraining.

Please read this thread in its entirety as all of the tips are there. Perhaps the breeder would be willing to keep the puppy for an extra week or two even, so that you and/or your husband could arrange extra time off. If not, as Kris said, it is doable. It takes time and patience. Expect to have about 4 weeks of interrupted sleep, and remember that their crate is their safe place!

Successful crate training leads to a happier dog overall, and makes travel much, much easier as well as anytime you need to leave your dog unattended. It also makes house training go smoother and faster in my opinion.

Good luck to you! You'll have to post pictures and introduce yourself and the new pup in the Introduction Section so we can all give you a proper welcome. I'm sure you are very excited. Havanese are lovely dogs!

[Nileska]

I have allways found a puppy pen useful...From the time the pups are able to climb out of the whelping box i surround the box with the puppy pen [or X pen it you will].

..Later I remove the whelping box and just use the X pen....cover the entire floor of the pen with newspaper,place a sleeping pad in one corner [I use faux sheepskins] .,,Add a no tip bowl or water dispenser....DO NOT LEAVE PUPPY PADS OR TOYS THAT CAN BE EATEN OR SWALLOWED AND NO RAWHIDE IN ANY FORM!.

...If you cannot arrange a midday visit for food and exercise leave some dry kibble or better a stuffed kong..Peanut butter and chicken Frozen works well...The object is to keep your pup out of trouble.

..When you arrive at home the pup needs to go out imediately, then clean up the puppy pen and replace any soiled papers...(you can prevail upon friends and family to help save newspapers)....At night the pup can be kept in the crate in your bedroom...They need the company.

Good Luck...Richard

[JesseGirl]

Thank you to all who have posted feedback. We will be taking some vacation time with him and will have 10 days to get into a rhythm with him. I'm very excited! It is so reassuring to hear that others have done this and that it has worked out fine. It is also good to hear that even in non-perfect situations, the pups grow up ok. We are lucky to have a "puppy sitter" coming in and now I'm extra glad that we decided to go that route b/c it seems like between the daily puppy sitter visits and the crate in between, we have a fairly sound plan set up. We will be putting the crate by the bed at night and taking turns with the night-time pottying.

I will definitely "introduce" myself officially along with our puppy, Rollie, when we get him. I have my digital camera all polished and ready!

[JesseGirl]

Oh and Nileska, we bought a puppy playpen that has a vinyl floor so we can keep him safely confined (with room to play) at different times during the day, but I had thought that the crate would be better when we aren't home. What are your thoughts on that?

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Jesse, I'm sure Richard (Nileska) will not mind me adding my 2 cents regarding x-pen vs. crate.

I think most of us are in agreement that as long as the pup is confined and not able to escape and possibly explore the house on its own, whatever method you choose is the right one.

Some people feel that one advantage to using a crate as opposed to a larger pen area, speeds up the house training as no puppy likes to go where it sleeps. I'm glad to hear that you have managed to take at least 10 days off at the start. That will really help you establish a routine. You may wish to save the x-pen for use a little further down the road when confinement is still necessary and housetraining is less of an issue.

I always add a word of caution regarding stuffing a kong with peanut butter, especially for very young pups and small breed dogs as it gives both of my dogs terrible diarrhea! Even as adults, they can only have a wee bit of peanut butter or else. Some larger dogs do very well with it and it's good for them.

I think you will find that your puppy sleeps in bursts of 2 to 4 hours frequently throughout the day, as most dogs do all of their lives. If the crate or pen are comfy, safe and cozy, then that's all that really matters.

[Nileska]

I think you are more than ready with taking time off to start and also having arranged midday exercise and feeding once you return to work.

..Like a human baby one has to puppy proof his environment,They are not too careful what they chew up...I am not familiar with the type of X pen you have described but the professional type I have always used folds flat for storage and has no floor, it is suitable for puppy or adult...One still needs a crate as well and the crate DOES speed house training.

At dogshows several days in length I often used 3 crates for each dog..Left one at the showsite,one in the van and one in the motel....It speeded things up in the morning if I didn't have to schlep crates around and one Never leaves the motel room without crateing the dog/dogs....Even the best behaved dog will find a way to entertain himself.

I have house trained 6 Husky puppies at once so one small breed pup should be a "piece of cake".We kept their X pen by the back door and let them out all at once.They went roaring out,took care of business,came bouncing back in to eat...Remember to let the pup walk out so that he knows the way...(the tendency is to carry a small dog like a Havanese around but you are not doing him any favours.)

Richard

When i posted I had not seen Deb's post...To clarify,it is not a case of crate OR X pen,It is a case of crate AND X pen...You will find both useful.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Richard, I'm glad you didn't mind me adding my 2 cents, when the question was directed at you.

I totally agree with your post. Having both is an ideal situation and allows for flexibility farther down the line. Consistency is key in the early days.

I like the idea of you having the whelping pen, inside the x-pen directly leading to an open door (when opened by you). That is best when one has multiple puppies. You also brought up a good point about not always picking up a small breed dog as one is often wont to do. However, if it's a matter of being able to quickly make it outside, then it's ok.