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Havanese dogs are very trainable, smart and of a cooperative nature. They are not, however, known for being particularly easy to housetrain, and many owners opt to crate train their young Havanese pups to help in the potty training phase, which helps prevent accidents. Another reason to crate train your Havanese is to provide them with a safe, comfortable place to rest when owners are unable to supervise them, such as at night, or when owners are away from home.
Having your dog crate trained means that he is not able to get into trouble while you are not available, such as chewing on objects that could harm him, knocking over items that could injure him, and falling off furniture or down stairs. Most dogs take well to create training, as dogs are den animals, and if yours make his crate into a “den”, he will happily curl up there, recognizing the crate as his own little home.
Steps to make the crate comfortable and introducing time spent in the crate in a positive way will make crate training successful and the crate can be a useful tool as your dog grows. A crate trained dog is easier to transport and the crate can be used as a comfortable retreat in certain situations, such as when company is over, renovations are being conducted in your home, or when any unusual activity occurs in your home, to avoid your dog becoming stressed or overwhelmed.
Crate training can start as soon as your puppy is weaned and brought home, usually around 8 weeks of age. A general guideline is that a puppy can stay in a crate for as many hours as they are months old, that means that an 8-week-old puppy should not be left in a crate longer than 2 hours. Because most dogs will not soil their beds if they can help it, crates are commonly used for house training, but they have many other functions, including providing a quiet retreat for your Havanese and keeping him safe when traveling or when activity is occurring.
Your Havanese's crate should be just like his den. Putting a comfy blanket or cushion in the crate, along with toys, and creating a positive environment will make it more “homey” and allow your dog to adapt better to time spent there. Sometimes puppies or dogs whine or cry when contained in their crates. There are several steps you can take to reduce this behavior by avoiding reinforcing vocalizations and keeping your dog's crate in a warm, comfortable place where he can see you.
It is very important that the crate you use be the correct size for your Havanese. Most Havanese dogs require a small to medium-sized crate. The crate should be large enough for your dog to stand up in, turn around, and lie down in. If a crate is too big it will not feel safe and comfy to your dog--dogs like a secure den that is just the right size for them. Also, if you are using a crate for house training purposes, you do not want it large enough to give your trainees the opportunity to go to the bathroom in a corner. Most dogs will avoid soiling their beds so you want the crate just big enough for your dog to lie down comfortably, without the opportunity for a bathroom spot. If you are buying a crate for a puppy, try to purchase one that will be the appropriate size for him when he grows up, and use a divider to make it smaller when he is a pup. Plastic sided crates provide a cozy feeling for your Havanese, but if you want to use a more durable, wire crate, drape a blanket over it to give it that cozy secure feeling and prevent drafts.
The Slow and Positive Method
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Set up the crate
Put your Havanese’s crate in a busy area of the house so he can see what is going on, or at night, put it in your bedroom so he can see and hear you. Either tie the door open or remove it completely so that your dog is not startled by a closed door and feels trapped. Put a blanket inside the crate.
Lure with treats
Give your puppy a favorite treat beside the create. Then toss a treat into the crate for him to retrieve. Do not push or force your Havanese into the crate. Let him go in willingly. If he is reluctant, set up a trail of treats leading into the crate. When your puppy goes in the crate to get the treats, lavish praise and attention on him. Give him a command like “crate” or “bed’ to associate with the crate. Make it a positive place.
Make it a sleep place
Wait until your puppy is very sleepy or sleeping. Pick him up and put him in his crate, let him settle down and go back to sleep. Sit by the crate for a few minutes and pet him until he settles and goes to sleep.
Put the door on
Put the door back on once your Havanese is used to going in the crate to get treats and to sleep.
Practice confining in the crate
Give the command for going in the crate and encourage him into his crate. Close the door.Leave your puppy in the crate for several minutes. Let him out after a short period of time but never when he is whining or crying. Gradually increase time in the crate.
The Make Crate Great Method
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Short crate periods
Never use a crate to punish your dog or leave him in for an excessive length of time. Start out with short times in the crate. Make the crate comfortable with blankets and toys.
Tire out
Exercise your Havanese with a long walk or play before asking him to go in his crate. A tired dog will be ready for a nap in his comfy den.
Provide entertainment
If your dog is not tired and needs to be crated, provide a rawhide bone or “Kong” filled with peanut butter, so he has something great to entertain himself with.
Provide treats
Provide a great treat every time you ask your Havanese to go into his crate.
Do not isolate
Keep the crate in an area of the house where your Havanese can see you and the rest of the family, so he does not feel isolated. Periodically go back to the crate, open it and give attention, praise and a treat. Do not reinforce crying or whining. Ignore it, let your dog out of the crate when he is quiet.
The Associate with Food Method
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Associate treats
Introduce your Havanese to the crate. Put it in a high traffic area so your dog can see you and line it with a comfy blanket or towel. Fasten the door open so it will not accidentally close. Bring your dog over and talk to him in a happy tone. Give him a command to go in his crate like “Kennel” or “crate” and toss a treat in the crate for him to retrieve.
Feed meals
Put your dog's food next to the crate and feed him there for a few days. Move his dish into the crate and let him eat in the crate while you stand with him and talk to him.
Keep your dog company
When your dog is comfortable eating in the crate, close the door while he is eating but remain with him just outside the crate and talk to him reassuringly. Repeat for a few days.
Confine for short periods
After eating, leave your Havanese in the crate for a few minutes after each meal with the door closed. Gradually increase time period so your dog gets used to staying in the create longer and longer.
Do not reinforce vocalizing
Do not let your Havanese out of the crate if he whines or cries. Instead, sit by the create until he stops vocalizing for several seconds and then let him out. Continue to increase time your dog is left in his crate after being given meals or treats in his crate.
Written by Laurie Haggart
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 02/01/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
1. Layla still not 100% house trained. We adopted her when she was 5 months old and did not start the crate option till she is 1 years old. We used pads but was not able to train her in a way where she lets us know when she needs to go out. Still struggling with occasional poops and peeps. 2. layla is over protective of my daughter - 14 years old. She bites, growls and even nips my husband all the time.She only acts normal around him during dinner where she goes to him and asks for food and he does give him table food. 3. layla growls anyone in the beginning on the street once they start talking to me or my daughter. She does not let anyone pat her or touch her either.
July 19, 2020
LAYLA's Owner
Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer
253 Dog owners recommended
Hello! I am going to give you information on how to correct over protective behaviors, as well as a crash course in potty training. Luckily she is still young enough, that you shouldn't have to spend too much time turning things around. You won’t be able to solve your dog’s overprotective behavior in one day. In the meantime, you don’t want to put your life on hold. You can still invite guests into your home as long as you prioritize managing your dog’s behavior. You’ll need a short-term strategy to start showing your overprotective dog what behavior is unacceptable while also keeping your guests safe. There are a few ways to do this. Separate Room: Your dog won’t get better without practice, but sometimes you have to weigh the risks versus rewards. If your overprotective dog is in the beginning stages of training, keeping her separated from guests might be best. You don’t want to put a friend’s safety at risk or needlessly stress out your dog. As long as you keep working toward stopping the behavior, separating an overprotective dog from company is a temporary management solution. Start Obedience Training Obedience training is a must for every dog, and it’s especially important for overprotective dogs. Working with your dog on things like “sit-stay,” “down-stay,” and “heel,” will help build her impulse control. He’ll start seeing you as a capable leader and will turn to you for guidance. A mistake many pup parents make is stopping obedience training once their dog masters the basics skills. Being well-trained is about more than knowing how to sit when a person holds a treat in front of their face. It’s a lifetime lesson, and even senior dogs need regular training. Commit to training your dog several times a day for short periods of time. Make Your Dog Work for Affection You can’t help but smother your dog with love every time he’s within petting distance, but that isn’t always what’s best for her. She will start to feel entitled to your attention, and that’s part of the problem. To remedy this, initiate a “work for it” program that allows you to show your dog affection as long as he earns your attention in appropriate ways. Make her sit, stay calm, and do whatever else you ask before doling out whatever it is she wants. If she’s excited for dinner, make her sit and leave it before digging in. If she wants in your lap, ask her to do a trick first. Never give your dog attention if she rudely nudges your hand or barks in your face. She needs to know polite behavior, and polite behavior only, is how she gets what she wants. You ignore everything else. Involve Other People in the Dog’s Life Most overprotective dogs choose to guard only the person they feel closest to. It’s usually the same person who fills their food bowls, takes them on walks, and handles training. They become obsessively attached, and a strong bond gradually mutates into overprotective behavior. Putting some space between you and your dog will help her learn to trust other people. Enlist the entire family’s help and take a step back in your role as primary caregiver. Have someone else feed the dog a few times a week, and encourage other people to engage her in playtime. This will help her be more comfortable with different people. Socialize Socialization is best done during the puppy stages, but even adult and senior dogs benefit from new experiences. Exposing your overprotective dog to new places, experiences, and people, will help her learn that not everyone is out to hurt you. Make sure each new experience is positive, and encourage your dog without forcing him to interact. If your dog is afraid, you don’t want to make things worse. Take socialization at the pace she’s comfortable with. If he seems overwhelmed, back up and try something a little smaller. These are some general ideas and they can be modified to fit your dynamic. These behaviors do take time, I am talking months, to correct. And sometimes the behaviors get worse before they get better. So just push through that time if that starts to happen. Now onto potty/crate training... this is going to seem a little remedial, but the best route to go to really lock in potty training is to kind of scrub your current habits and start from scratch. Know Your Pup. As you spend time with your puppy, learn your puppy’s love language. Just as some people prefer gifts, touch, or time spent together, puppies can be the same way. Some puppies love praise or pets, while others prefer treats. As you get to know your puppy, consider what reward your puppy loves the most. Create a Daily Schedule. It is best to have a routine for your puppy. A schedule helps them understand when to eat, play, and “go to the bathroom.” Your puppy should go out frequently and the routine should be the same every time. When? Start the day by taking your puppy outside, and repeating based on age and ability. They should also go out after napping, chewing, playing, and within 10 to 15 minutes of eating. Although some puppies can sleep for seven hours, it is important to set an alarm and take your pup out during the night. When you do, don’t make a fuss about it. Quietly take them outside with minimal stimulation and light. Praise them if they go to the bathroom and gently return them to their bed or crate. You don’t want them to get stimulated and ready to play in the middle of the night! As you get to know your puppy, you will become aware of their individual habits. Click here to learn more about house training schedules for puppies. Where? Take your puppy to a specific area to urinate or defecate. Be consistent. You can create an area by using urine-soaked paper or bowel movements to help create an aroma to stimulate your puppy. How? Take your puppy out on a leash so they can focus on the desired activity. This will help prevent them from wandering off to play. Once your puppy is in the selected area, use your verbal cue, such as “Hurry Up,” “Poopies,” “Go tinkle,” or any phrase your puppy responds to. What? Know the signs that your puppy has to go to the bathroom. Every animal may have a different “I gotta go” gesture, which often include restlessness, sniffing around, circling, scratching at the door, barking, and, eventually, squatting. At the first sign that your pup has to go, calmly and quickly take them outside to their bathroom spot. Deal with Accidents. Accidents are a normal part of house training a puppy. What to Do If you see your puppy in the process of urinating or defecating inappropriately, calmly and quickly interrupt them in the act. Tell them to stop (either by a jarring sound or command), and immediately take them to an appropriate location for elimination. After your puppy goes to the bathroom, lavishly praise them and offer a treat. Thoroughly clean up accidents, so your puppy is not attracted to this area again. Create a consistent feeding and watering schedule. Depending on the age of your puppy, they will eat three to four times a day. A consistent feeding routine can create a regular bathroom schedule. Take away water about 2 hours before bedtime. Learn more about ideal dog schedules here. What NOT to Do Don’t punish your puppy when they have an accident. At that point, it is too late. When a puppy has an accident in the house and they walk away, within seconds they have already forgotten about what they did. Taking them to the scene of the crime and yelling and/or rubbing their nose in it does not help and, in fact, can harm your puppy! Supervise. The best thing you can do is to prevent accidents and the best way to do this is to supervise your puppy at all times. You can tether your puppy to your waist with a five or six-foot leash and carefully observe them for signs that they need to go to the bathroom. If you can’t supervise, then crate or confine your puppy. The more accidents your puppy has in the house, the more confusing it will be for them and this can delay house training. Reward, Reward, Reward. It is important to give your puppy a reward for their good behavior. This can be for commands such as sitting and coming to you, or for appropriately eliminating outside. In a puppy, a reward can be a couple kibbles of puppy food or a treat, such as a small piece of meat. The treat should be exciting for them and only available as a result of good behavior. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for writing in!
July 20, 2020
Oreo likes her crate and will hang out in there as long as the door is open during the day and chooses to sleep in crate as long as the door is open. However once that door closes all hell breaks lose with barking howling and pawing at the crate door. We’ve tried putting her in for only a few seconds to almost an hour and she cries and barks and howls for every second. It is not getting better no matter what we do. Orea is my daughters ESA and needs to go to College in September with mt daughter but needs to be okay in crate while my daughter is not in her dorm room. Help! I am at a loss. I cant let her take a dog that will howl and bark every second she is not there. Her dorm mates will mutiny. Please help.
May 6, 2020
Oreo's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Katy, First, work on teaching the Quiet command during the day using the Quiet method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Second, during the day practice the Surprise method from the article linked below. Whenever pup stays quiet in the crate for 5 minutes, sprinkle some treats into the crate without opening it, then leave the room again. As she improves, only give the treats every 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2, hour, 3 hour. Practice crating her with the door closed during the day for 1-3 hours each day that you can. Whenever she cries in the crate, tell her "Quiet". If she gets quiet - Great! Sprinkle treats in after five minutes if she stays quiet. If she continues barking or stops and starts again, spray a quick puff of air from a pet convincer at her side through the crate while calmly saying "Ah Ah", then leave again. Only use unscented air canisters, DON'T use citronella! And avoid spraying in the face. Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Repeat the rewards when quiet and the corrections whenever she cries. Practice for a few days until she is doing well during the day. Continue what you are currently doing at night during this process. Once she is doing well during the day, crate her with the door closed at night too to get her used to that also. When she cries at night before it has been 5 hours (she may be waking to go potty if it's been longer than 5 hours since she last went and she was asleep before that point), tell her Quiet, and correct with the pet convincer if she doesn't become quiet and stay quiet Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
May 6, 2020