Your First Few Days

Your pup will be making many adjustments during his first few days with you. Please remember that they are babies and still sleep many hours a day. Just like human babies, they have active periods and nap times. If you observe this schedule, housebreaking will be easier. If you have young children, please teach them to respect the pups need for rest. Try to minimize visitors for the first couple of days to give you pup time to bond with you and feel comfortable in his new environment.

This is the first time that your pup has been away from his pack. Most adjust quite quickly but occassionally one will be very vocal at bedtime when they are alone for the first time. Just before bedtime, take the pup out, give a verbal cue "it's bedtime" and put him in the crate. Then close the door and leave the room. It is not necessary to put food or water in the crate. Putting a sheet over the crate may help. The soft toy that goes home with them will carry familiar scents and may soothe them. The worst thing you can do is to respond to the crying if all needs have been met. The pup may need to cry itself to sleep for a night or two.

Feeding

I feed Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul - dry puppy food. It is sold only at pet shops, but call first. Most of the major chains do not carry it. Occassionally I will mix in cottage cheese or a bit of good quality canned food but not often. Do not be alarmed if the pup does not eat much at first. They will soon become hungry. Havanese can have sensitive stomachs. If you avoid table foods and feed only high quality dry puppy kibble, housebreaking will be much more pleasant. They also get fussy easily, so unless you plan on cooking for the pup, try to get everyone to stick with the puppy food. If you do not feed the dog from the table, you will avoid rude doggy behaviors. If you want to feed an occassional table treat, put in in their bowl after you have finished eating. You can get him Iams or another small hard biscuit. They especially love freeze dried liver for special treats. I have also used cherios for training, If you would like to switch brands of food, do so gradually by substituting the new feed in increasing amounts every day.

Your pup will be teething so be sure to have some things for them to chew on. Most Havanese are not big chewers once the teething phase is over but chew toys are always good for keeping the teeth clean. My dogs like greenies and bully sticks. When teething pups will try to chew your fingers and toes. They should not be allowed to use their teeth on you. A firm "no" will usually do but if they persist, put your fingers on their muzzle and repeat the no command, use increasing pressure if the behavior persists.   In the puppy stage, please be sure that lamp, computer cords and other potentially dangerous items are not accessible to the pup.

Housebreaking

Housebreaking ls largely a matter of routine and consistency. I free fed the pups here but you may want to feed on a schedule 3 to 4 times a day initially if you are having trouble establishing a potty routine.  The pups should go out every 60 to 90 minutes if possible and be rewarded for performance. You can use a small treat like cherios, but verbal praise alone is very effective. The idea is to catch them doing what you want them to do. This breed lives to make you happy. The pup will need to go out immediately in the morning and until they learn the way reliably, you should carry them outside. Some Hav's take their time in doing their business. Stand outside with you pup and use a verbal cue like "go potty" then reward performance as soon as they finish. Make sure they have completed the task before you bring them in or they will finish their business in the house. They need to go out after playing and after napping. If you keep your eye on the pup, you will see signs that they need to go out. If you are to late and catch them in the act, make a loud noise. ..I say "HEY!" This usually stops things temporairly so you can grab them and go outside, If you do not catch them in the act, punishment will do nothing but make them fear you.

We suggest you purchase a small wire crate about 18 x 24. this will be large enough for a full grown havanese. You may want to get one with an adjustable divider or fill half of it with cardboard box to make a smaller space while training. When given a large space, the pup will make a bedroom and a bathroom more readily. Their natural instinct is not to mess where they sleep. The pup is used to sleeping in a crate now and you can keep him safe in it when you are not home. Many pups love their crate and retreat to it on their own if you keep it accessible. We often find the pups here crawling back into their crate when they are tired.

Bell Training

We have hung a simple jinglebell from a cord near the exit door. When it is time to go out, we ring the bell and say "time to go out". All the dogs come running. Once they consistently respond to the bell, we take their paw and gently hit the bell.  Eventually they will play with the bell or hit it accidently. They will soon get the idea that ringing the bell will bring you to the door to let them out. You must repond immediately by using the verbal cues and taking the pup out. The day this idea clicks, they will ring it over and over to make sure it has the same results. You must respond every single time. Please be aware however, that some of our pups that have learned to ring the bell when they need to go outside have also learned to ring the bell if they woud like our attention for any other reason.

Travel

if you plan to travel with your pup, you will need an approved airline bag like the Sherpa. It is a good idea to leave this out for the pup to become faimiliar with it. Use it for car trips too. Soon the sight of the bag will mean "going" and Havanese love to go anywhere with you. Start taking your pup in the car as much as possible as a pup and he will be a good traveler. Most vets will have you avoid public grounds until the pup has had all of its vaccinations at about 4 months.

Beds

Many people inquire about purchasing a bed for their pup. i suggest using towels in the crates for first few months. If you buy a bed, make sure it can be washed. It may not survive puppyhood so make it an inexpensive one until housebreaking and teething are accomplished. We do have beds here and the dogs do use them. They seem to prefer those with fleece type cushions.

 Collars Vs Harnesses

Harnesses are better than collars for small dogs. One jerk on a leash and collar can hurt their necks and make them gag. I do not leave a collar on them all the time because it makes their hair mat. Your pup has never had a leash, collar or harness on, so expect some resistance. Put the harness and leash on and let them walk around freely with it. I get my dogs microchipped for indentification because they do not wear a tag. Your vet will have information on this. It can be painful so I suggest you have it done when the pup is spayed or neutered.

Kids & Pups

Children should be taught to sit on the floor before picking up the puppy. A young, wiggly pup dropped from any distance can be permanently injured. While the breed is quite agile and may soon learn to jump on and off furniture they should not be allowed to if at all avoidable for many months. 

Grooming

You will also want to buy a brush. The correct one is oval in shape with soft wire bristles. If you brush frequently and gently, your pup will learn to enjoy it. Havanese grow an undercoat during the first year of life. It is important to keep him brushed out to avoid matting. All mats should be brushed out or cut out before bathing. Use a quality shampoo for dogs, non -detergent if you are using advantage for fleas. Get the pup used to being touched all over. Touch the feet and tail on a regular basis. This is helpful later when grooming requires that the entire body be handled. Keep the eyes clean by wiping with a damp cloth as needed. Some staining is to be expected in this and other small breeds. Keep the hair trimmed short around the eyes or do not cut at all and train to lay flat. Check out the links on our site for more detailed grooming information.

Training

It is a good idea to look over the dog training books available and get one that you feel comfortable with. Consistency is extremely important so involving the whole family is key. These are little creatures of habit. They easily fall into routines. The time spent working with your pup will pay dividends. They love to please you and learn easily. The larger pet shops and AKC offer puppy obedience classes that you can attend when all vacinations have been given. This breed also excels in agility. These are both great activies for dogs and their owners.

You will soon have a loving, devoted new family member. Enjoy your new baby but always remember that you are the leader of the pack.

If you have any questions or suggestions for this info page, please let me know.