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I have a 14 week old Havanese puppy. He is not fully house trained yet, so I can't allow him to be just around the house. He has many problems, but the one I am dealing with right now is that I left him in the ex pen so that I could take a shower and get a cup of tea. He is howling, yipping, whining, ect. I know I shouldn't take him out when he is doing that because I will reinforce it. But if he does this for hours, I don't know what to do - leave him in all day? He has a potty pad in there, which he uses, food and water and toys. so its not like I am abusing him, but I don't know how to get him out of there when he keeps howling. I am having a terrible time with potty training, but that's another question. I say that only to give a reason why he has to be in the ex pen if he is not in my arms. (He sleeps in a crate at night, and is very good at that.)
If you don't do anything to provide benefits for howling, he will give it up.
You could provide negative conditioning. Get a spray bottle and when he howls very calming and quietly say "quiet" and give him a squirt of water with 1 teaspoon of coat conditioner mixed in. Don't spray him in the face. In fact, it usually works if you spray the floor in front of the dog.
When he stops in surprise, you quietly and calming say "good quiet" with approval in your voice.
If you opt for the spray bottle method, you will have to actively pursue it and squirt him every time he howls. It's less work to get a set of ear plugs and wait it out.
Whichever method you decide, be sure to go and pick him up when he is quiet and calmly say "good quiet". That way there is a reward for the good behavior that you wish to encourage and no reward for the bad behavior.
Also, if it is just for house training, place the X-pen close to your location.. If he can see you, he will be more quiet, or else you can squirt him at no inconvenience to yourself.
Te dog should have some nice chewies and toys in the X-pen so that it is a nice place to be and not a place of punishment.
He will eventually stop this behavior if you wait it out. Even if he cries constantly for 6 hours but then you let him out, he will think that it is the crying that allowed him to be let out. Let him cry for 10 hours if need-be, but after he's stopped for more than 3 mins at a time, go in and let him out and reward him. Do this every time he's in there and quiet for 3+ mins. He'll learn that you're rewarding the quiet behavior.
Thank you for the encouragement. He quieted down after just over an hour. His crate is available to him in the ex pen, with the door open. So after an hour and 10 minutes, he just went into the crate and lay down in his bed. After he had been there for a few minutes, I went in and talked sweetly to him, took him out, we went outside and he peed, so he is doing OK now. He has done this before in the mornings, and I have taken the same approach, but he is still doing it, so I was Just impatient with his not learning that whining and howling doesn't work. I guess I just have to stick it out. I do leave activities in the pen for him to do. I don't want it to be a punishment pen, just a place I can put him when I need to not be holding him. Maybe I need more toys in there.
Since you have all been so helpful, may I ask about house training? As I mentioned, puppy is trained to the puppy pad, and he also has a place out the front door and out the back door that he knows are the right potty places. He has also occasionally gone in other places outside, although I don't think he is really comfortable with that yet. I have no yard, so I have to take him out each time and wait, rather than just letting him out into the yard. The problem is that he does not indicate that he has to go. He doesn't whine or sniff or anything. If I get distracted and don't take him out at about hour intervals, he will just pee where ever he is. No searching, or signs of distress. Is this just the pattern of a small breed puppy with an immature bladder? Will he eventually grow out of this? This is the reason I can't let him just be around in the house.
Thank you for the encouragement. He quieted down after just over an hour. His crate is available to him in the ex pen, with the door open. So after an hour and 10 minutes, he just went into the crate and lay down in his bed. After he had been there for a few minutes, I went in and talked sweetly to him, took him out, we went outside and he peed, so he is doing OK now. He has done this before in the mornings, and I have taken the same approach, but he is still doing it, so I was Just impatient with his not learning that whining and howling doesn't work. I guess I just have to stick it out. I do leave activities in the pen for him to do. I don't want it to be a punishment pen, just a place I can put him when I need to not be holding him. Maybe I need more toys in there.
Since you have all been so helpful, may I ask about house training? As I mentioned, puppy is trained to the puppy pad, and he also has a place out the front door and out the back door that he knows are the right potty places. He has also occasionally gone in other places outside, although I don't think he is really comfortable with that yet. I have no yard, so I have to take him out each time and wait, rather than just letting him out into the yard. The problem is that he does not indicate that he has to go. He doesn't whine or sniff or anything. If I get distracted and don't take him out at about hour intervals, he will just pee where ever he is. No searching, or signs of distress. Is this just the pattern of a small breed puppy with an immature bladder? Will he eventually grow out of this? This is the reason I can't let him just be around in the house.
He's still very young and small dogs are notoriously difficult to house train. I would get rid of the puppy pads (they confuse the dog) and just put him on a schedule. Take him out frequently and record when he goes. Crate him when he is not supervised (not in the ex-pen - big enough to go potty in there and not bother him). When he goes outside, give him effusive praise and treats.
To get him to settle down in most situations, fill a kong with mashed up wet kibble, peanut butter, banana, yogurt - whatever. Maybe freeze it. And then give it to him in the ex-pen. That usually works - the dog I have who ignored the kong was totally freaking out at the time when he was in his crate due to separation anxiety, but most dogs will be interested.
You haven't had the dog for long. if the person you got the dog from would pick him up when he cried, your dog has a bad habit. You are going to have to wait him out and ignore the crying until he learns that crying won't work any more.
Be sure to reward when he is quiet.
Get yourself an alarm clock or timer and set it so you don't miss his potty time. House breaking is nothing but a habit and you need to establish the habit for the puppy.
A nice cookie when he goes potty outside will hurry up the house training. Also, do not immediately go back inside. Get the pup to potty and then let him explore a little bit. Pups who want to look around learn to hold their bladder because they get taken inside as soon as they pee.
Decide on a "potty" word and teach it to him. Get him to pee, reward with a small cookie and also reward with a small outdoor play time. Eventually, the potty word will become a command. Very useful when you are in a hurry, or away from home.
He's still very young and small dogs are notoriously difficult to house train. I would get rid of the puppy pads (they confuse the dog) and just put him on a schedule. Take him out frequently and record when he goes. Crate him when he is not supervised (not in the ex-pen - big enough to go potty in there and not bother him). When he goes outside, give him effusive praise and treats.
To get him to settle down in most situations, fill a kong with mashed up wet kibble, peanut butter, banana, yogurt - whatever. Maybe freeze it. And then give it to him in the ex-pen. That usually works - the dog I have who ignored the kong was totally freaking out at the time when he was in his crate due to separation anxiety, but most dogs will be interested.
I second this with added emphasis on he is still very young- be patient and consistent.
^^I tend to agree w/ this, in his mind it's giving him permission to 'go' inside - would take him out more often, you go w/ him and put him on a leash, he's out there to 'go', not to play, he can play later - take him out when he wakes up, after he eats, when he starts to circle etc - get to know his signals, no matter how subtle they may be. Little dogs have little bladders and little muscle control, it'll come but he has to be taken out often but at 14 wks, he's still very young and inevitably will make mistakes but will fine tune it in time - if he does make a mistake, a loud "No" is enough and take him outside fast (w/ you at the other end of the leash). Praise works wonders too and so do small treats (you can boil some chicken breast and freeze them in little packages in small plastic bags, grab one when you take him out, much better than hard Milkbones), a 14 wk old havanese (or really any small dog) doesnt need a big piece, very small is fine. Just some thoughts
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