Training a dog to use a litter pan is perfectly unnatural to canine instinct. However, living in an apartment and not having to hunt or scavenge their food is also perfectly unnatural to canine behavior. But dogs have adapted happily and thrive in an urban or small home environment. One of the breeds of small doge that have taken any adaptations in their care are Havanese. Training them are usually easier than in other small dog breeds.
Tackling Havanese litter box training is just like every other aspect in Havanese training – you need patience, persistence and even more patience. Think about how long it took for your dog to learn to be housebroken – and now you have to take that concept and bend it. Your Havanese has learned that any elimination indoors is bad. Now, you have to retrain him or her that eliminating in one particular spot indoors (and that spot only) is good.
Havanese litter box training is much easier to do when the Havanese is a puppy than when they are an adult. But if you have an adult who has been taught to go outside whenever nature calls, you must train your Havanese as if he or she were a little puppy. The principle is still the same for both puppies and adult dogs.
Although there will be instructions on the dog litter products, many dog owners feel that those instructions are worthless. In one sense, Havanese litter box training is an inexact science at best. You can use a cat litter pan or a pan that’s marketed as a small dog litter pan – which is basically the same thing. You can use cat litter of indoor dog litter. National manufacturers like Purina are now marketing this indoor dog litter for small dogs.
You need patience and consistency when teaching your dog to eliminate by verbal command. You need everyone in the family to follow along and use the same command. You need to use this short command like “Show time,” or “Go, please,” EVERY time the dog pees or poops. Yes – every single time. Give the command, praise the dog and treat. Eventually, they associate the command with the act of elimination.
Cues that your dog has to go are whining constantly, sitting at the door whining, walking around in small circles while sniffing and sometimes jumping up on your lap and staring at you. You then take your Havanese to the litter pan, drop them in and give the verbal command to eliminate.
Every dog learns at his or her own rate. Some take a lot longer to learn than others. If your dog seems to get the idea but still has accidents, a trip to the vet is on order to rule out any medical conditions.
