hi everyone! I;m about to buy a havanese puppy! for the first month I'll be home on sumemr vaction and i will be able to start housebreaking, but after that the whole family wont be home from 8-4! I would like to ask your advice on what kind of house training I should do. As the puppy wont be able to hold her bladder for 8 hours at only 2 months old, training her to go outside dosent make sense. DO you think i should litter train her or perhaps use those puppy training pads? this way i can leave them in her room and she can use them when im not home. If any one has any ideas or advice id really appreciate it! THANKS

She's going to need feeding in the middle of the day, so whoever comes home to feed her can let her in the garden and play with her at the same time.

Quite a few people who try to train their pups to use litter trays or paper find that it simply doesn't work, especially if the dog is left alone.

We wont be able to come home at lunch everyday though. Weve talked to breeders etc. and they say that not feeding them mid day is o.k, as long as their fed morning and night. Not coming home at lunch is what presents this housebreaking problem!

mmm
I do think you area going to find you run in to problems leaving a pup for that long alone!!!!!

Its not just the housetraining, that is in fact the tip of the iceberg.

What is the pup going to do with itself in that length of time, as i can guarantee it wont sleep the whole time!

The answer is, without a lot of attention, someone coming in for a while a couple of tiems a day, you are gonna have to be prepared to deal with chewing, barking, howling, messing everywhere, and a whole lot more besides.

You will have to put in a lot of work in the first month, getting the pup used to being alone for increasing amounts of time, crate training/puppy pen training, etc.

Im not saying it isnt possible, i am saying however that it will be VERY hard work!

Good luck,
Em

To be honest, and not meaning to be nasty, but I personally wouldn't sell a puppy to a person who was going to leave it alone that long. By the time you get home it will be starving, wallowing in its own mess, and very distressed. Compare it to a toddler - old enough to be weaned, but not old enough to do anything for itself. How long would you expect it to remain safe, happy and comfortable?

Sorry to put it like this, but I think you ought to wait for a puppy until you can look after it properly, as it deserves.

Have to agree on this one, if you're not going to be about for the majority of the day, perhaps an adult dog would be more suitable, even then it depends on the dog.
Good luck with whatever you decide though :)
Lisa