Trials of the Larger Set

It's been windy here since last night and it gives me interesting windy moments to capture. Whitney just turned 14 this month and that's old for a retriever. It's senior for a Havanese. Every day that we have with Whitney is something to celebrate.

I love the goldens but I am often asked will I buy another when it is her time. The answer is no. We still will have Terra to do our big dog socialization which we find is very important but what about Terra and having a larger dog to hang out with? We think about it. We don't know what the future holds but it's not something we are faced with yet and that's a good thing. A piece of us gets notched away when we lose any of our beloved canines.

But before I lose you with any of this depressive stuff, I will tell you a large, old dog issue and why you should be thankful that yours are Havanese.

As you know I tend to groom my dogs quite a bit. I find that if I do, they knot less even through that blowing coat stage but goldens you wash less. Last week I washed Terra and the other day I washed Whitney. Well, Whitney doesn't stand up when she needs to and she's heavy so it's a chore we are starting to think we can't do any longer as its a lift into the tub with a shower door and out of one and a carry upstairs and downstairs. We are now looking at taking her into a do-it-yourself places as we find that she couldn't stand up long enough for a groomer to do her in their shop. I don't believe we will ever have this issue with a Havanese. No matter how old they get, they are easier to maneuver. It's at moments like this that we wonder - do we stay small?

We did another Total recall class with a bunch of Havanese. We may be signing up for the next one so if you are interested - let us know.

Socialization is so important. Your Havanese often finds their grounding at home as it's an environment they know. Be sure at least once a week to take them out to somewhere new - a park, visit to a Pet Store - Home Depot - a garden center and best one yet - an obedience class. You will love the end result if your practice. Then you are on the road to having your dog become dog friendly, people friendly and balanced.