Visitors Going Home

Yvonne and Alex came over to pick up their crew last night so in a blink of an eye, 4 dogs were gone. Poor Abigail laid out in the hallway saying - hey where did they go? The rest came clamouring in to find the room on the couch they didn't have before.

The dynamics change with each addition and when each goes home. The house is quiet again. Only one visitor remains and she slept on top of my pillow.

How can you be quiet with 8 dogs? Well it is. With a huge crowd, one gets one barking or one is trying to say - this is my spot or that's my person. Then when that goes and I gather they have gone through it enough, well the crew gets quiet - relaxes and goes back to their usual.

WE hope the Chicadoro crew had a wonderful return home. They will be missed.

Well, we have family coming over today, a show to go to with a dog that refuses to stay clean and all these dogs and humans want to do is sleep. Fiona got Reserve yesterday but today - it will be a struggle t get her coat clean as no energy for a bath today. We will do our best and forget the rest.

Learning Havanese Style

Well, they tell me that a little one called 'Treasure' is joining us 2 weeks from today.

I guess I have my job cut out for me teaching her that I think I am the boss around these parts, how to make snow angels Risa shimmy style and how to stick your face in snow so the humans laugh and take photos of me.

Silly - humans so amused at funny things but we try to accommodate them.

Well Risa says - we have had my daughter and my grand daughter visiting. Nothing like making you feel OLD. We also have the Hot tamale Lola straight from Cuba before she hit Yvonne's house and Flora - a Lola and Oscar pup who we like to think of as a junkyard dog as she adores the bushes two minutes after you brush her. They may be going home tonight or tomorrow night. It surely will be emptier on the bed. It will be interesting to see how the bed placement shifts.

Gidget is also visiting - eating up a storm - snuggling and enjoying her Wasabi. They are really close but she also likes her Katsuro.

Then when we pick up Treasure on the 12th of December, her half brother Rocky will be visiting. How cool is that? Oh and we are also picking up Copper aka Blazin so Holly from Florida can come get him so 2 wee pups in the house for a week and then down to one.

X-ray for the Wasabi was put off till the 19th - going to not be fun waiting but a better time and more accurate then. Wasabi is already getting that rounded belly and sleeping big time. Gorgeous silky, shiny hair. Am hoping that the pups have the same as Coolios is similar.

Oh well, off to a show where its bright lights - lots of competition with just Fiona. We had a rough night with wake ups so when we get back, we may crawl into bed. hehe

Catch you later...

Saga of the Havanaese Roller Coaster

Just got this in my email by a vet no less saying...

Ultrasounds mostly are to confirm pregnancy. X-rays are used for counts. Ultrasounds are not necessarily fully accurate and I tell my clients that.

Why can't pregnancies be easy? Next time - we say nothing - and announce at birth. ROFL

Will the 15th get here right away? Oh, we will be happy with 1 perfect birth but life is ever so interesting in this dawg business.

Now back to daily living as we are not going to obsess with this. We take what life has to offer and then she will have spring puppies too.

Our son is in from the navy just for a few days. We have a show - Yvonne's pups - Gidget - Audrey's pup. It's bloody wet outside so coats are a good thing and worth the effort.

Two weeks till we get Treasure - now that's exciting!

Linda has 4 dogs of her own and is a crazy dawg person too - loves them to death so if you need boarding - she is indeed a possibility. Let us know.

Wasabi's Visit to Vet

Well, we went off to the vet with Wasabi and Risa today and what could be worse than not being pregnant?

You guessed it - they are only seeing 1 or 2 pups and we won't know if it's two or more or less till December 15th as we will do an x-ray then as one or more may be mysteriously hiding or? The more we talk to others that use ultrasounds, the more I hear inaccurate amounts are norm but we will figure on the low amount and be surprised at the x-ray f it's more. She had 6 the last time but they saw six.

Now she is due December 24th so a holiday surprise for sure!

We will be in touch with our puppy people tomorrow. Not to worry - we have dear friends as well that will have pups too if some do not want to wait.

Yvonne - our dear friend's mother died and we need to go to the viewing tonight and just got back. We apologize but if it is only 1 or two - they are going to be the most loved and amazing pups yet cause we wouldn't have it any other way - but of course - that would be the case with 6 too.

This human will have a tough time getting puppy time with just a couple though as that Nathan guy will hog all the puppy time - you just wait.

Off to a show this weekend with Fiona - Friday til Sunday. Fiona is one of Yvonne's so wouldn't it be nice to give her some good news. Well - we will try.

Poochtini Gal: Abigail is Stylin'

Well, it's wet outside and Abigail has decided to strut her stuff. Do you get the idea that she thinks she is all that in her poochtini coat?

The storms are coming in.

The wet murkiness is outside and I spent 20 minutes on mats with Abigail last night due to her laying in wet so no more. I spent even more on Fiona. Puppy blowing coat time and wet does NOT match.

She will be stylin' in her coat and saving me MUCH time - for sure! Abs has a brown one - goes poi-fectly with her hair and Fiona has a black one. Kat has a black one and so does Wasabi. We are waiting for an x-large to come in for Risa and then we will do a Shoshi one too. Shoshi still has a less coverage coat from next year and is matting too so a poochtini coat will be coming for her as well.

And - when we get Treasure - our newest addition - we will post photos of her as well. Her Auntie Linda gave her an amazing fisherman sweater and blanket. Linda is one of the very few people we would trust for boarding that is in the city per se. She only takes one dog at a time but she gives quality care, lots of love and attention like we do. So, if we are booked or just think we are too dawg crazy for you - well get in touch with us. We will point you to her.

Well, today is a bathe Wasabi and Risa day as they are going to the vet tomorrow. Late in the day we find out if Wasabi is pregnant and Risa how we can melt the pounds off of her. Since she has been spade - I think she has been working the house. We have her on a diet and she's eating everything but the floor. Poor gal. But we want her to live a long life so we are in pursuit of peeling it off. Ahem...this human needs to do the same. Always bloody something. Who likes diets - marathon exercises - not I but with less weight you certainly feel better after the stomach shrinks but its getting there that's hell. Me thinks that's Risa's issue - but mommy can you see my tongue going in and out. You are NOT feeding me enough.

Okay - enough of that. If Risa has to put up with it - so am I. This is the 1st day of many days of diets. Exercise to come today too. What are you willing to do to get in shape for summer? It's coming faster than you think - I hope.

Busy Havanese Week

Bet you that you thought we forgot about you - this never missed a day post - crazy Talemaker house but we didn't - well ooops I almost did but what would that do to my 'never missed a day' plan. Gad..well we are here.

We had a way busy day washing Mags that you can see here, Lola, Downsey and Flora. Tomorrow is Wasabi's and Risa's turn as they are off to the vet Wednesday and we want them boo-ti-ful - not all that wet muck that is out there.

So, why did I wash any? Call me NUTS. Then on Thursday Fiona gets washed. Does it ever stop?

Well, tonight one of the human kids here made spaghetti - his own sauce and then our other human son left it on a tv tray. Needless to say, Kat had a pinkish red face. Don't you just love it? You get them looking so purty and then they just have to bring you back to reality.

Tomorrow we have the Gidget (Paris) staying with us for a few weeks. Maybe a visit from Zack and Cocoa - a show - a vet and oops sleep somewhere and sometime in there.

The dogs are calling me to bed. Time to snuggle and say goodnight. Did your dawgs stay dry today?

Should I Dress My Dog Or Not?

This is a jacket we just bought most of our crew from Poochtini.com (They didn't have Risa's size in stock at the moment. Natalie was kind enough to bring the coats over and have a play date with her Rex. It was fun and the coats are great. They will help save the coat, protect from ice balls and cut your time down in grooming - well worth it - in my opinion.

When you live in a city or suburb, does your dog really need a jacket and pair of boots?

If you think it's cold outside, consider whether your dog shares your shivers. This time of year, many dog owners put coats and other rugged outwear on their pets before heading outdoors.

Like their humans, urban dogs grow accustomed to a warm house. Their own coats may not be as thick as their rural cousins' coats might be, making it more difficult for the animals to adapt to the cold.

Footwear may be necessary in some cities to protect tender paws from de-icing salts and chemicals. We opt for the no boots route except for our show dogs on show days but if your dawg is a city dawg, if you go the 'no boot' route, you need to clean the salt and chemicals off their feet. You should also take care of their pads.

If you're not sure whether your city dog needs a coat, look for shivering during or after exercise. Just how cold are we talking? How long will the dog be out for? How typically active is the dog?

What is shivering? Muscular activity that increases as your dawg works to keep their body temperature up.

If this is your first winter with your Havanese, the snow when wet - that nice heavy snow - well it sticks to their hair, forms snow balls and downright is cold for them and painful. Put your stomach on snow bare and leave it there. Then tell me how it feels.

Plus - it's not fun to take out. You have to dry it or wash it out or brush it out but if left you will have an amazing amount of mats. Some can be prevented by shaving their tummies down but you still have to protect that bare skin.

Bottom line? Pay attention. Your dog's behavior will likely tell you when and whether he's uncomfortable. That's your cue to act.

If you're at all embarrassed by the notion of dog outerwear, it's typically the toughest of dogs who wear boots and coats. It's not just your fou fou dogs. Police and military K-9's and search-and rescue dogs all need foot protection. Search and rescue dogs that brave the elements use coats. Plus agility and games people suit their dogs up after a hard day on the run.
Real dogs do wear coats.