Food Time

You have to understand that some dogs would eat and never stop eating and others you have to figure out what they like.

Our Treasure is one that would eat and eat and eat and waddle out the door. She's my kind of gal. I like to eat too but I would not be showing her how much I love her if I allowed it.

A Havanese can clearly get over weight fast without you noticing.

How can you feed your Havanese less if you have been indulgent? Count the treats as part of their diet in the day. All calories count.

Go to the dollar store and get a dog bowl. The new ones that they have are smaller. Why smaller? Well, when you put that 1/4 cup max into that bowl twice a day (puppies excluded as they need more calories), it will look like you are filling the bowl to the brim and YOU will feel better about the amount. It's all about your eye.

Now our Risa has been on a diet and has been slowly losing. She looks at you with those baby eyes saying - but Mommy but you can't go there. It's tough. Gad I can't do it with myself yet but I will after the pups are gone but love is having rules, boundaries and guidelines. Love is more than giving in to your Havanese. You must learn to say no when it is for their own good.

If we don't, it may mean we are shortening their lives unintentionally - out of the goodness of our hearts.

Now what do you do if you have a Havanese that doesn't eat so well? We had one of those but when she matured, she eats quite fine. For her, we fed her twice the amount everyone else had as her metabolism would burn off everything in sight. We also got creative and fed ger many things nixed in with her kibble. Now, she had gained and needs to maintain at her weight. That means back to that 1/4 cup twice a day and then monitor her weight. If she starts losing again, add a slight amount more till you get it right for her.

As your Havanese gets older, you also need to watch and monitor.

Food hounds are wonderful as they perform well for treats but if they are in obedience class once a week, take into consideration how many treats you are feeding and either skip their meal class night or reduce. You will be glad you did. A hungry dog will work for you and strive to get what you want him/her to do for that treat and the upside is you get a perfectly behaved dog and they relate belly filling times with class and suddenly that class isn't half bad but it's FUN!

Then you can make that transition to having fun without the treats.