Grounding With the Havanese

You can't pick some people off the ground. Something about being at their level, the gang just adores it. maybe he's one of the pack mates then.

Well, we have a busy day - a show - getting the pool ready - dogs - visitors today - lots to do.

I hope yours is as fun or quieter - depending what you need.

Hoping the weather eventually cooperates and we get new dogs swimming. Treasure looks highly curious. maybe we will have another swimmer like Katsura. We can hope.

Hannah, our visitor goes home tomorrow and we will be back down to just our pack. Sniff... We rather enjoy the extras. It's good for the pack to regroup though.

Shows, Friends and Dogs

Well, Treasure got Winner's Bitch today. That means she was given the award of being the best female today.

Then we had friends come over (Suzi is one of them and she is in the photo)that has Milo and Hugo and we expected Hugo to play with Hannah who is his litter mate but nothing. All were quite subdued but after they went home, Treasure and Hannah was playing up a storm doing run-like-hell.

Now what was that about?

Tomorrow we have more visitors and Linda may be dropping into the show...and I have yet another shampoo for the Treasured one. Is show weekend over? ROFL

Pregnant Pause of the Havanese

Ever wonder how a pregnant Havanese copes with all that extra growing weight? I pay strict attention as I know how it feels. As someone who has gone through it a number of times, I get that - got to get in the right position to feel good enough to sleep.

I am sure many of you humans can relate.

In the late stages of pregnancy - mid June for Wasabi - us humans will go through something called breeder's remorse. The pregnant Havanese start waddling and it's hard to jump up as they usually could but their minds tell them they still can. Wasabi managed to make it last time right up to the end but she wasn't graceful about it.

Since Wasabi's ultrasound, her tummy has been growing and you can feel pups. Actually you could feel it the day of the ultrasound but it is getting more obvious as the days go on.

Closer to the end, I will start tying up her hair everywhere. It won't look glamorous but it will be easier to clean after. I am going to try to line comb each section and wrap it - well I think. Last time I only pony tailed it everywhere. We shall see.

If we have plans to do one thing, mother nature will interfere so maybe it's best to shut my mouth. heh

Well, I have to get the Treasure washed. Then we have guests over later with their Havanese and Bichon. We are watching a Bichon called Hannah and it happens to be the sibling of Hugo who belongs to the family that got Lil Man. Small world.

That will be a picture taking moment in time wit Treasure in there as well. We can't wait. I just hope it doesn't rain. Oh well...

Making an Old Lady Comfie

We tend to like long hair around here but Whitney - our non Havanese who happens to be 14 and a golden was just shaved down. I don't find her attractive but I do think she is more comfie. I doubt I will have to do much grooming on her for a bit but I will continue to look in her ears and check her body for unusual changes.

Most Havanese people who buy their dogs for pet like to cut their dogs down..not usually this severe but what is termed a puppy cut. Why do they do it? Looks - easy care - a variety of reasons.

We tend to keep Shoshi and Risa in a semi cut coat in between the puppy cut and a full coat. Come summer I may go shorter to make in and out of the pool easier as they won't be dragging wet hair around.

There's no right or wrong on haircut preferences - they are just that - your choice.

What's your preference?

Is She, Is She Not?

Well, they think they see 4 or 5 and the last time she had pups, she had 6 so we won't know till June 24thish or the x-ray on the 18th. We indeed saw 4 and what looked like 5 but too early to know.

They are saying she's due around the 24th of June. That means she bred an extra week for nothing. hahahah

Are we excited...yep!!!!

Oh my gad..exciting times - puppies!!

If you are in Richmond Hill this Friday to Sunday - come see Treasure strutting her stuff in the ring.

Revealing Havanese Day

Well, it's the day of the ultrasound and the tummy is growing.

There goes my summer of swimming but mommy promised if I am to have little ones, Daddy and her will teach them to swim before they go to their forever homes.

Just like Risa - they promised me they will let me float in the pool so I can be comfie when my tummy is uncomfortable. They say its something about being in the water takes the weight off of carrying around a number of little ones.

The woman does all the work and the Daddy just - well the Katsura DOES play with the pups but I get all the work.

It's a man's world - after all - hahahahaha

Well, this is the Daddy. Really he looks better than here with that mile long tongue and the weeds growing up all over the place. These humans - grooming us - lovin' us and not having time for those pesky weeds. Who would have thunk it?

The Kat..short for Katsura is the son of a famous US Havanese and his mom lives with us here. We actually have 3 generations in our home. It's wonderful to watch.

Kat also has pups at Yvonne's - we think a couple left..or maybe just one..but today we get to see them..and so does Kat for the first time. We are sooooooooo excited. Photos will be taken and placed in our memory books. He does seem to have rather cute faced pups. As Yvonne said about hers - simply gorgeous! We're glad!

Meshing Packmates

What happens if you acquire a second Havanese and it doesn't play with your existing one?

This is how we have so many dogs but before you go, oh no - we have learned a thing or two since then.

First acquiring a puppy is always a hit unless your dawg is well into its senior years or is in serious pain. Sometimes even then, the puppy creates an enthusiasm for life as that is what puppies are all about.

This means it is easier to add a puppy if your goal is to create pals and fun in their lives but it also means you are back training etc. But if your first one is trained, good news - it's easier with the 2nd one.

Meshing an older dog is often more difficult. Some have lost that play be it yours or the new addition and you have to create opportunities to lay the groundwork for creating that spark in each of them so they find it enjoyable. With 2 dogs that have lost their play, it's not as simple as putting them together and just figuring if they like each other they will. We all get complacent and if you are a couch potato, we often have to see why we shouldn't be. This means it is up to you.

Shoshi was acquired as a pup but a tad too early (it's why we won't let our pups go early along with a number of other reasons). She was a pup who needed a lot of conditioning to people, other dogs etc. Oh she is a lovey from day one but we had to slow condition her to other dogs and people. We had to build up her self esteem and slow condition her in a positive way. She continues to change even as she gets older and the pack has been good for her. The puppies such as Treasure are relentless and not in a bad way. They insist on getting played with and as you can see, she accommodates but Treasure is an alpha even at 7 months. It means she often gets things first so we throw the item out and give Shoshi a lead and let the Treasure go. It empowers Shoshi and gives Treasure a part of the game - trying to get it from another, that she often doesn't have if we didn't create the opportunity.

That's what it is about - figuring out how to make the game fun for all - giving opportunities and mixing it up. But for Shoshi and all the rest of the oldsters - a puppy having fun has been good for them. It's as if a light goes on and they go - wow I remember this was fun and suddenly they are recapturing a missed opportunity.

There is nothing like more than one Havanese and I mean that. You can play with them all you want but there's something that's special - seeing 2 or more together - creating relationships - making you laugh.

But don't give up on the older dog. If you remember Kooba - well she was adopted by Jean and Quito and Kooba are the best of pals playing up a storm. You can play with your Havanese but you can't play with them like another Havanese. It's different. It's fun.

Sure you can have just one but two are often the best thing you ever did for you and for them. But you have to want it for the right reasons and you have to be willing to train and if you are - wow - you are in for a fun ride of two vs. one.

More later.>>

Another Kat Cutie

This is another of Kat's and Mystery pups showing his Havana roots with that lovely ahem in his mouth. ROFL

No smoking allowed - especially for Havanese dawgs!

I just love this pose and appreciate the new owners keeping us in the loop with photos. They sure know how to pose the cutie.

A few more days and we find out if the Wasabi is pregnant with Kat's pups. This time he will be able to charm them and play with them. We can't wait!

Treasure Bites the Dust

I thought this day would never come. Treasure collapsed in exhaustion.

All it took was attending a dog show three days in a row, which meant getting up and being bathed and groomed each day. Then driving to the show, showing in Breed and then again in Group. Then driving back home.

As an added bonus both yesterday and today after we got home we walked the dogs to the local school. That meant we took four dogs at a time, two for Darlah and two for me. At the back of the school is a soccer field and as luck would have it, looking carefully in all directions, there wasn't another person in sight. So off came the leashes and the classic Havanese run-like-hell game ensued over a good portion of the field. All of us that own Havanese realize our Havanese invented this game.

Other breeds might have a facsimile but it just isn't the same.

We actually got some video today which Darlah will place up when she gets a chance. We just got back with Terra, Shoshi, Fiona and Treasure. Terra, our six year old Golden Retriever, knows this game well, having fallen head over heals over the years more than once trying to catch Shoshi who makes impossible turns that Terra cannot duplicate. So Terra loped along with them but didn't really get into the chase. That was left to the three Havanese and did they go. I even tried to run with them for comic relief. I mean they slowed down and laughed at me as they blew by. Treasure was exhausted in just a few minutes.

Then we still had to walk back home, almost a mile. About halfway back we pass a church with a nicely groomed lawned. Treasure walks onto their grass, sniffs for a second with me waiting patiently for her to do her business. She finally finds the right spot but instead of peeing, she collapses into the grass, flat out. She literally wanted to take a nap, right there.

I got her back up and we continued home. She is now out cold on the floor outside my office. It is the first time she has been this exahusted since she was a pup way back a few months ago.Maybe we'll do it again tomorrow depending on how much my own legs are burning when I wake up.
Nathan