Puppies Exhausted

We just had one of our puppy people over and the crew is mighty tuckered out but look who is still awake (first born).

Oh, he is sleeping now but I think he thought....one more game...perhaps. Then his little body couldn't muster any more spirit and he is fast asleep. I expect the crew to sleep for hours.

Fidel had them running like banshees and it was a delight to watch. Fidel is a Havanese!

Tomorrow we have our grand children coming and we will be socializing the crew with wee ones . Going to be a full week for sure. Now to get some food into us while the little ones nap.

Follow the gang at Havanese Life. Soon they wil be going to their forever homes and then what will we do...

Havanese Smiling

Play sessions are really important with the crew. If anything, they can't wait till the moments appear where they can run-like-hell, roll around like banshees and just smile and smile.

Do Havanese smile? YES! All dogs do. You just have to give them something to smile about.

It's easy to do and if you make them smile you end up smiling too...win/win!

Get out your camera and find that smile.

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.

Emptier House

Fred, one of our guests is going home tonight. He's just had a bath and decided to go outside and roll. Is he telling me something or WHAT?

Fred had a really great time with the pups. He wasn't totally sure of them at first as Wasabi - like any mom will do till she knows you are okay - well she guarded them and got the pack barking - rallying them around her but that went rather fast and Fred was out playing with the pups, the other dogs including Kat, Shoshi and Abigail and the last couple of days - Treasure.

He's become so comfie that you can find him relaxing on his back a great deal. It's rather nice.

We had Missy and her mom come to visit for a grooming session and I don't think her mom needs me any longer. hehe It was good to show her what I use so she can try it. She also got down on the floor and played with the monkeys. Did I take pictures - sigh wasn't thinking about it.

It's hot - want to swim. We had all the dogs out for runs etc. but Daddy has to go set up for the Richmond Green Dog show in Richmond Hill and we will be there Thursday and Friday at 10am. If you are around, stop by and say hello.

Puppies are snoozing and we have increased the x-pen space. More on Havanese Life.

Chase Me Game

The first things puppies learn is the chase me game and they find it immensely fun. It's okay for them to play it with each other and even you but they need to know the rules that you control the game.

What does that mean?

When the game is over, you shouldn't have to chase them to get them to come back in.

At first you have to learn to be creative as even 8 week old puppies will find that running to stay outside is more fun than anything else you have in mind so you may have to get them to chase you and then you stop the game by picking them up - giving them all sorts of snuggles, perhaps a treat and making the game fun to come to you.

Obedience classes are very important as you learn to get a strong recall. That's important for many reasons.

Today we had swimming, chasing, and rolling around and mucking it up fun. The pups were finding solutions on how to get from one point to the next. Find out more about their adventures at Havanese Life.

Long Day

Ever feel it's a dawg day some days? Ever wonder what that means? I think dawgs would wonder if it was a human's day - don't ya think?

The weather was downright cool this morning and the dogs LOVED it and then it heated up. When we get Fall like weather- it somehow invigorates them but when it gets hot - well they lay right down like this and try to cool off.

When the puppies go to their forever homes, I will start weeding and get the dogs working helping me - yeah - right!

It's good to dream..dawg dreams!

Specialty and Home

Here's Daddy at the Specialty and Treasure. They rather look good together.

They were in great company when they made the cut of a large class and came in 4th but that wasn't what this was about. Honest!

Why did I tell the Treasured one and Daddy to go to the show when we had puppies and I could have used the help?

Well, it was to meet new Havanese people, find potential stud dogs for our gals and get the Treasured one bonded to Daddy and not me.

It worked.

She came in - gave me a kiss and then was all over Daddy.

It's tough being the mom around here in a sea of show dogs as the handler takes priority - them and their relationship with the dogs but I love them both so that's okay.

PS: I have my Fiona back since Daddy was gone but she's in a state of false pregnancy - tummy and all. They get sucky and cuddly then.

Yes, you got it right - they change allegiance at times. They love you both but rely on one more at times - usually the food server. :-) So - share that duty.

We are really glad the Treasured one and Daddy are home. That means we can get the pups swimming and do lead training this week. How cool is that?

Our visitor Fred is having a rip roaring time with the pups and with Kat, Abigail and now Treasure.