Upset Time

So upsetting....we took video of Chico and none of it came out. :-(

I have had it with this video camera...it's (this video camera) got to go as soon as I can get another. :-(

Plus to add insult to injury, my camera is in the shop so do you think I got a good photo of Chico - NOT. :-( This one is the best we have.

Wasabi played with the pups amazingly. She really enjoyed Chico but do I have a video of it - no. We also had video of the Fiona pups with everyone.

This is so FRUSTRATING!

Well, I do have a video of Wasabi last night with Chewy and Saki and I am hoping Chico's owner sends us some stills of Chico while he was here...but till then, enjoy the Wasabi, Chewy and Saki video.

Boarding at Talemaker Havanese

As you know, Darlah writes the vast majority of the information on this site. Every now and then I slip in a comment. Today I feel like contributing.

We are currently doing our version of boarding with five additional Havanese. I say our version because to call us a kennel brings up images of crates, pens and chain link fences. That's not us. What we do is bring those dogs into our home and treat them just as we treat all of our dogs. Since some of them were born here in the first place that comes as no surprise.

Anyway, this means we play with them, love them, walk them, brush them, let them play with each other, love them more, greatly help any dog with socialization, let them sleep on the bed with the rest of the dogs unless the owners have specifically requested that we do not, and give them free run of most of the house and all of the backyard.

All of this evolved from the days when we had a single dog, an incredible German Shepherd named Lacie. Lacie was a King Shepherd, a large version at 105 lbs. She didn't growl at a stranger, per se. She simply looked at you and you froze in place until given permission to move. And yet she was a complete pussycat as you'd expect of a dog raised with seven children. But when we had to go out of town we had to board her and we hated it. The last time we did it we picked her up shaking and quaking we swore "never again". And from that day to this one of us stayed home at all times.

So when we decided to cross that invisible line and get into breeding and raising Havanese, offering boarding was a no brainer. We already knew this is something we ourselves would have wanted. And it just made too much sense. It truly was one of those win/win situations. We provide a dog with the best possible experience we can, almost as good as being at home with their family, and most important, we provide the knowledge to the people that have trusted us with their dog that they will be well looked after and loved. They are not here marking time waiting until their families return. They are interacting with our family and our dogs and loving it. But make no mistake, they are thrilled to death when the families return and they can once again go back to being the center of the universe instead of having to compete with all those other dogs here!

If you have a Havanese you wish to board with us, please email us, in advance. Believe it or not there is a limit to how many dogs can sit on me on the recliner at the same time.

Thank you,
Nathan

PS: If you haven't seen or purchased your 2010 Havanese calendar brought to you by the Havanese Canadian national breed club, please do so now. This link takes you right there. http://www.havanesefanciers.com/?q=Calendar2010. I really like it but then I'm bias as I created it with the help of a lot of photos sent in to me from HFC members from coast to coast.

Getting Downright Comfie

Kooba likes to watch TV with Nathan. Doesn't she look comfie?

The pups are fast asleep. Nathan just came inside - bare feet and all after taking the dawgs out.

It's wet and the dawgs get mighty messy but not Kooba with that short hair. Just a brush out and it all falls out of hair this short.

Lately Abigail is playing with Kooba and Quito.

The two pups, Chewy and Saki are non stop playing till she says enough - just like her canine mom. Got to laugh.

Chewy likes the x-pen - seems to feel comfie laying up against it. Although they are now playing with the older set, well nothing like a sibling.

Let the Play Begin

We had a little fun with this video. Anyone who has been following our blog and our lives knows Shoshi was always a dog that didn't socialize all that much with other dawgs or humans unless she really knew you but these days you can see her climbing up on anyone's lap that will have her and playing with visitors and the pack.

Kat as he has grown older tend to not play with anyone unless the gals are getting close to being in heat but these days he is playing up a storm with the gals - you'll see Gidget and Shoshi playing too - and Fiona is just loving motherhood. Watch how agile she is in this video.

We do not believe in all show - keep the hair pristine as it doesn't help the mind and body so we say, let the play begin. What wil be, wil be.

Hope you enjoy!

Be sure to check out Havanese Life to see the pups. We had them out in the rain today to get them conditioned. Six weeks old - wow so fast!



Nathan has left a new comment on your post "Let the Play Begin":

What is most extraordinary about this video is the fact that Kat is playing with them like this in the first place. He is THE MALE in the house and totally dominant. Normally they wouldn't dare play with him at all without his invitation. Today he wanted to play with his girls and he did. Keep in mind he's known Shoshi his entire life. I love this dog. I love all the dogs.
Nathan

Big Dawg, Little Dawg Play

We finally recovered SOME of the video. Below you will see a video of what we do with the dawgs daily. Even though we are pretty hands on with them in the backyard, it's not enough, in our opinion. There is nothing like the walk.

We do daily walks to help then get a change of head space and see new things. We don't follow the same route as dawgs get bored too and so do you.

We skip walks on Halloween night as it contains way too much activity and all sorts of new decorations that we don't tend to want them to have sensory overload. We do walk them up to that date so they do see the decorations but not all the costumes and running kids.

In this video below you will see the big dawgs and the two Wasabi pups. We also did another video on Havanese Life with Fiona's pups and the Wasabi pups. Do check them both out to see how life is going for the crew.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy having the fun.

Snoozing After Play and Walks

I have to tell you that the crew really had a grand time from the little almost 6 week pups to the Wasabi pups to the adults. They played hard in the backyard and I even got video of it but DVD issues so hoping to get something I can recover but won't be till tomorrow to see if anything can be.

The crew also loves their walks and I have to tell you that I think Quito thinks walks are what life is truly about.

Some people say - can't they play in the backyard. Well, they do but truly would you be happy if all you saw was your house and backyard? I wouldn't be. So, we walk our dogs including all the visitors each day so they get a different perspective of life. Then they come back and snooze. Can you blame them?

Gidget and Kooba are two peas in a pod. They adore the pups and I can understand why. I have to say that everyday of me grooming Gidget, I get to put that top knot a different way and smile when she can't get it out.

Yes, each day I groom all the dogs. We do walks. We get snuggles in and every single one gets one on one attention.

When we go to bed, we get the dog drape thing going on and that's nice.

PS: the Wasabi pups actually slept solidly last night but they were playing up a storm today with Saki getting her point across to Chewy when she wanted to relax.

She now tells him in no uncertain terms - it's time to relax brother of mine!

Couch time is required around this place.

Even the humans after a full day need to chill on the couch wrapped in dawgs and watch some TV.

Of course not animal shows as some actually watch and try to bark at animals.

We use it as a moment to correct. You can too!

Can you believe they can see the TV!

It's good to give some downtime to the dawgs.

We also had a tad bit of competition around this place with games of retrieve. Chewy thought he was going to get it and Treasure had other ideas.

Saki decided she liked the yellow duck better than anything those two had. Who can blame her?

It was a VERY full day. We are tired. My camera is in for repairs. We are trying to recover videos and where is that bed? I think even the dawgs would appreciate nice cool sheets and a snore or two.

More tomorrow!

Pups, Visitors & Much More

The crew -from visitors to ours are really enjoying the outside weather.

It's something about the cooler weather that invigorates them. I wish it did the same for me.

This was Quito coming in from outside play. He's really enjoying the crew and so is his pack mate, Kooba.

Ah...fresh air...

Lots of dogs...equals a great deal of fun.

The pups that are here - Saki and Chewie - litter mates from Wasabi's last litter are going and going and going. I think they slept oh 30 minutes the whole night as Chewie was so excited to see Saki that he couldn't help himself. I think tonight will give them more sleep.

Saki is now telling Chewie off when she wants rest. Bonus, he is listening and guess what - this is a learning experience as they learn to 'get' when one is saying and when wants to rest.

Gidget keeps getting in the mix with the pups and her hair keeps going 5 ways to Sunday. I just have to laugh. That's okay, I just finished fixing all their hair and they look fabulous.

Unfortunately my camera may have to go in for repair. It's not working up to par and that will mean lousy quality pix with Nathan's click and take camera but we will survive. I will have to do a video or two.

Sleeping arrangements - Wasabi headed for the couch last night. The couch is in our bedroom. Nathan took Kat to another room so he could get rest before a show and I got the rest of the crew. Risa kept making grumbling noises - oh my the pups think they are sleeping on MY pillow but that worked itself out and Saki won the day sleeping on top of my head. Chewy slept up beside me when he slept and wasn't pouncing on Saki's head. Really - it was funny but I think I am tired. ha ha

I Think Saki is too.

Gidget is truly adoring the little ones. She will climb into my lap and watch TV with me. Quito asked to be picked up and will enjoy the cooler ottoman though he lays his head on your leg. It's so cute. Kooba - well she just got finished throwing out every toy we had in a crate and then laying down smiling as if to say - look what I did.

The visitors are having a roaring good time but so is our gang.

Sleep tonight so I can do line combing the gang, cleaning around the eyes and massages. Yes..we do - well I do - give them massages. I want one. Do you think I can talk any of them to do one on me?

More tomorrow. Hoping to do a video.