Energy Level
Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 6:16PM 
Wild and crazy play
Still having fun but not as wild and crazy.
Each dog has their own energy level. Dogs that have a high energy level but don't get their energy expelled get into trouble. They get bored. So when we say no that one won't work for you it isn't about colour to us. It can't be. It is about your lifestyle.
I remember an Australian shepherd I had when I was a teen. It was supposed to be my dog but I had places to go, things to do as any teenager does. If you obtain a dog and you think your teenager is going to do all the work, think again. That Australian shepherd (higher energy than a havanese by far) ate all our blinds and all the carpets in one afternoon of being home. That dog ended up at a farm happy as a lark. It was the right home but it broke my heart. I never acquired a dog again strictly on looks. I also had to pay my mom for that dog as she rehomed him for nothing. Her concern was the right home not how much I had to babysit to pay for that dog. It made a huge impression on me.
Even though havanese are less busy than an Australian Shepherd, we are seeing some that do have high energy demands. We have not had one quite like we are seeing but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Sometimes they pull their genes from far back just like it happens in humans. So, I never say never.
Still ours do have a variety of needs. Some are quieter, more happy to just be hanging out and others get bored and need the interaction. You see it all the time when you see that x pup always in the middle of everything. Can you live with that? Some would relish and thrive with a dog like that and others need a more low key dog. Even the quiet ones need interaction. You live with the personality. There is no right or wrong personality, it just is.
They do calm down as they are older but your very high energy dogs take longer to calm down.
Today the dogs had a blast. Some ran, some watched, some joined in here and there. Magic seems to find fun with Saffron and Dolly finds fun with Saffron so what kind of a dog is Saffron? She's not low key unless you need to be and she's not high energy. She's a mid range dog who plays her heart out. But she also adjusts to the other dog's way of playing. She plays and then she also relishes tv time. We get to know the dogs and I find them all amazing but I am a crazy dawg person. What I can live with may be different than you.
Reader Comments (5)
Darlah, thank you for this. It is so hard to get past the colouring that appeals to you the most, but, you are absolutely right, the personality has to be right for you or you and the dog are both frustrated. Also, what I could have handled as far as energy level goes when I was younger, I can't now so age has a lot to do with it too. Thanks again for your wisdom.
Well said, Darlah. I find Clarity middle of the road, like Saffron. We often take very long walks and she loves to run like the banshee when the mood hits, which is quite often. She also goes to an off leash park Monday through Friday with her dog pack. Yet she's also ok with a short little walk, some play in the house, and just hanging out and cuddling. For me, this is a perfect fit.
Darlah your knowledge of your dogs and their pups is amazing. You pay attention to the smallest details. It takes the guess work out of matching pups to their forever homes, especially homes that already have a dog.
Which was the pup from wed's video that was jumping all over Nathan's head and hair when he was laying down with them? It was sooo funny!!
Ruth
Darlah you are absolutely right about colour. We really wanted Rusty who was sable and adorable. Now he is white and more adorable and we love him to pieces. Although initially we are taken with the unusual colours they all grow up to be their own "personality" that we love dearly. I think that the Havanese are so flexible that they blend in with the routine of the household. They are so adaptable. Although I have known dogs that destroy out of frustration or loneliness. I think that your process of interviewing and meeting the families and then having the families meet at your house together, really makes everything turn out PERFECT!