Oh my Gad is it Cold!

Well, there is no rest for the weary. We were going to crawl into bed to take a nap and Nathan kept talking to me about a project that I should be working on and there goes the nap for me. It's not likely that I could close my eyes after that!

So, he got to snuggle with the dawgs and I got up to try to figure out this project.

I think he wanted the dawgs to himself. tsk tsk

Nathan read this over my shoulders and confirmed this was EXACTLY true - yep he wanted the dawgs to himself!

You think I can convince him to start a fire? It's soooooooooooooo cold here in Toronto. I mean downright chilly that I am sitting with socks and a sweater on and still feeling chilly.

Check the temperature before going out. In winter, as in summer, the temperature can feel worse than what the thermometer reads. Check the temperature and the wind chill factor to keep your dog from getting a chill.

We took the dawgs for a walk today and I swore my face was going to freeze off. Can you imagine how the dawgs felt but we had them in sweaters and coats and we paid attention to their feet and body language. I think the wind chill alert set in after we got back. It surely felt cold on the walks but not as much as when we went out back an hour later.

Can we have a fire around here?

Then we have friends sitting in Florida telling us it might rain this weekend - oh poor things...we feel so very bad.

Use double layers of clothes on your dawgs during cold alerts. It is warmer than single layering and pay attention to them. Short walks is better than no walks but we believe that walks are therapy for the minds so we do them despite freezing our ahems off but we use intelligence when doing so in extreme weather and may even miss a day or two if the weather warrants it but that's due to the dawgs not us being...busy or lazy or cold... or... well you get the point!

Dirty Paws

All the dawgs went for a walk and our lovely cement walkways have that wonderful dirt and salt all over them.

Every so often I had to clean out between their pads so they could go a little further.

It used to be only the main streets were dirt strewn but now even ours is. We thought after the dusting that we would have a blanket of snow for a small window but we didn't. I think with less snow this year, they are keeping extra busy salting and sanding. I hate it. The dawgs hate it too.

So we came back and the crew ran around like banshees enjoying the salt free/dirt free environment. You can't win. Then we will complain about the rain. :-)

I rinsed feet and then just let them air dry then did afternoon grooming vs. morning.

Well, Abigail is feeling queasy these days so we are trying to feed her small meals throughout. If she is pregnant (she's showing signs she is) then this would be morning sickness. She has no fever - no other ailments. Our usual play monkey is playing much less. I miss the fun Abigail. Wasabi didn't have to deal with morning sickness last time so we await the ultrasound in February. Wasabi tends to always be more laid back unless she has puppies and then she plays up a storm with them. Life is a bunch of wait and sees, isn't it!

How are you dealing with salt and dirt or are you?

Big Dogs Count Too

We made the trek into Colborne to take Terra in for her 2nd cruciate operation. She had been limping and we were concerned. Did she blow out her other knee totally? Was it this or that?

Terra is a very important equation (excellent socialization) in boarding, puppies and part of the pack. She is a gentle soul who plays with abandonment. She has bad hips. Her other cruciate gave out and we were told by the time her first leg was healed, the next one had to get done.

But all we are seeing is arthritis. That can be managed with pain relieving meds. So, she can't run on ice or we have to manage the off the deck romp when it is slippery and we need to continue to walk her 3 times a day to continue to build up the muscles but we are on a wait and see and must swim all spring/summer/fall.

We have a very honest vet. We were also told her hair is in excellent condition thanks to wild salmon oil and Missing Link. We are seeing a difference with all with the addition of wild salmon oil.

Do Havanese also have cruciate issues? Not many but they can and do. If you do a search in google, you will find stories.

What is the Cause?

Not all cruciate ligament injuries in dogs are due to degeneration of the ligaments, that is just the most common cause in dogs. Traumatic injuries can occur in dogs just like in humans and are probably more common in very active, athletic dogs.

Does this mean you should never allow your dawg to do agility or a sports related activity? No. I truly believe that a dawg needs to enjoy his passion but your dawg is yours so the decision is yours, not mine. Enjoyment of life has to be a factor.

Does it mean that you should keep your dawg lean vs. fat? YES! Extra weight can be an issue with the entire knee area from the patella to the cruciate ligaments.

We have never had an issue with our Havanese despite their activity. They have a huge passion for running, playing etc. I wouldn't have it any other way.

But today..I am glad our Terra - our resident big dawg socializer to boarders and puppies is going to be able to play with puppies.

Crazy Dawg Play

Rocky's fave gal is Abigail.

Each dawg that comes to visit tends to like Abigail.

I think it's that balanced thing she has going on making sure everyone counts.

She played a bit with him as he was following her around till she did.

But Abigail we believe is preggie so she is sleeping more than playing.

She's not herself but she likes Rocky and when she was up to it, she danced and played then slept. heh

So, when Abigail was snoozing, Treasure and Fiona enjoyed the play.

As you can see, they all got tuckered out running and jumping - tongues hanging out in a real fun play.

I wish I had more photos but they play a mad rush from one room to the next and back on the couch and off the couch and off and running they went. It was fun to watch.

Rocky really had fun and our crew did as well.

The trick today was keeping Rocky dry and clean before his mom came to get him. Now that was interesting but I think we succeeded.

The snow is melting. It's raining and the grass area is wet and muddy. All I can say is arrgh how many feet have you washed today? hahahaha

We are going to miss Rocky. He is a wonderful kisser. He's in love with Abigail but thinks Fiona and Treasure is fun.

Visitors...nothing like them.

Terra goes in for her operation tomorrow.

We have a lull of no visitors and we will be dealing with Nathan's aching back from picking up a 70lb golden all so she can sleep where she does each night - upstairs in our bedroom. Ah..the things we do for love. :-)

The Grooming Dance

The dance between when to clean and pickup can always be interesting.

We don't use crates unless owners ask us to. We respect what they want but unless requested, they have free reign, inside and outside though we are always there. I want to know things about bowels. I want to pick up. I want to take photos and I just believe in always supervising the crew just like we did our kids.

The Coco Beans and the Zack will be going home today. They will be sorely missed but we will see them soon.

It's supposed to rain today so it may get interesting keeping them clean.

They are freshly bathed and I intend on keeping them that way till their humans come to get them. It's why I ask what time they are being picked up. I usually do it just before to keep them fresh but in this instance, it was impossible. Nathan is out for a class and I will not bathe without the kid being up or Nathan being here.

One has to stay focused on the bathing dog(s) and that means the rest could get into trouble and we actively avoid trouble. :-)

I do manage to brush and comb out daily but I do it in the main room so I can watch.

So, we do a dance of keeping them clean. It's much work with the state of things outside and rain coming. But maybe the rain will stay away till later, I much prefer white wet snow. hehehe

Soon Rocky will be here. Val's TT is here till this afternoon and Monday evening we will be back to our own just in time for Terra's operation.

No More Sleeps in January 10 for Saki

Okay, that sounds like no more sleeps at the Talemaker Household but that's not what it is. It's just that Saki has gone home and we feel Saki-less. But she was over the moon to see her humans and that made us feel great!

They are really nice people so it was wonderful to see their eyes light up to see their little gal.

That's what it is about here. We are sucks. We cry when each puppy goes out the door. We miss our boarders and wonder what their day is like. We fall in love. It's a crazy cycle but we are immersed and we definitely love them all. They make it so easy - even the ones that try to make it difficult - well you see beyond that and get them through it and just fall hard.

Tomorrow Rocky is coming overnight. Zack and Coco go home tomorrow and I believe we are down to just our own crew till just before the that LOVE day - Valentine's Day.

Terra, our resident golden who helps us socialize the Havanese puppies and boarders to big dawgs will be going in for her 2nd cruciate operation on Tuesday. Nathan will be carrying her up and down the stairs all 70lbs of her so she can sleep with us. 8 weeks later we hope for success and she goes back to loving and playing with the crew which we are hoping will include lots of puppies. Then she will have to swim at least once a week to build up those muscles even after rehab has stopped. All a golden needs is a body of water and the desire. heh I think our Havanese Kat feels that way too!

It's Time

When is it time to wash your dawg?

Today, it is Treasure's time and Kat's and Saki. It's Saki's as she is going home but between all the walks and sand - well the dawgs are feeling and looking dirty.

We are often asked how often should you wash your dawg?

For me, when they start knotting quickly, it is time. Dirty hair knots quickly. I prefer to bathe than to spend ours taking out knots. It may be different for you.

Here's Treasure in her after bath photo.

Some people think that all I do is bathe but not true. I groom daily and even have a chart that I click off to make sure I didn't miss anyone. I don't mind them being messy but I do mind them having knots. Knots hurt and I rather prefer the dawgs feeling wonderful each day without this ache out of my laziness. So, I groom daily. If you do it daily, it doesn't take long and you can do it watching TV.

I just spent a Grey's Anatomy moment with Coco brushing her out. Tomorrow a different show for her and Zack and up on the table for the rest except Saki who gets bathed in the morning for her people.

Today we have Coco and Zack coming for the weekend. Saki leaves tomorrow. We have a potential puppy people coming to visit. Then on Sunday Kit Kat is doing a handling class and Nathan is doing a stewarding class. Although he has stewarded before he is looking to hone his skills. Me, I stay at home, play and walk dawgs and relax a bit.

Today I also washed 2 goldens and Whitney, our old gal took the wind out of me. It is time where I think we need two people in the tub - 1 to wash and 1 to hold her up. The old lady is losing a ton of hair so that was interesting blowing them both out.

Good news, you can see the difference in Terra's and Abigail's coat with the addition of wild salmon oil to their diet. We are also using a product called Suzie's Tartar Remover and their breath smells so good from it. So far we are seeing nicer looking teeth but the verdict is out. We will let you know how we feel about it in a months time. So far we are happy and people do notice their sweet smelling breath.

Now off to wash dawgs.

Visiting With the Tiger

Hey, this is Tiger Lily and I had visitors at my house today.

My canine mom Fiona came to visit and so did my half sister Saki and of course that human, Nathan. What a great idea.

I showed off my home and backyard and we ran like crazy all over every inch of it. I was able to catch my mom, Fiona, no problem and then she'd take off again. It was way fun but then Saki would come diving in on me from everywhere.

Nathan had to finally pick Saki up to give me a chance to jump on my doggy mom. Fiona wasted not a single second and jumped on her lots. Then I showed Nathan how I run back and forth between my human Mom and Dad and my Marlaina. I was exhausted long before they finally left. I think I'll take a nap now. Nathan took lots of pictures of me and my family so maybe he'll share them. It was way fun playing with Fiona and Saki and I hope to do it again soon.

Affectionately yours,

Tiger Lily

PS: Check out a few of the pictures here.

Correct Play?

Play, by definition, is fun. When play stops being fun it stops being play.

During play, Havanese behave without real seriousness - running, jumping, chasing, mouthing, chewing, wrestling, biting, hiding and even humping. In play, all behaviors are a game to the players and are performed for fun. There is no hidden agenda.

Sometimes it can even look menacing with bared teeth but there is a distinct difference between play for the fun of it and aggressive play.

Dawgs have a unique gesture, the play bow, that signals "play mode." The signal involves dawgs going down on their elbows with their rear end elevated, tail raised and wagging. During such posturing, they have on their "play face," with mouth open and ears pricked. They may bark to signal their wish to solicit another's involvement, and may approach or withdraw from a potential play partner while pouncing and leaping about. Some puppies will bark to an irritating degree but they are learning how to initiate play. They will hone their skills.

Social skills are honed by playful interactions between individuals. One pup may jump on another pup, pin him, and then mouth him around the head and neck. If the pressure of the pup's bite exceeds tolerable limits, the temporary submissive will roll over, yelp or run away. Both parties learn an important lesson. The biter learns to inhibit his bite if he wishes the fun to continue, and the pup that is bitten learns that deference or escape will cause the unpleasant experience to come to an end. Of course, sudden role reversal is also a feature of play, with provisional submissives suddenly becoming pursuers and "attackers."

Here you can see Fiona, Treasure and Saki in full out play. Treasure at times tries to dominate the play but as a puppy herself, she is learning that for the play to continue, it has to be fun for all parties. They learn so much from play.

There is nothing like more than 1 Havanese.

Who Me? Couldn't Be

Teaching your dog to 'come' when he is called is the most important lesson you will ever teach them.

When a dog is running loose, he faces many dangers. Cars are the most obvious. Drivers cannot always stop if they see your dog running across the street and a massive metal object coming at high speeds is not going to do well when it impacts with your puppy.

Even the most behaved dawg may see a bird flying by while you have the door open and off and running your dawg may go not thinking about traffic. It's all about the bird.

This is when a loud 'come' could work to distract him from his focus, interrupt his goal and come back to you and safety.

You will be amazed at how small a space a dawg can get through when motivated. We practice, it's better safe than sorry.

Treasure, even though she is the youngest around here has an excellent 'recall'. This photo was taken today after I yelled, Treasure, come! and as you can see, she did. What you can't see is she did it immediately and I have stopped treating her for such but I give her praise, hugs and get way excited when she does come. I want 'come' to always be a fun thing for her.

Here at Talemaker we actually have a gate about 3 feet from the door to offer a separation from the door and the dawgs. This way if that bird flies by when you are answering the door, we have something that gets in the way.

Of course Wasabi can clear any gate in a single bound but it makes them think and gives you time to react.

We often join in on 'Total Recall' seminars held at Whos Walking Who even on those that have been through it before. It is always smart to reinforce and simply spend one on one time having fun with your dawg.

If you can't teach your dawg anything else, consider the important command of 'come'.

It's Mine

Mia and Treasure were playing tug. Tug to some is seen as a sign of aggression but really it's all in how you play the game.

If a human is playing tug with a dawg, you control when the game stops and when your dawg releases the toy. Sure, you can let them win at times, but you control the ending of the game and the release.

Mia will be going home shortly and we are going to miss her greatly. She is destined for warm sun for the rest of the winter and we hope she remembers all of us when she gets back.

Mia has an amazing bond with her mother. It's endearing!

Well, it will be me and the dawgs. Nathan is away starting tomorrow till Wednesday night. That's okay as I get them all sleeping with me. hehehe

People wonder how we can have so many dawgs sleeping with us without issue. The excitement isn't high when you go to sleep and high excitement is what feeds trouble when you have immature dawgs in the pack. Sleep is easy and enjoyable for me and the way they cuddle, it appears it is for them too!

Lucky us to have so many visitors and our own to create memories with.

What an Amazing Time Filled With Fun

I am a little under the weather so Nathan got to entertain and I got some needed sleep to try to get rid of whatever has a hold on me.

We had Chico who went home tonight, Mia who goes home tomorrow, Saki who goes home the end of the week, Chewy who came to visit and Holly and Missy who boards with us - all came for a visit today or was here boarding.

Check out some of the photos from today.

Until I got sick, I was having a blast but sweating and sleeping and all that fun has to go, I tell you so I opted to do the right thing and just enjoy the moments via photos like you.

I also put up a video of a Havanese being groomed by Pure Paws and offered why I don't like portions of it. Check it out and see what I mean. The video is excellent - just don't agree with certain things for good reason.

Lots of Visitors

I can't believe I posted this in the wrong area - but I just moved it and deleted it on Havanese Life. No, we didn't forget a day - I just ooopsed on where. Sorry about that!

Today we did a marathon with visitors. Some were potential boarders, others were puppy people.

Wasabi tolerated her son trying to play dominance games on her until she had enough and corrected him. Treasure tried it out with Risa and Risa being the queen of this establishment said, "I don't think so," All is quite normal when puppies are trying to climb to the boss seat.

But Risa is the boss around here and she has yet to relinquish her role. We are glad as Treasure has much to learn before she gets mature enough to be the 'right' role model/protector.

WE really enjoyed the company but we must admit after the last one went, we all climbed into bed, dawgs and all and had a snooze for a half hour and Treasure laid in my arms the entire time - a rarity. Saki laid up against my leg, Chico up against Saki, Wasabi at my feet and Nathan had a selection of dawgs all over him. Fiona decided to check out long before the last guest went home and crawled into a bed in Nathan's office to take a snooze.

Yes, the dawgs get tired from so much activity.

Then we woke up, (I never actually slept but rested watching and enjoying) and then food time came and now I am typing away at the computer telling you about our day.

I did manage to break up some ice today and got several messages from our friends in Florida telling us about the weather. Must be nice but hey we have the ice, the snow and the dawgs so life is good.

Tomorrow I will cover washing dawgs. Some are under the opinion I wash mine all the time but when you have so many, you do 2 or 3 here and there to get them all done.

Chico, Kat and Saki

Well, Chico is here overnight and then we have Mia staying overnight on Sunday. Are we going to have fun this weekend.

Kat has to have a bath and so does Fiona. I am playing a game of procrastination. Don't we all at various times? I tend to do a dog bath here and there till they all get done so I don't have to wash them in a blitz from morning till night.

Do you know what I have found? If you clean around the eyes and use corn starch - a dab where the eyes drain down, it absorbs the wetness and eventually gets rid of the staining. It's also very cheap vs. all the other products and bonus it helps with any fungal (yeast) conditions which is the usual with eyes drainage. (that's the smell) You have to dab it pretty thick - one good dab under each eye. It all goes away so don't worry about it looking silly but enough stays on to absorb. Those of you dealing with eye staining should give it a try. It takes time but I have found it helps this greatly. Daily use should give you a difference in a week or 2. You must do it daily though.

Jazzy Goes Home

Jazzy has been with us for 12 days and we truly enjoyed him.

This is a photo of him on my grooming table.

Jazzy fits in really well here playing mostly with Treasure but also with Abigail, Kat and Fiona. He was also very smitten with Wasabi.

But today he was playing up a storm with Saki. He also loves Kit Kat and thought she was quite fun.

Jazzy is a great boy and his human parents do an amazing job with him. He is quite lucky.

But when I washed Jazzy and had him perfect for his photo, he decided to mix his hair up, as you can see.

I just had to laugh and laugh. Anyone who hasn't had a Havanese, well you missed something as this is one of the moments of pure joy that you see a Havanese display.

They go from one thing to another rustling up their hair in grand Havanese style. I just LOVE it!!

Saki was really enjoying Jazzy and something about his smell after his bath got her playing and smelling and playing. It was a delight.

Tomorrow Chico comes for a weekend and the siblings get to play together. We can't wait to watch that!!

Silly Games

Saki was trying to get Jazzy and Treasure playing and they soon joined in and kept running in and out of all the paths, under the deck and anywhere she could gain an advantage but Jazzy would cut her off and Treasure would just play pounce. It was all so silly.

The games of Havanese are quite a fun thing to watch.

Jazzy is heading home tomorrow and will be getting a bath. He's no longer running the other way when Nathan uses his spray to keep his teeth clean. We have also been testing out this addition to the water to help tartar. It's still too early to figure out if it works. We know some of you find brushing not a fun thing to do so we are looking at ways to help you still keep those teeth clean in an easier and quicker manner. Of course Jazzy doesn't seem to mind the toothbrush but wasn't crazy about the spray till he finally got that it was quick, easy and no issues. It's called slow conditioning.

If you are a puppy owner and are getting your dog spayed or neutered, check out if any of their 1st teeth need removing and if they need some cleanup, this is the perfect time.

So - regarding teeth and what works - well we really like Leba III, that spray we are talking about. We will let you know about the rest.

We will post Jazzy pix tomorrow after his bath. We will miss him bigtime.

Saki-sized!

Saki joined us today in the afternoon and she had the snip/snip (spaying) last week.

Her owners ordered a 'no bite' collar but it came too late to use.

If interested, we are selling it for them for their cost. It's not available up here (Canada), only in the states. Let us know. We have it here and they got us one that we bought for Terra when her next leg is done. It will make the banging into the walls stuff non existent as those lovely cone heads you get at the vets.

Saki and Treasure have been playing up a storm. We just got a few photos today as it is simply too ^%$# cold outside though we did take a walk with the dogs. Saki walked with a purpose just like her dad side by side. It was a riot to watch them.

We found out that when Kit Kat came over, Jazzy really loves and I mean really loves puppies. It was wonderful to watch.

Wasabi and Abigail is over their heat and we are on - wait till ultrasound count down on Feb 8th.

I took our portable humidifier downstairs and will take it up each night. The dawgs are getting static in their hair and it's important for their skin, sinus' and yours too to have that extra moisture pumped in. Think about getting one.

Well, off to the couch to snuggle with the Havs and watch American Idol. Too bad Ellen isn't on yet. That reminds me, Jazzy loves to bark at all those animals on those nature programs the son likes to watch. hahahaha

Night Time Games

Last night Shoshi decided to nest in the bed. What does that mean? She crawled under the covers and moved all over while Treasure tried to pounce on her.

It was a riot!

Shoshi has come a long way with the pack. She's proactive for herself, playful and an important member of the pack.

But she's not the only one who has her part in the scheme of things at Talemaker Havanese.

Terra is one of our resident big dawgs that give our puppies exposure so they get 'slow conditioning' to bigger dawgs that aren't Havanese and Terra is amazing at this.

She gets right down at their level to play and is as gentle as anything. She is also one of the funniest dawgs teaching them snow angels.

When we have puppies, it's the pack and us that teaches life lessons along with canine mom.

Personally, we can't wait till we have puppies from birth till they are no longer ours but that love, well it is always there.

Tomorrow we get Saki-sized. What does that mean? Well the Saki is about to visit us (one of Wasabi/Kat's) pups from her last litter and we can't wait! I can't help but wonder will her next pups be like her last? They were such a joy.

I also wonder what type of a mom will Abigail be? I was worried about Fiona and she was AMAZING. With Abigail, she is a loving soul so it will be a joy when she has her pups just to watch her first time.

You see what they say about pups...nothing like them..even as they get older...be still my heart!

PS: Jazzy is playing up a storm with that Treasured one. It's wonderful to watch!

Visitors and Fun

Today we had Kit Kat and Hannah and Val over for a visit. She is a genuine friend and helped me clean up the pads of the dawgs and clean up Jazzy's hairdo. You can check out Jazzy in today's photos.

It was a joy to have Hannah and Kit Kat here and Jazzy well he is a dream dawg that was playing up a storm with the crew as you can see in this photo and in the slide show.

Well, we hear Twiggy is now fondly called Jazzy and how cool is that to know of two Jazzys now.
Check out today's photos.

If you haven't cleaned up the pads of your dawgs, do so now. It's painful to have snowballs stuck in their pads or slip and slide due to excess hair.

If you are anywhere near the downtown area of Toronto, well check Val's Dawg Salon out called 'Simply the Best' and you will be glad you did. You can find the info in the right hand column. Plus you will get to see Kit Kat - another Havanese. How fun will that be?

Well Saki is coming this week and Chico will be visiting at the same time as his sister. Now that is exciting. Can't wait to laugh with these two.

Jazzy will be going home and we will miss him greatly. I think he is smitten with Treasure...hehe

Well Balanced

Jazzy is a well balanced boy and that's what you want to achieve. It comes with training, conditioning and trust.

His parents board him so he gains exposure to other dawgs and they have a fab clothing store called 'Eye on Fashion' in Richmond Hill where many a buyer of their merchandise comes in and says hello to Jazzy and sometimes they bring their own Havanese to say hello to him.

This is great socialization.

Jazzy has been hanging out at Talemaker and this will be the first day he won't be walking. The wind chill is sitting at -25 and we take the dawgs out for short stints and have to get them in right away after doing their business.

This winter we have had really cold weather so we have had to watch the dawgs closely. I put bag balm on the feet to make sure their pads do not crack and we watch them closely. Sometimes the dawgs think it's okay to hang out longer than it is safe.

It's called the crazy kid mentality - called having too much fun.

Many of you have probably experienced it if you have kids. They think they can stay out despite they are shivering cause it's fun mom and dad... Well some dawgs will do the same.

Treasure is one of those types of dawgs. She climbs all over Jazzy and he tries to climb back but she doesn't let him.

For her it is partly dominance games as she is a young thing trying everything but Jazzy just placates her as he knows she's a youngster and besides, he rather likes her. She likes him too.

That's what we mean about well balanced - an understanding of other dawgs allowing them to play in such a way to have patience and enjoyment all in one.

Today we are playing games inside. Dawgs are all groomed and snuggling and enjoying warmth.

The key is slow conditioning your dawgs always throughout their lives to get them to be all they are meant to be. Plus love them...as we do with our hearts and souls.