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.

Lazy Daze

It was one of those days. We had the sun shining bright - a puppy person who is also a dear friend and her husband who we are getting to know come over to drop off their dog so it can get acquainted with their new addition.

As you can see, Wasabi thought this was a grand proposition as she rather likes this Max character and we do too.

We also got another visit from Teddy who I think of as the party guy. He just knows how to have fun and doesn't stop till he falls fast asleep.

Then Cookie came a few days ago and took her time deciding who she would hang out with. She liked me the best. Nathan swears they all love him the best but shhh they don't. Cookie is Remy's brother and really found a great liking to Teddy and Max.

The whole pack is gelling. We had a marathon grooming session. Kat went swimming. No one else shown an interest and that meant wash for him.

Gad..it's exciting and we have a puppy going home tomorrow and no signs of pups for Fiona yet. We are in waiting.

You know what is interesting? Max looks like a male Fiona. Wow... We haven't seen him for quite sometime so it was great to have him stay.

More on Talemaker Puppy Life>>

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 Talemaker Puppy Life.

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?

Hot Havanese

Oh my gad is it hot today! Mommy was washing all the doggies today - well part of them...Shoshi, Risa, Kat, Fiona and Abigail - 5 dawgies - yeouch and then she worked and is still working but taking a break to post this thread.

Treasure as you can see thinks she is all that. I have to laugh at her sometimes but she really is quite full of herself. She just loves the focus being on her but she's not so crazy about this hot weather.

She's a winter puppy so she LOVES the cold but this hot stuff is new to her. Will she survive...will we survive? Always something to complain about - :-)

Tomorrow we get to was who? NO ONE!!

Happy Thursday for dawgs and humans alike!

Teeth & the Havanese

I am a puppy so my teeth are still coming out and new ones are coming in. My teeth are rather white but what if you have an adult with plaque? What should you do?

Someone who follows the blog mentioned that they took their nail and scraped it off - well you can do that and many a show person does. It surely beats going to the vet to be put under.

The tartar can be irritating to the gums and can cause an inflammation called gingivitis. This can be seen as reddening of the gums adjacent to the teeth. It also causes bad breath. At this point it is necessary to remove the tartar with a special instrument called a scaler - that works much like your fingernail does. Problem with this method is it works but it also doesn't polish the teeth. If plaque is bad, you may still want to have it done at your vets office. They not only clean them but polish them.

But if you are simply trying to stay on top of the issue, you can brush daily, use a scaler to take off minor plaque and/or use a product called Leba. Leba works but it is pricey.

What else can you do? Bones - chewing on bones helps scrape the plaque of naturally and most times it does an excellent job.

Well, today was bath time for some - hang out time with daddy outside but now it's raining yet again.

Now where is that sun? The lack of it surely didn't stop this play.

Playing Hard and Snoozing Long

We had a visitor today - a 4 month Havanese mix and he kept the crew in excitement mode or was it that the crew here kept him in excitement mode.

It doesn't matter - they had tons of wet and muddy fun.

Have you ever seen 2 havanese or more play? It's a sight that brings laughter and smiles.

I had just done my daily grooming and the dirt did fly and the wet soaked their little bodies as they did that Havanese run-like-hell game.

I suspect our visitor is sleeping too after he got home.

Bathing Havanese and Playing Wrestle Style

Fiona and Treasure seem to really play rough and tough non-stop.

One wonders how their show coats are ever going to survive with a puppy in the house.

It was bath time for Fiona and Abigail today. How can you tell they need a bath? When they get mats on contact - the hair is too dirty and today was a mess due to the snow. You also have to keep a show coat clean more than a pet coat.

But I sprayed them with Vellus Tangle Out and did a clarifier on them and all was good.

I should just put their coats on and I will today - at least sweaters that will offer some protection. But Abigail loves to snow dive and ends up with snow ball city all over her legs but that's better than all over everywhere. I hate when the snow is wet but powder snow - well it doesn't stick and I like that!

Abigail and Fiona are still both in that stage of wrestlemania fun. As you can see here - they are after Daddy for their treat after their bath. I believe in giving them a small treat after a bath - after grooming - during training and reducing the food when the treats add up. This gives then something to look forward to - a reward.

Looking at this duo - you can almost not tell them apart.

Well, with all this shoveling - we never made it out to Petsmart again with dogs. We do some socializing so they get used to all sorts of dogs. You should try that too. Slow conditioning really works.

Treasure has gone into her fear period so it's even more important to socialize. Tomorrow - we must! Then off to handling for Abigail and Fiona. Busy day tomorrow.

Havanese Grooming Day Tips - 1 More Done

As many of you know, Opal chewed off Katsuro's hair so we have had this inbetween hair growing in. It's sort of like dealing with puppies as their hair grows in but not long enough to do a beardie knot back.

There are ways I make grooming easier.
1. I use a grooming table.
2. I put a treat bag on my waist for easy access.
3. I use a hose/sprayer in my sink.
4. I arm myself with spray conditioner, a great brush that helps take knots out, a cat comb with flexible teeth, a face comb and a blower that I do not have to hold - just direct.
5. I use Cindra hair gel .

I use the treats as an incentive for the dogs to stay put and they do as I, layer by layer, spray with the leave-in conditioner, brush and then use the comb to make sure no knots exist. I don't dry bone dry but as you can see here - pretty much dry - just slightly damp. This way the hair stays in good condition. I also use this Cindra hair gel to flatten down the hair around Katsuro's forhead near his eyes so he can see and you can see his eyes. I simply put a dab on my fingers, distribute and comb/brush in the direction I want it to go with a face comb. Face combs are great for that daily cleanup around the eye area. Eventually, when the pups get older, the cleanup around the eyes is much less much like a retriever - just clean the corner of their eyes. I will fill you in on cleanup around the eyes after I do the pups.

As you can see in this photo, Katsuro is ALMOST dry and I will do a comb/brush through later but its enough. In the summer, I may skip the drying all together and just brush/comb a few times to eliminate any knots and let the air dry him.

When I want the feet cleaned up (may have to learn this) I just have a groomer come in to trim the feet so they look neat and cut the hair between the pads to eliminate slipping on walks, and shave the tummy area and around the butt to eliminate any stuck poo.

Sorry for being so graphic but couldn't think of any other way to put it. Hair artist, I am not.

Now I just tried 'gold on gold' shampoo on Fiona and Abigail to see what I get. As you can see from this photo, Abigail is a tad relaxed, more so than Fiona, but that comes with age and a conditioning process to this bathing stuff. They do relax especially if you reward them as they go along.

I have a grooming table noose that I didn't have to use on Abigail even though I line brushed her - and that takes a bit more time but comes out nice. She has a lot of patience. I even used a face comb on her feet and she had no issues with it. Usually the feet and the bum area are the most sensitive to puppies. She doesn't seem to mind at all.

With Fiona, I had to use a bathing tether in the sink (a suction cup with a noose) and a grooming noose (see the blue thing hanging) to get her done.

These tethers do NOT hurt them in any way, shape or form but rather allow you to free your hands. This also allows me to focus on getting her done and focusing on making it a positive experience.

As you can see, Ms. Fiona looks really calm but as the blower was going, the brush and comb and the spray - well she wasn't so complacent but she also wasn't crazy - I can't handle this experience either.

Fiona actually enjoyed the blower more than Abigail. It was sort of like the dog that hangs it's head out the window to feel the breeze. That is what she did.

As you can see, she's snuggling with her daddy, glad its all over.

This is also a way to reward them for a job well done by lovin' them up.

Doesn't she look like a tiny bear, all soft and smelling wonderful. Now she is sleeping after a good lunch.

She's having marvelous dreams, I imagine and is calculating ways to undo the 'looking good' that human mom did. Ah - well that's okay as a dawg has to live too. It's not all about those looks.

They do tend to sleep after you spend this time with them cleaning them up but that's a good thing. They stay clean for longer, allows you to do other things like typing on this blog and then they wake up and you can enjoy them again.

Here's daddy trying to stack Abs midair after her bath and she's doing her best to do a pointer stance. You want my tail up? Nah...I am a pointer - don't ya know?

Well, how do I take care of the eyes?
I clean the eyes with a makeup pad saturated lightly with 'Eye Envy' liquid solution. I use a face comb, and I take the 'Eye Envy' powder with my finger on the staining around the puppies eyes. I then use the face comb to make sure it covers the entire cuticle. This keeps the area dry and stops it from staining any further. Cleaning twice a day on a regular basis gets you through the stage where they have leakage to the stage where it solidifies making the cleaning MUCH easier.

I have also used plain old vaseline to coat the staining and end up cutting the ends off over time till no staining exists. But I have had good results with 'Eye Envy'. It's just a pain to remember it. It's easier to remember once a day vaseline vs. twice a day 'Eye Envy' but the labourous route gets them cleaner and gets rid of the stain over a matter of a month. They say days but I haven't had that experience.

Another thing you can do instead of the vaseline on a white dog is use Chris Christensen White Creme Cover-Up. This stays on and covers up the stain but also protects it from getting further stain and gives you the perception that there is no staining. You brush it in and comb it through. It does not run off - has to be washed off with shampoo. This will also work where you can cut the ends till the stage where the leakage starts solidifying and you will no longer get stains.

I still keep my dogs eyes clean and none have leakage as adults but I like to get rid of the crust or what some call fondly - eye boogers. It also allows me to remove any stray hairs from their eye that they can't remove that may be irritating them. You stay aware of any issues by investing time in grooming. It's not just about them looking good but also this timeframe allows you to see if anything is not the usual.

Well, I THOUGHT I run out of steam. I did manage to get Super Sassy Lassy to have a bath and she has wonderful silky hair - not a SINGLE knot in her. Must be that magic brush, her hair or just luck but wow - nice! Doesn't she look great? I was going to do her Friday but she is off on an adventure starting tomorrow on Valentine's Day so I wanted to get her smelling just gorgeous as she is.

Sassy is off to hang out with Coach for the long weekend. We can't wait to see the photos of those two.

I decided my Valentine gift to myself was to have a 'no grooming' day. Can you imagine that?

I still need to brush and comb the rest but no more baths. I did 4 today and then start in again on a few more on Friday. It all depends on my energy level but the dirtiest was cleaned already. Boys...heh - yeah you guessed who was the dirtiest.

Gad, I just adore snuggling with the really clean ones.

Visiting Friends & Socialization

We went to visit Yvonne's house today to give the dogs something to do, give us a distraction and do so in a safe environment. We were going to go tomorrow but remembered we get to have Sebastian for a visit and it's surely going to be fun. We can't wait!

This is Sassy playing with one of Yvonnes puppies who are now 6 weeks old. Sassy is doing amazing in the car. She rather enjoys it as she knows car=fun places to go.

Yvonne's pups are way cute and it was fun to spend time with good friends that have a way to make you laugh.

Sassy's turning into a really great dog despite that I gave her a bath - what a few days ago and looks like a grunge due to running around in the mud but we will freshen her up, give her a bath before she goes to her new home next Saturday and you'll just have to read us to hear about the antics of the rest of the crew.

The crew promises that it's rarely a dull moment. With Havanese..well they are like that!

More tomorrow and we promise to do a video of the crew when Sebastian is here. One wonders what the bed arrangements will be with Sebastian here but I can't wait to find out!

2 COMMENTS:
Mark and Maryanne said...
I expect that Sebastian will be sleeping on the bed. Oh, and since he's a guest (and bound to be scared since it's his first time at sleep-over camp) he should get first pick of where on the bed he wants to sleep!!!:) But be careful, sometimes he waits until you're asleep, then he gets off the bed and gets into all sorts of mischief!
January 12, 2008 11:41 PM
Nathan said...
Eh hemmm! This might be his first time at sleep over camp but somehow I don't think he'll find the situation all that onerous with his mommy Wasabi, his sister Sassy, and his teacher Katsuro-san not to mention Terra, Whitney, Shoshi and Risa. As far as his spot on the bed, it is really rarely an issue. They all find their spots. As far as leaving the bed in the night goes, no worries there either. You can be sure that Sassy will stick with him and if it looks really interesting Kat will be there too. It will be a serious trial for him but somehow I think he'll struggle through it until you get back. --Nathan
January 13, 2008 9:07 AM

Last Bath of Year

Sassy had her last bath of the year this morning. Here's daddy drying her gently with a towel - more patting down as rubbing will create tangles and Louis is looking on trying to figure out if he is next but mommy needs to finish brushing him before he gets a bath. You never bath a dog that has knots as it tightens them. Keep that in mind.

Tips for bathing - always use a whitening shampoo to keep the whites brilliant. I use Chris Christensen and a couple of other brands and they don't lighten the darks just brightens the whites - not bleach - just gives it that nice white and these pups have that white as a driven snow colour - which is nice - most don't and they take after Wasabi for that. I also use Chris Christensen's Day to Day conditioner. The thing about conditioner is it's a must to reduce the tangles but you must get all of it off other than your spray on conditioner like Ouidad that is safe and good to leave on. If there is any residue, your dog is apt to scratch and let you know you didn't get it all. If that is the case, a warm face cloth wiping in the direction of the coat will remove the last residue. You can even do this just to be sure. I forget at times but realize after a few rolls in the snow, they have essentially done the same thing. Some pups are more sensitive than others.

I also use Ouidad spray on conditioner and I use a comb throughout the hair and without, a comb may catch as tangles may be starting. You may feel your little one squirms too much but I have a great trick that helps especially if you have a crate like mine with an opening up top.

I take my blower - which never gets hot but warm and you can use a blower dryer on a low setting but anyone with more than one dog should own a blower, imho. I do not know how I did without it but pricey it is. Place your dryer on a stand or have someone else hold it. You put your pup in the crate like I have and spray and comb and/brush through the opening. This helps me have free arms to do what I need to and the pup is in a safe place but you must brush/comb as you dry to eliminate any tangles. Next bath, I am going to introduce Sassy to laying down on various sides to allow me to thoroughly comb her out but at this point, the key is to get her used to the combing itself which I am doing daily now - not that she needs it at this point but she will end up like the rest of my dogs laying down without issue and allowing me to comb and brush them out. It's all slow conditioning and it works.

Well, off to get ready for our road trip. Mommy has to brush out all the Havanese. They had baths 2 days ago and Louis and Sassy were the remaining dogs. Louis will have to wait till we return.

More later...