Woofstock - ing It Havanese Style

Well, Fiona and I are off to Woofstock but Daddy had to buy into the combined government and big oil robbery by adding gas to the van. Oh - but how else could we go to our much enjoyed Woofstock. They sure have us by the ...... fill in the blank.

Fiona wasn't sure of it all at first. She had her tail down trying to survey all the dogs and people and - oh boy there were a ton of those in this sweltering heat. But after meeting other Havanese and getting used to the meet and greet, her tail went up and so did everyone else's.

This is GREAT socialization for our guys if you are proactive in watching the signs of dogs that aren't friendly.

Woofstock can be a tad overwhelming for those that haven't seen this many dogs at once before. This was Katsuro's 2nd year so he wasn't ruffled in the least.

We were able to hookup with Yvonne, Flora and Downsey. We didn't see anyone else from the Hav group.

You can click on any photo to see a larger version.

Downsey is Fiona's sister. Flora is from an earlier breeding of Yvonnes. You will see her at the Orono show and you will also get to see Miss Abs there.

Well, we were lucky enough to bump into a really nice lady that had the 'Rens Pet of the Month' photo of Abigail. Please post and tell me your name. Silly me for not getting it. I want to thank you SOOOOOO much for bringing it. I need one more copy - if anyone has one so I can send it to Miss Abigail's breeder. Thanks ever so much again.

It was Havanese heaven of sorts and we kept bumping into a number of them but I didn't get photos of all. Sorry. But, one was a deep red colour so I wanted to share it with you and no that cutie in the back is not a Havanese. ROFL!

We got a ton of samples from shampoo to treats. Let's see - to cover a small sample, we got 'Barking Mad' natural treats, Benny Bullys (small packages of 4 different new types and we also bought some, Natural Planet Organic dog food, to training pads, poop bags, to Doggie Dinner casserole - frozen and much more.

Poor Fiona loved all the treats so much that she came home to a tummy ache - loose bowels - sigh. See - even someone who knows better needs to remind themselves that Havanese normally can't have so many variety of treats at once and she loved them all. Katsuro was picky and didn't eat but a few.

We also saw some really cool jackets and collars and I mean way different ones from molded what have yous growing from the coat - hahahaha. You have to see it to know what I mean.

Talking about red Havanese, we saw a red sable with a puppy cut called Jasmine. It had such a tight curl that I imagine it is much easier to care for in a shorter hair-do. It reminds me of my Shoshi who is from teh same kennel.

All of the Havanese were friendly. We only saw a handful of non-Havanese that were unfriendly but they came in all sizes. The owners were proactive though - all but one.

We talked to a guy that had a Havanese that was manning a booth. He just adored seeing more of these guys.

We talked to people that were waiting for a puppy - to those that had just acquired one and the list went on.

The colours all varied as you can see in this photo. It was fun to see so many out and about. I wish I could go back tomorrow with 2 different dogs but how many samples can someone get. hahahaha

What will you see at Woofstock? Many, many vendors, lots of dogs, tons of people and maybe a ton of Havanese - if you are lucky.

What was missing this year? The Wellness booth, the spraying thing guy, the greenies booth unless we missed some of the show but we saw many new ones as well including a shampoo company up from the states. I can't promise I will try it on Miss Abigail for the show but I may try it on someone else and then try it on Abs when she's not needing to look her best. Each shampoo reacts on each dog differently thus - the - we will wait on her. More later when we try it.

If you are going to Woofstock tomorrow, be sure to bring water for you and your dog but one of the vendors had ICE cold water - yum and we gave some to the dogs whose tongues were hanging down to the ground in need of refreshment. Just check out that tongue on Katsuro. Hey, mom - it's downright hot out here - you know! We probably gave them something to drink every 10 minutes throughout our visit. It was that hot.

Many vendors gave away frozen yogurt for the dogs. Our dogs weren't a fan of any of them.

We did manage to get some great beds for a CHEAP price. They are way soft and I will tell you the dogs loved them. I also bought a cooling coat for Fiona but it was actually too big and was hanging down on her. It fits the Miss Abs perfectly and that is what she will have on her during outdoor shows. Ten minutes before I can just fluff her up and she will be ready to go and she will stay cool. We have another one coming in the mail as they were running out of the toy size FAST. Anyone who does outside activities in the heat should consider one as they are light and stay cool for a long time. I got home and ours was still cold.

What else - well I know this is not a Havanese but it rather sums up the day. It was a DOG day for sure in so many ways. You should head to Woofstock tomorrow. You will be glad you did.

Sweltering Hot Havanese Day

It's going to be a sweltering hot day today here in the Toronto area so use caution with your furry pals. Make sure they stay hydrated. Use cooling devices if you have them but you can also make some home ones - such as wrapping your ice packs that go into your cooler.

We are off to Woofstock this morning and will be hitting the St. Lawrence Market when they open and going home before the crowds get too busy and the dogs get too cranky.

Then we are back for the pool and then to our grand daughter's party at a movie theatre and then back to the pool. Do you hear a theme here?

POOL......

Havanese Colours & Pool Safety

I find the colours in the Havanese to be a fascinating thing but it sometimes throws off the judges, those that don't know the breed etc.

One of our puppy owners owns one of our black and white pups and a brown sable from Yvonne's breeding. She's often asked which breeds they are. Some have no clue that they come in so many colours though black and white in various degrees are often seen more.

Here you can see Miss Abs soaking wet from her swim today. She has similar colours to our Golden Retriever with a variety of other colours mixed in.

The gal fell off the diving board and dove in head first. Instead of coddling her and validating any fear she may have had from such an ooops Nathan instead directed her to the stairs and made it into a game.

Katsuro fell in last year once and hasn't gone in since unless Nathan is in it. He won't even go when I am the only one in. Why? Nathan made it a game Katsuro shares exclusively with him and no other human. It's a smart thing to do as it created an amazing amount of fun for both, got him past that - oh my - I fell in and it was only 50F but also stopped him from just going in by himself. It's a win/win. He attempted to do the same with the Abs and hopefully we will get her jumping in too. She certainly has the potential.

Now, Miss Fiona is a different personality. She really is not crazy over this swimming business so Nathan has taken another angle with her to make her feel her comfort level. She is now staying around the swimming pool vs. running for the house after her swim today. So - Nathan is on the right track with her. Here you can see her doing just fine in her journey to love the pool.

Note: Fiona is the top photo on the right and Abs is the bottom one on the right.

None of our dogs swim without us and Nathan spends an amazing amount of time showing them how and where to get out of the pool, over and over again. The first thing that they learn is how to get out of the pool. They were born knowing how to swim.

So, never get complacent with a pool. Don't take for granted that they can figure out how to get out on their own. Give them the tools that may save their life and do not coddle them when they have an oops. If you do coddle, you have just validated their fear of whatever they are reacting to. Redirect - refocus and teach and you will help your dog find solutions instead of relying simply on his/her emotions. Your dawg will be glad you did and you will end up with a more balanced dawg.

Remember you can always click on the photos to see a larger view.

Being a Puppy Vs. The Show Ring

I am in a bit of a quandary. Darlah and I are surrounded by contradictions and wondering how we can best satisfy all requirements. I know we are already quite forthcoming about the doings around our home. If any of you are following Darlah’s blog day to day you have a fairly good idea of our life. We hide nothing. We lay it all out for you to see. We believe in being open, in sharing our own experiences as we learn from others and from our dogs each day. But I digress.

On Friday we were unsuccessful in the show ring.

I know that Abigail is a beautiful, wonderful example of the breed. She exhibits the best features in the breed guidelines and has been complimented on her grooming, shown natural as the breed dictates, her “excellent” top line with which she was born thanks to the breeding lines of Beth Obrecht and Rockhurst Havanese, her perfectly straight legs and beautiful bouncing step.

But, in comparison to the other Havanese against which she competes, she has, for example, much less hair and she is not trained perfectly, yet. I can explain both and here-in lies our dilemma.

While we are a registered CKC Kennel, we do not have a kennel per se. Our dogs live in our home. They sleep on our bed or on the floor around us, they have free access to every part of the house and backyard and are encouraged to play, at all times. Now that the summer is maybe finally here we will be swimming almost daily and when I say we, I mean Darlah and I, and all of our dogs at one time or another. Besides that it is excellent exercise for everyone, most of them really enjoy it.

But this does not help us present a perfectly groomed dog in the show ring. Abigail went swimming on Thursday. She plays with Fiona off and on all day long. When they can, they get Kat to play with them. Then Shoshi joins in, Wasabi speeds around them and even Risa starts romping in excitement. They jump on and over and around each other like banshees and we love it. They are all so obviously having a great time with each other and with us. If you saw the video from the other day Kat’s excitement and enthusiasm comes through.

But this does not help us present a perfectly groomed puppy. Fiona nips at Abigail’s hair and vice versa. They all do the same with Kat. They aren’t hurting each other, they are playing. The solution is to isolate Abigail. I’m sure within a few weeks there would be a significant difference to the length of her coat but I am equally sure she would be miserable. So I search for the trade off, constantly. We do not want to sacrifice her pleasure as a pup for the fleeting glory of the show ring. The question is whether or not we can have it both ways and I’m sure we are not inventing the wheel here. I just don’t see many people discussing this aspect. (Darlah says: For her the solution is inbetween shows deep condition and leave it in as Fiona doesn't like the taste)

Of course it doesn’t help that I am not a professional handler. I just own and love my puppies. Abigail and I entered the ring together for our very first time. We are getting better every time we walk into the ring and we are diligently attending two different handling classes to get better in our technique. But I won’t take away her play time. I won’t. And so I ask you all to bear with us as we work to get Abigail’s championship. It will not be a quick win but in the end it will be a very satisfying one. Stay tuned for the ups and downs and please, do not hesitate to comment. Your posts are welcome here. Constructive criticism of any kind is welcome. Encouragement is especially welcome.

Yesterday, Abigail won Winner's Bitch for 2 more points. We are on our way to our Canadian championship.

Thanks for listening.

Nathan

Dirty Havanese Gardening

Oh my, show time today and look at the Miss Abs. Well, it was raining this morning. I was outside in a bathrobe pulling weeds - geez and it was wet and muddy and so are the dogs. They had fun though. I may not cleaning them all up but that's my life. ha! There's still tons of weeds to go and if it keeps raining, they will grow faster than I will be able to keep up.

We are not at the show till late afternoon so no baths till then. Sun is shiming. Where's those thundershowers they say are coming? Maybe we will get a swim in.

Promise slideshow of obedience class this morning. I am working on it.

Show, Last Night & Today Havanese Style

We do not have time but will later. We have a show to get ready for, work and the update will come today - later.

We will try to get a slide show of last night's obedience class and tell you how Zack slid into home run to win. Gad - where is the video camera when you need one.

Let's not forget Coach who really improved amazingly since that first night - wow!

For now, enjoy Fiona in class last night so in tuned to Nathan or was that the treat or both?

She was a complete circus clown last night but she wouldn't be her otherwise.

Havanese Crew Grads

Well from left to right, Coach, Fiona and Zack all graduated from obedience. Way to go.

Much fun was to be had with fun and games that I will fill you in on tomorrow.

Be sure to click here for our latest video. We had some real fun with it.

Show time tomorrow!

Look for more info on all of it then!

Catching some serious zzzzzzzs now - I hope!

Brrr Even Havanese Get Cold

We went to handling class today and it was VERY cold. The human mommy had 2 coats on and still was chilly and although it was invigorating to Abs at first, between the large class (they are splitting it up next week) and the dandelions that are way too high, it was not all that fun tonight. We raced home to bring in plants, cover those we prefer not to yank in and get inside to warm up again. Supposedly it already feels like -2. Some summer, eh?

Well, we have another show this week with lots of competition. It's right up the street and we are showing in the afternoon so that means the groomer - me gets to sleep in as well. We believe this venue will allow us to tape so that's what we will do.

Yvonne is showing Lola but will be driving home each day. Between our kids that love to stay up and that single bed - well I don't blame her but hey we can gag the kids, throw in an extra bed and make her extra comfie. ROFL But how will Alex survive.

We are hoping its warm enough to swim so Katsuro and Nathan can jump in the pool and relax this weekend and who knows maybe we will get the Fiona and Abigail in as well. Heck, we need more videos - don't we?

Well, more handling but inside tomorrow and then obedience with the crew - last one and I have to get photos of that. Exciting times with dogs. You know - if you can't just enjoy what they bring - unconditional love - well you are missing what life is all about.

Another Havanese Week

It was a real feel of 32c yesterday with a saturation of 60% humidity. Last night the dawgs thought they had melted and so did we. We were in wait for a hail storm that never came with high winds. It must have been close as our retriever was starting to pace and she can feel a storm coming on.

Here's a photo of Abs trying to get Fiona to play. She would have none of it when it was so hot.

Tonight we have handling class and we are praying for rain. Why? Well class is outside and poor Abs - well the bleepin' dandelions are up to her neck and the mosquitoes will eat you alive. I think we have vampire versions and not the nice 'Moonlighting' kind. They suck you dry and leave you with many welts. I can't imagine what it does to the dogs.

Well, this is the last week of obedience. We heard from a friend that her dog, a regular visitor to our home, got attacked by an untrained german shepherd. I am not posting names unless she wants me to but her dog was on a leash doing its business and that dog wasn't. Many, many stitches later - she is nursing her back to health physically and mentally. The mindset is the tough one for owner and dawg as the owner has to get past it so the dawg can. Our dawgs feed off our emotion.

We had a bichon almost attack Shoshi once when the owner told us it was friendly and to this day, Shoshi recognizes the breed - and reacts and what is interesting she doesn't react to all white dogs - only bichons so they are intelligent enough to dicipher breeds. I find that interesting. Still, her reaction now is only a bark. We did take her to a bichon event where she was surrounded by 60 bichons to help her get past it and it did help but slow conditioning takes time and persistence. We wish this precious one a fast recovery in body and mind.

Wasabi and Risa puppy owners - fill us in on how you are doing. We love to hear. Is the summer ever going to come?

We will be at Richmond Green this weekend showing off our Havanese. Nathan and Abigail will be in the ring doing their thing. If you want to come to watch, email me and I will give you the details at darlah@potechin.com

Want to see grown men brought down to their knees or backs or...check this out.

More later.>>

Dreary Havanese Day

It's a dreary day outside waiting to rain and this human mommy was going to wash a couple of dogs as she has the day off thanks to Memorial day but instead, we thinking we will comb/brush etc

Miss Fiona had her first knot after not brushing her over the weekend. It was minor so a brush/pull apart removed it. Still, that gal thinks I am killing her when I brush out the back legs. We are being persistent so she gets over it.

The pair is happy just to be playing with each other. Us, we are back at handling classes Tuesday and Wednesday this week and another show over the weekend but its local. No 4am washings. We are at our last obedience class for Fiona and then handling for her. It will be a busy - busy week.

We heard Sassy and Coach went into the pool yesterday. This is WAY exciting for us as we have some swimmers here. Katsuro was itching to do so - got to get better photos of him jumping in but our pool is still sitting at 68F. Oh well, next heat wave of a day or so we will crank it up. It doesn't look like that date is coming anytime soon though. Mother nature - got to love it!

Yesterday we hung out and slept on the chairs outside (we were exhausted) and the puppies who had never done so - well they thought mommy and daddy hanging out was cool. They snuggled and slept too. At the same time we had Yvonne in our thoughts having to drive an extra bit home and worried as she didn't sleep so well. Show life...gad...

More later...

Sunday, Wakeup Havanese: Show Day

It's Sunday and another 4am wakeup and soon we will be heading out the door. It's a C-R-A-Z-Y life.

Coffee, toast for the humans and food for Fiona and best part no bath for her. Poor Abs will rely on treats after she gets to the show. A girl has to do what a girl has to do to get motivated in the ring or so the humans think. HA!

More later>>

Abs Gets Washed & Class Update

Something about the Abs. She has a real zest for life. I finished blow drying her to get her ready for a show tomorrow when in reality, I should have just got up at 4am and washed her then.

Here she is 5 minutes after getting off the table and her face is wet. She's smooshed her head into her bed and chased Katsuro around and almost caught his back end. They run SO fast. Here's for cleaning her up early tomorrow and learning my lesson. Oh - she's not bad but this is only 5 minutes past the time of being done. hehehe

Nathan just got in with Fiona and he says everyone did really well in class. Teddy wasn't there this week as she is in a trial, I believe with one of her dogs but we will all see her next week.

It does my heart good to hear how the dogs are doing.

More tomorrow!

To Wash or Not to Wash

Look at this photo of Fiona and her grandma, Risa.

Fiona is already for obedience school with hair back in a band. Nathan and Fiona just got picked up by Coach's parents. It's class time and now to decide - pack for tomorrow for the show or wash Miss Abs or?

More later after Fiona's class when we hear how everyone did and maybe a report that the Abs is sparkling clean. Last time I washed her too early, she romped with Zack and I had to wash her twice.

Idol, Havanese & Stylin'

Today, Wasabi needed a bath. it's been too long - that I don't want to say but she stays clean longer than all the rest. She's not crazy about the hair blowing in her face and that's why her face looks like that but I let the face partially air dry. Her hair feels so amazing now that I wonder why I didn't do it earlier.

Fiona hung out with the Wasabi while she got blow dried thinking I may drop a treat or two on her. I give the dogs a few treat during the process to make it more enjoyable but only when they are doing what I want. It all works.

We went to handling class last night and one lady started fighting with another saying her dog was too close to hers - yikes. Well - let's say - life is too short and we left but the term chill came to mind. Life is never dull in the dog world. ROFL

Well, Miss Fiona is going to obedience classes tonight. Miss Abs gets to stay home with me and get washed and blow dried so all she needs is a touch up in the morning then its off to the show so she can strut her stuff next to the Lola.

Nathan is out trying to support this crazy dog world and will be out at class tonight - asking me last moment what he should wear and hoping but asking 5 ways to Sunday if I have everything packed. Will I forget something? Time will tell.

Wish us luck. I will be filming. More later>>

PS: 'Idol' coverage is over so human mom gets to sleep earlier in the eve and that means more than 4 hours sleep. The best David DID win. ;-) ZZ Top and Cook - what a hoot! He could tour with them and hold them up so they don't fall down. ha!!

Creative Havanese Dog Showing

We are going to start a new trend in dog showing - the 2 legged kind. We think Miss Fiona would be a true star on 2 legs. Can you hear her - daddy - daddy - daddy - please can I go for a walk - NOW!

Miss Fiona tends to walk across an entire room on her back legs. It reminds you that they were once amazing comical circus dogs and you can see why. Some of them are a bit more - look at me - look at me - like Miss Fiona is - ALWAYS! But they are agile, quick to get new commands and certainly believe in having fun. If the world does not have fun in it for Miss Fiona and the Miss Abs - well they create it and I rather enjoy that!. It's an infectious attitude that we could all use.

Miss Sassy has been staying with us till Coach recovers from his snip/snip. She goes back home today.

Taking a look at her in this photo, you could never tell she had black feet and I mean BLACK feet from romping at Yvonne's. They love it there but oh my - muddy city with the rain. I let it dry. Today I sprayed it with waterless bath. I took a wipe to get the dirt that remained in and blow dried it spraying a tad more of waterless bath. Does her feet look black today? HINT: If you let the mud dry instead of washing the feet right away, it actually is EASIER to clean.

We really enjoyed the Sass staying here and we believe she had a grand time. She's a major bed snuggler and kisser. Ah but she then gets to see that Coachie guy and all will be right in the world then - back from holidays to her home. She's just had a vacation doggie style. hahaha

More later. Rain is coming. Abs is showing this Friday. Training - training training and then an infusion of fun - we hope.

Hanging out at Yvonnes

We went on a road trip today. We had originally thought we were going overnight then rain was forecast and then Sunday and - well we made the trek in and rain it did with a smattering of sun and all the way home - sun, sun, sun - what was that about? Did it rain in Toronto?

You can click on the photos to see a larger view.

We were hanging out at Yvonne's today and it rained - was muddy and all that mud found its way on to the dogs and on to our laps. I actually think the Miss Abs had black feet not apricot.

I went garden shopping so tomorrow the dawgs get to help Dennis and I plant them after Sassy goes back home. I have to get her back to clean. hehehe - actually letting her air dry - she doesn't look bad at all and it was only the feet but we will freshen her up so she can look oh so boo-ti-full!

The crew ran around like banshees. It's dog heaven at Yvonne and Alex's place. Sure ours is too but they have the room to run and boy did they run their hearts out and Abs was the leader of the pack in running the most. Sassy seems to be the fastest.

Kat - well he LOVES that he is surrounded by so many beautiful girl Havanese.

Here's a few of them - an array of colours - just hanging out. From the back is Yvonne's Downsey, John & Cheryl's Sassy and our Fiona from Yvonne.

The crew really loves this trip and once they got into the car, they KNEW where they were going and even Sassy has been there. But as they say - nothing like returning home to chill, sleep a dead sleep and look forward to another day of fun TOMORROW. It's a dog day you know!!

Tomorrow we practice for our upcoming shows with Miss Abs, plant, veg, play and maybe wash a few dogs. We shall see.

PS: heard that Ramona's Zack is enjoying his surroundings. That makes me smile with a warm heart.

More news tomorrow and watch for photos.

Zack's Hairy Day

Here I am trying to get Zack's hair in a ponytail on top. He was letting me do it but I doubt it was the highlight of his day. Then Abigail and him decided to help me out in the garden and I had a sedction that had mud and they both stuck their face in it as I had sticks over the mud. I must have been tired as it didn't dawn on me that mud and sticks together is too delicious for a dog to resist. Oh well, tomorrow I will freshen up his face and he will be as good as new when his new mom comes to get him.

Tonight he is in class and I am at home awaiting to hear how it goes. I even gave Nathan and Ramona hot dogs to woo the duo if they need it. I did practice but there wasn't enough time to take Ramona through the commands so I am hoping Teddy - our instructor at Who's Walking Who in Ajax keeps it going on with her sense of humour. I did teach Zack leave it in 5 minutes. I was impressed. Actually 2nd correction and he left it consistently till I released him. He's way smart.

I wanted photos but those will come the last class, which I wouldn't miss.

Coach gets the snip and Sassy gets to stay overnight. We can't wait. Then on Saturday we visit Yvonne and hopefully miss traffic.

Now to do some work and get some paperwork done.

Changing Havanese Habits

If you live in a cold climate and are rather allergic to the cold or shovelling yourself, you may have found your dogs going on your deck vs. the place you want them to. We dig paths etc but still if it is raining too hard or its bitter cold, like humans, they don't want to go out. They go to the first place and try to get back in.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, its time to correct them to go to the area you want. Carry them at first especially if their bladders are about to burst after a long night and tell then to 'get busy' and praise. Keep doing it and then try to just let them get there on their own even with you going out. If they do make it to that area - wow praise and keep at it to make sure it wasn't a one day thing. If they fail to get it, start again and keep at it. They will.

This is the Fiona running down the stairs for her morning - I got to get outside, mommy.

We have a busy week. Today - if weather allows, mommy is going to wash Abs with a new product to see how it feels on her. Zach gets washed on Friday when he goes to his new home. The rest will come here and there.

We have handling Tuesday and Wednesday night. We have obedience on Thursday and a long weekend that I don't get as I work for an American company. Then we have shows coming up soon. Stack, stack, stack and heel.

Looks like rain today..sigh...and Alex is coming to visit. How cool is that and Katsuro is waiting at the door - since last night, I might add.

More later.>>

Training You or Your Havanese?

We had someone ask on another list I participate on why their 15 week old pup insists on having accidents. Well, it's not that they insist. They need to be taught and we need to be on top of them till they 'get' it.

Recently, Little Miss Fiona decided it was raining and its early mom and the deck will do. Well, for me the deck won't do. Now her bladder may have been bursting at the seams as it was first thing in the morning and I am expecting her to go to the opposite side of the yard or she was just ceasing the opportunity not to have to hold it any longer.

So, next morning, I didn't give her the opportunity to go on the deck. I carried her out back, said 'get busy' and then acted like a fool with excitement when she did praising and petting her. Now, I know its a 'no no' in some people's books to carry the dog to the spot but you must start somewhere and once you start being consistent, it will be an old habit and they will go out to the right spot themselves. I know as I have done it. But consistency is a must.

You can't sit and watch that TV show or play on the computer and the dog is circling or scratching at the door or staring at it - yes some just stare (buy a bell if you have one of those). You must consistently take them out, act crazy in excitement for such a grand deed and forget what the neighbours think. Don't chastise them if they gave you the sign and you chose to ignore it when they are young. They may be bursting and well - have to go.

Nathan at 7 weeks took our Shoshi out on an average of every 2 to 3 hours (24 hours a day) - what a guy and no he is not for rent and she never had an accident and slept in our bed since day one. But as the story goes - who is trained - you or them or both.

They do get there - honest but won't without you. I haven't met a dog that has trained themselves to our liking by themselves or know automatically the rules of the house. But Havanese are smart and as you can see - Miss Fiona is out back, on the grass where I want her to go - 'getting busy'

More tomorrow...

Classroom Havanese Antics

Well here I am - the Fiona going to obedience class last night and my hair right now is all over the place so the human mommy put baby barrettes in my hair. Now she doesn't leave these in the hair when I hang out with the other dogs - only when I am going places as another dog could say - yum what is that and swallow them. So, I get this look if I am off to somewhere alone or I am being watched. I get to be stylin' sometimes. Otherwise it's a small soft band to hold it out of the hair, some invisible gel or whatever strikes that crazy human.

I didn't get to go to class with Coach and Zack last night but I did see Coach at class with his humans John and Cheryl (spelling?) and Zack's new owner Ramona. She's going to be taking Zack through his moves next week in class.

Well, last night was fun. I believe in a little attitude or otherwise I wouldn't be the Fiona. Daddy took me through the moves while mommy distracted me over and over again with talking - hrmmm mommy - you are soooo bad. I know you were doing it cause - well we won't go there but you gave that excuse that it was good slow conditioning getting used to distractions. But I heard that human Mommy say - oh, oh that I may be a disaster in the ring.

I do not know what she is talking about. I am P-E-R-F-E-C-T but it was something about kicking my feet in the same way when I get busy and do my business as I thought daddy was too slow giving me treats. They should have corrected me but something about that made them laugh so hard. Oh, oh - I have THEIR number. Even the instructor couldn't believe such attitude. Well - I am the Fiona and my Grannie is Risa. Plus what's this business of walking on my back legs - well those HUMANS do it. What!@# it won't work in the show ring. Oh, my - such stuffiness with these humans - fun - you got to let it go and just go with the flow. HAHAHA The judge will understand - won't they? Yeah - we are all laughing!

You can click on the photos to see a larger view.

Coach did really amazing in class last night. He was truly listening to his human daddy. Usually he stays so focused on Fiona or Zack that he can't see the point of doing it all but that competitive drive came in last night and he was such a pleaser. It was great to see how wonderful he was doing.

Next week, with Ramona with Zack, we should get Cheryl (spelling?) in with Coach so he knows both are in charge and that human Nathan in with Fiona as he has to go in the show ring with him so mommy gets to take photos and crack jokes - ooops she won't do that again.

Well, Zack is recovering. Read all about it below. The day is just beginning - well for the rest of you and everyone is sleeping but me at 6:46 - even the dawgs!

More later.>>