Costs

Unfortunately starting in the New Year, our costs will go up. Please contact nathan for updated costs.

Picnic Photos & Details

The picnic date took place on August 17, 2019 from 12pm to 5pm at Yvonne's place in Brighton. Check out the details here. Photos from the 2019 picnic can be found here. Yvonne's place is NEXT DOOR to her old place. I will try to put a havanese flag out front. Hope you can join us. Directions are here. The house # is 25. There is no picnic in 2020 due to COVID but hopefully in 2021. Stay Tuned!

Grooming 101

Want to see how I get a smooth coat and what equipment I use? I am continually learning and perfecting but I created this video Windows version) and for you Mac apple folks - here's a conversion. - not a professional one, to help you get a head start and perfect your own skill. Got questions? Ask away.

Want to know how to create a bathing machine that will save you time, product and wash your dog better than ever before? Check out Dick and Irma's instructions on how to create your own machine for a fraction of the cost.

Woofstock Is Back

Meet us at Woofstock. Dogs are welcomed. We meet at the restaurant across the street from Woodbine Park. Here is the location. Meet up happens on June 22, 2024 at 9:30 to 945am. Rain date is the next day. Look forward to seeing your havanese there and the humans too! Don't have your havanese yet? Well join us anyway! 

Award Photos
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Certified Pet First Aid

Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid is a recognized National Pet First Aid Certificate course for dog and cat professionals and pet owners. Talemaker Havanese now has that certificate having taken and passed the course.

Entries in Havanese Boarding Toronto Talemaker (61)

Wednesday
Jan202010

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.

Monday
Jan182010

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.

Thursday
Jan072010

Planning and Visits

Yvonne came to our house with her dogs including Twiggy and met a potential buyer here. So, all of you that was vying for that Twiggy gal - well she's now taken - sorry about that!

Treasure had a grand time with Twiggy as you can see here. I think when it is her turn, she is going to have wonderful pups.

Well, Yvonne is off to the land of the frozen oranges next week - yep Florida. They say they are in a deep freeze there - lucky them but it will warm up by the time they go. They are off to holidays for 6 weeks I think with the dawgs. So, as a good friend, she brought me some supplies in case we have 2 litters before she gets back - like an extra whelping box, lamp, hemostats that we share back and forth, towels etc. even a soldering gun so our son can fix the TV - well attempt to - oh oh

Yvonne is a great friend. I am going to have to buy a web cam just so I can talk to her online and she can make faces at me telling me how beautiful it is away from the land of the snow. I can then show her beautiful Abigail or Wasabi pups as they happen - yea right - who am I kidding. A web cam is the furthest thing from your mind when you are delivering pups but maybe after cleanup. hehehe

Poor Kat was surrounded by gals and one of Yvonnes was in heat too. But we are seeing an end. Abigail is starting to tell Kat off and he's calmer then he has been for days. Wasabi should be almost finished too.

No one understands this heat business or the issue with it unless you have gals and boys unneutered. Boys lose their minds - stop eating and all they can think of is the gal. As soon as it is over, you get your boy back. hehehehe We make sure Kat eats but it is trying.

Puppies are worth it though and to have spring pups - maybe we can condition them to rain. hehehehe

Ultrasound booked and now the long wait. 63 days from conception to birth - wow!

Wednesday
Jan062010

A Little Slice of Cesar

Cesar goes home tomorrow morning after a long visit with us and I bathed him tonight. Why tonight vs. tomorrow? He was out for a walk and got rather grungy and well - he needed it. If I have to touch him up tomorrow - well that's the chances we take. heh

He's now snuggly soft and we will miss this guy.

Cesar knows how to party hearty and his attitude has been infectious for our guys and visitors alike.

We will be down to our guys and Jazzy and then when Jazzy is about to go, the Saki comes to visit.

We just heard that Saki got the snip snip (spaying) yesterday. We hope for a fast recovery and can't wait to see her.

Wasabi is getting to the last week of her heat. She has approximately 5 days to go and Abigail has 7. Then we go back to normal - whatever normal is.

Wasabi gets rather tired during this phase but Abigail doesn't seem to be affected thus far.

Jazzy, we have known forever since he was a little guy and we adore him. He is hanging out and was caught playing hard with Treasure on their walk.

Tomorrow Yvonne and her crew comes in for a visit and it will surely be fun. More tomorrow...stay tuned!

Countdown to puppies - booking an ultrasound tomorrow for an appointment for Feb 8th.

Saturday
Jan022010

Visitors are Going Home

This photo shows two of the dawgs that went home today, Remy and Bailey. Both played up a storm. As you can see, Remy is going in for the front and Fiona has Treasure's tail and Bailey is saying - are you crazy? But Bailey joined in. You will see in the slide show. You will have to go day by day to see all the photos.

Tomorrow we have Louis, Oreo and Benny going home and then we will be down to ours and 1 new one that came today and that play demon Cesar.

We have had a lot of visitors. We did walks, play sessions - I groomed all. I even moved my grooming table into my family room so I could watch TV and groom. Nails got clipped. There were a to of snuggles and lots of body warmth at bedtime.

We even had 2 gals in heat and a male brought in to mate with Wasabi. Kat mated with Abigail.

I do believe the dawgs know we love them immensely and it comes through. The play - the fun - the interactions and the snuggles - well what a holiday we had.

Looking forward to Saki coming near the end of the month. Lots of changes and fun around Talemaker Havanese. May the new year be filled with puppies that we can love and ooh and ahhh over.

Friday
Jan012010

Happy New Year 2010

If you were silly enough to stay out late and get a tad under the sheets or so they say with too much to drink - well you might look like Shoshi who I captured just before she had her daily grooming.

I rather enjoy the dawgs in their natural shape. It doesn't mean I want any knots on them but that disorganized look gives them character - don't you think?

Did you know that knots hurt them? I have long hair and my hair will mat underneath and it bloody hurts. My hair gets that way if I wash it and forget to brush it and let it air dry - tsk tsk. If I never did that, I suppose I wouldn't have the empathy that I do for knotted dawgs.

Today started early. We are often outside first thing when it is dark and then finish the night in dark. Usually Nathan is the big walker with our son but Nathan had a road trip to do today and a bad hip so it was our son and me that did the walks tonight. Everyone fared well except Fiona who kept lifting her paws. It told me she was cold - all 8 lbs of her. So, I kept checking her feet, picking her up to make sure she didn't have ice in between and warmed her up and placed her down again. Treasure, who was on the walk with her - we only do 2 at a time was oblivious to the windy cold but they do adore the walks. We believe in the walks for their mind and body.

Tomorrow we have Remy, Bailey and Joker going home. We also have one coming in and after the 3rd, we will be down to simply 2 boarders. Then on the 7th down to 1. After the 11th we will be down to our own pack.

The crew had a cold but brisk fun filled day. They love the powder snow and we got a light dusting. We were actually hoping for more. I kept forgetting to bring the camera outside as Nathan was away and I was doing cleanup but I did manage to get a few. Hope you enjoy.

PS: Till pups come, we wil be adding puppy/dawg tidbits to help you in getting your dawg to be all they can be on Havanese Life. We will be updating it tonight.

Thursday
Dec312009

It's Way Fun & Crazy Around Here

I am Fiona and they say sometime in February, I am going to have a new beau and have more puppies. My human mom and dad was going to wait but my new boyfriend is getting the snip, snip so it's Feb/March or never. ROFL That means I could be having pups at the beginning of the summer. Maybe they will swim?

Well, we are having a great time around here. Unfortunately, Fred went home and so did Zack, Coco, Holly and Missy. But Remy came and he's way fun too! Check out today's photos.

We are ringing in the New Year's with a few pals that really know how to have fun. It's wet. That crazy human keeps brushing us and we are hoping for white stuff tomorrow.

We had a roaring great game of retrieve and as you will see, Benny came in from his walk soaking wet and then one after another wet, wet, wet. Ah - but it was fun....

Hope you all ring in the New Year right. We are doing it right with the dawgs. May 2010 be a better year for us all...

Hugs to all the Havanese and dawgs all over the world. They deserve hugs and kisses!

CU next year (tomorrow)

Wednesday
Dec302009

Fred Goes Home

Fred had a bath as he is going home tonight.

I at first put him on a ringside table but that was futile and just waited after he played a bit and he just decided to lay down. Sometimes if you want a photo with dawgs you simply have to wait and have the camera ready.

Fred is such a good boy. He will be missed greatly.

It's warmed up a bit so the dawgs have been able to play up a storm outside. I have been washing/grooming so Nathan got to be out with the dawgs taking pictures and enjoying them.

Tomorrow we have 4 dogs going home and 1 coming to stay for a few days (Remy). Remy is a regular and we are looking forward to seeing him again.

We will add a link to the photos of today - when I find the time to resize them. We shoot raw very large so it's not so simple as just upload but this also allows us to have quality that we could print. Here they are.... Nathan was the photographer today while I did a number of bathings. It's a team effort.

The crew is busy having fun. Fred, I am sure is enjoying his humans and 4 more go home tomorrow...sniff sniff...

Monday
Dec282009

Cold Alert

We are under a cold winter alert and as we walked dawgs, we could feel it was coming on. Feet was starting to lift. It's way too cold to have your dawgs out for any length of time except a quick pee break. Please be careful when bringing your dawgs out in this cold - short visits only.

We had a real busy day today. All the dawgs have been playing well but I think they want the outside to more of a degree than they are getting so we are playing retrieve and all sorts of fun games inside just to expel some energy.

They are also playing with each other. Tomorrow Nathan has to take Terra in for her rehab then take 4 dogs in for eye tests - our usual that we do on all breeding dawgs.

Mia went home today so no puppy snuggle time with her. But Holly gives amazing snuggles so I rather like that!

Relationships are going strong. The dawgs are enjoying each other. Check out some photos from today, here.

Abigail and Wasabi are being bred. Hoping for puppies in late February, early March. Fiona we are hoping to come into heat in February and due to who we are mating her with, we will be doing so in February/March. This particular male we really want to use won't be available after that. So - puppies - puppies and puppies then a break. :-) If all works out - it's going to be a really fun filled puppy house around this place. Can you imagine?

PS: Remy is coming for New Years and we have several of our dawgs that are boarding going home before the New Year to celebrate at home. We are going to miss them - BIGTIME!

Saturday
Dec262009

Just a Few Photos of Today


No time to do a slide show today. We are having way too much fun. But here is a highlight. Louis just came tonight and Louis is a regular and we just adore him. We also appreciate the wine and chocolates - yum! Louis is having a great time.


Cocoa is Zack's pack mate. they live together and you can surely tell. They play as if they love each other and you can tell. Cocoa also plays with the rest of the crew but truly enjoys Nathan and Zack above all else.


Zack lives with Cocoa and is a party boy. He just loves all of the dawgs. If you are wiling to play - well he's your guy.


Fred adores playing with everyone and tends to like the gals the best. Sure he plays with the boys but those gals - well they smell nice. hahahaha


The crew got wet and more wet and was brushed and dried and brushed and dried as it has been raining non stop here. Now do you understand the lack of the slide show? Besides, the dawgs are priority - don't you think? Here a couple are snoozing after hard play.


Oh my - well Bailey found mud. She was so delighted it was so funny. She went under our Japanese Maple and ran like a banshee and got so muddy, it was unreal. Yes, we cleaned her up. But I know what floats her boat now more than anything.


Cesar is another party boy who plays nonstop with all takers. He is up and down the stairs outside, in out below ground patio, across the pool, under the deck - anything that gets those guys chasing him and he loves it.


So, can we come in - go out, come in - go out? Who cares if that crazy human has to clean us up. We LOVE this game.


Missy came this afternoon with her packmate Holly who is a little puppy gal who you can see playing with Treasure on Talemaker Puppy Life . She's not one of ours but we highlighted her on our puppy pages. Missy has been here before and makes herself at home. She jumps up and down on everything with ease and surely remembers most of the crew and shows it.

If I forgot someone - sorry but it's been a dawg wet day. Hope you understand. More tomorrow.

Wednesday
Dec232009

Exciting Day Today!

First thing this morning, Fred came to visit. I was busy grooming dawgs so when I was done the crew, Fred went up on the table and got a thorough brushing and complete comb out. I groom the crew daily - visitors and my own crew.

I like a knot free dawg and the dawgs seem to like that too. Though some like grooming more than others - they do like the hugs, snuggles and kisses but most of all the treat at the end.

Late today Zack and Cocoa came. Their grooming comes before they head to bed. We had play and walks - yep they all walked and puppies visiting. We had a full day of play and fun.

Check out some of the photos from today and if you want to see more, soon I will be posting puppy pics on Havanese Life.

Fred fits in really well - playing with all but really loves playing with Bailey and Cesar. They muck it up bigtime.

Zack and Cocoa are hanging out and playing with Abigail, Fiona an Risa.

What a full day we have.

Due to Wasabi being in heat, we are splitting up the crew. Some will be sleeping with Nathan and some with me. Usually we are in the same room but she's being bred to someone other than Kat so it is what it is. We are hoping this brings in Abigail. Miss Abs will be bred to Kat. It's starting to look that way...stay tuned.

Ah..the life of crazy dawg breeders that love the dawgs and thank gad the humans share this passion as it is way crazy!

More tomorrow.

Saturday
Dec192009

Wow Such Fun Indeed!

Who do we have here today...well Saki and Missy.

We also have Bailey who came yesterday and Max who came today and Cesar who has been here for awhile.

The crew is really meshing and playing well.

Bailey was hesitant her first night but she slept next to me in her bed with her head nudging mine. It was so sweet. She also hung out on my lap and got the lay of the land but today - well she is playing up a storm. With whom? Max, Cesar, Fiona (she really likes Fiona), Abigail and Kat.

Cesar has become way comfie and eats in his shiny bowl daily. He is a regular play monster and has decided if you are not playing - well I will get you to.

Max is playing with Cesar and Bailey tonight or maybe refereeing. Missy is also getting into the fun. The night has just begun!

The crew has been on walks - outside and inside a million and a half times and yes we go out with them. How do you think we get these pictures and besides who would want to miss the moments - not I.

If you want to see a glimpse of today, check out these photos.

Thursday
Dec172009

Slow Conditioning

Cesar's human parents told us that Cesar had an issue with shiny bowls. He simply didn't like them and wouldn't eat from them. Each dog tends to have quirks about different things but you can get them by it by slow conditioning.

Our golden saw a raccoon in our pool house up in the rafters one year and for eons had a moment of - looking up and worrying if it was going to come back. She's past it now but that was due to persistence.

I tend to believe we - all humans and dawgs have our own fears and we tend to be proactive about getting our dawgs past them. No one should be a prisoner of their own fears.

Cesar has no issues with anything else - a rather brave and happy soul but all dogs have something. That you haven't seen it only means you haven't been exposed to it yet. It can be as simple as that silly moving Christmas figurine that you see on your walks or the paper flying through the air or the garage door etc. But instead of avoiding, you should do slow conditioning. You do not saturate but you play a slow game of exposure till it's just part of their lives and that fear goes away.

We only fear what we do not know.

As you can see, Cesar is eating from a shiny bowl on day 5. He absolutely reacted that first day so out came a ceramic bowl and no issue. We didn't force the issue but just exposed. Each day Nathan surrounded him with the bowls and fed each dog closer and closer to him till today when he put his own shiny bowl down, Cesar ate without a single concern.

It is NORMAL for canines and humans to have fears. It's the use of slow conditioning that gets us by them.

Cesar and Daisy are wonderful dawgs. Although Daisy thinks she must play at the witching hour and pounces on my chest to play and lick my face, she's learning - it's not 6am yet.

Cesar uses a crate at night per a request from his owners and willingly goes into it to sleep. Daisy sleeps on the bed as that is what she does at home. All of our dawgs except the Golden's sleep on the bed including the visitors except when requested otherwise.

It was great to have a sea of dawgs keeping us warm. Even though we have the house much warmer than some of our friends with their open window - tsk tsk, it was way cold last night despite the furnace kicking in so the body hugs was nice!

Last night we had Missy and Holly's parents come to visit. Missy has boarded with us before and she is one of the most agile dawgs next to Gidget, Louis and Wasabi that we ever did see.


She hasn't been here for quite sometime so we did the one on one with her and her pack mate sister Holly. We do not believe in starting a visit with the dawgs being overwhelmed but feel a slow conditioning - 1 at a time introduction is a must even with dawgs that have come here before and aren't the partying types.

There are few that are the life of the party and relishes the crowd from the onset like Teddy.

Oh, they all get to be as the visit goes on but each has their own comfort zone and timetable. I don't like being immersed in a sea of strangers at a party though Nathan would have no issue with it. Each of us are different and that's a good thing.

We also gain our comfort levels being exposed to other people's (dawgs) strengths.

It doesn't make us better or worse - just unique. Think if we were all the same how B-O-R-I-N-G that would be.

Here's a photo of Holly who seems to be quite okay with the activity at Talemaker. She's in for a treat when she comes visit us. She's a tiny thing so we will be using our sweaters on her - watching her carefully to make sure it's not too cold for her and doing the same with the older set.

This morning it was too cold for the older crew to be out beyond 5 minutes at a time so we go out with them many times throughout the day and hopefully it will be warm enough today around noon to get a walk in. There are those rare moments where it is simply too cold to do just that and safety is more of a concern so we instead play games in the house - all sorts of silly games and the dawgs get tuckered out despite the lack of a chunk of outside play at a time.

People tell us all the time that their dawgs go home and almost sleep for 2 days. Why? They have such a jam packed vacation with us filled with fun that they need to regroup from the holiday. I am sure you humans know what that means. Unless your holiday takes you to a beach where you do nothing but lay around - if you are sight seeing etc. and doing biking, trekking etc - you come home - and then say - ah - it's good to be home - even though that holiday was AMAZING, I need to relax and enjoy home. Your canines do the same thing.

So, just because your dawgs are having the time of their life, they are so thrilled to see you and need that down time till the next time.

Stay warm folks - it's very cold out today. Pay attention to your dawgs feet - their bodies and bring them in when they are cold even if it's after 5 minutes.

Wednesday
Dec162009

How To Have Fun in the Snow

Snow was melting and now it's flying again. Some Havanese love the snow - a few have to get accustomed to it. It really has more to do with how you tackle it. Most find it an intoxicating and delightful - invigorating.

Kat (our boy in this photo) is one of these dogs that loves the snow, the rain the pool - just bring it on. Shoshi loves the snow but rain - sniff sniff - got to coax her out the door and we do.

She's getting better as she has no choice.

So, how do you have fun in the snow with your little one? You have to find your inner child if you are an adult or get your kids/grand kids to enjoy and you click away and take photos.

This is some of the ideas we have:

1. Make snow balls and throw them. It's a riot when they jump up to catch them and they just fall apart. They seem to enjoy it so it's not a strange sense if humour thing I have going but rather something you can enjoy together. They can also smash their prize in their mouth till you create another.

2. Create snow angels. You of course get on the ground and they will think it's an invitation to play.

3. Create snow paths to run in.

4. If you have a bench, dig out the area under the bench to allow hiding spots. This can be done with many things. They adore hiding, jumping out and playing.

5. Create a snowman big and small so your dawgs are exposed to them and when they see them in the neighbourhood - it's no big thing. Try to get them to help you and be creative!

Can you think of anything else? Then fill us in. We personally run through our paths and have a grand time with ours playing retrieve and much more.

We just got back from walking the dogs and our visitors are a delight to walk but getting mucked up from the sand out there that the city puts on teh walkways. Both Daisy and Cesar really enjoy the daily walks and we manage to mix it up having them walk with a different dog each time. That too you can do in the snow - after the sidewalks are shovelled?

PS: Even our visitors now are coming to stand in line for their grooming. I groom them daily to make sure they don't have any knots but you can't tell always as my sessions are always in the morning and by the time the day rolls by - well they have mucked it up big time and that's quite okay too. That's what dawgs having fun are supposed to do.

More tomorrow.

Tuesday
Dec152009

Crazy Dawg Livin'

We have had exciting times at Talemaker Havanese. Cesar and Daisy are visiting. Daisy will be going home late this week. Her mom is dealing with the mega flu. We hope she is starting to feel better. Friday Bailey, Max and Missy come and on Saturday Saki comes for a morning visit.

Exciting times for sure!!

Cesar is becoming a play monster especially with Daisy and Treasure in the mix. Both are playing wonderfully - eating well - walking well and enjoying many games of - who can get the duck first.

The weather is cool but comfie enough that we have flakes and can still enjoy the outside.

The pool cover has become semi-slushy so grooming is a more than daily thing.

Our day starts with play outside at 6 to 630am then breakfast, then outside play and then retrieve and then grooming where they all stand in line waiting for their turn - honest they do. Why? I am gentle - they get extra hugs and snuggles and a treat at the end.

We had one of our puppy owners over the other day and she was surprised that they were standing in line waiting their turn. That sort of stuff comes with making the experience fun and that treat at the end.

Take a peek at the photos of our crew - visitors and our own. I should have taken the one last night of Nathan draped with dawgs from one end of him to the other while we watched TV or draped all over me and him in bed but who would take a photo of THAT?

Sunday
Dec132009

Nathan's School of Thought

For five weeks, Terra, the younger of our two Golden Retriever’s, has been recovering from cruciate surgery.

For five weeks she has been in rehab. That means we have been diligently massaging her foot, leg, knee, thigh and hip, doing repetitive motion exercises to her knee, initially doing ice packs to reduce the swelling and then hot packs prior to exercise.

Once a week she goes to a rehab center over an hour drive from here for underwater treadmill therapy which is excellent for building muscle tone and helping her knee to strengthen and repair itself. Back at home she walks a few times a day around the block, goes up hill and down on gradual inclines, practices standing and sitting to work the muscles, and goes up and down the stairs outside.

Two days ago we finally allowed her to go up and down the stairs inside from the first to the second floor again.

For the past five weeks I’ve been carrying her up and down that flight so I’m glad we’ve reached this point. In approximately three weeks she goes back in for surgery on the right knee providing that the left knee has healed properly, hence the diligence. How much effort we put into her rehab will affect the quality of the rest of her life especially now that we’ve learned she has grade 4 hip dysplasia.

Terra will be seven years old next month. It is this kind of avoidable genetic health issue that really upsets me as it should upset anyone.

In truth, Terra’s sire and dam, in my opinion, should never have been used for breeding but it may have been a fluke and flukes unfortunately happen. Why in a sea of kidney issues on both sides of my family am I the only one without an issue?

Thankfully we do not have this issue with any of our Havanese and hopefully never will. It is certain that we’d never leave a dog in our breeding program that could produce a pup that would blow both knees and have such bad hips.

In comparison, our male Havanese, Kat, has hips tested and rated “excellent” by OFA, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. Kat’s littermate, Kemi, also has hips rated excellent. So this is not something that we worry about in our lines of Havanese but clearly this is something that the Breeder from whom we got the Golden should take into consideration.

When you are interested in owning a new puppy and you call around to various Breeders, something we do recommend, you will find different prices. Please understand the age old axiom, you get what you pay for. If something seems too cheap, it probably is. Ask what health testing has been done to the sire and damn and any other members of the same breeding line. Don’t be shy. This is important. The few dollars you think you are saving today can come back and smack you in the head down the road.

I’m off to show Kat in Orangeville. As always Darlah has done a wonderful job bathing and grooming him. Now I need to do my end and show him or allow him to show himself. If you are in the area come to Orangeville this afternoon and watch Kat strut his stuff.

Nathan

PS: Be careful out there. It's icy rain in these parts. Your Havanese can also damage their legs by slipping and sliding. It's not only genetics that can play a part.

Saturday
Dec122009

Time With Friends/Family

Good friends - dawgs, family - what more do you want...well okay there is more but today we got lost in this and it was a great adventure.

We tend to get lost in the dawgs all the time.

PS: We have a puppy coming tomorrow for boarding. Are we excited or what! Of course KitKat will go home and she wil be missed but puppy fun is still in our lives. How lucky we are!

Treasure just had an amazing amount of time today and one would swear she was posing in all sorts of model stances.

She makes it fun to capture the moments.

KitKat also was exposed to Yvonne's crew for the first time and we got to enjoy her 6 week puppy who is still available to that truly special home. This pup is delicious. She's bold and fun. She reminds me of our litters of late and she has such hair - thick and curly.

Check out the slide show below if you want to see her play with KitKat.

Now we are wondering how we ever gave up any of them. :-)

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Yvonnes_6week_pup
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Thursday
Dec102009

Nathan Uses the Camera

I don't take all of the photos. Nathan dabbles too. More and more he is trying out his own fantastic artistic flair just like you can with your own camera. Check out his photos below of what he took today.

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It's rather cold outside and you should be taking that extra hair out of their paws. It took me till 8pm last night to get the dawgs all combed out perfectly.

Tomorrow Nathan is at a show. I am staying home and I get a visit from KitKat for the weekend. We are off to visit Yvonne on Saturday. She's crazy as she said bring them all but I am not sure about that. We shall see. This week Chanukah begins and we want to make sure all those that celebrate enjoy the moments.

Nathan took all the dawgs for a walk and it's truly icy. Consider being extra careful or playing inside games for the most part. You should play outside daily but there are days...

I need to get Kat washed up and Treasure washed up. Treasure is starting to mat - which is a clear sign she needs a washing. Kat needs to get ready tonight for the show tomorrow as he leaves real early.

Take your camera out and take photos of your Havanese. Do send them to us. We may be able to use them in next year's calendar. Plus - we love seeing what you are up to as it gives us ideas what to do with ours. Together we can be more.

Wednesday
Dec092009

First True Snowstorm of '09

Well, I woke up to snow - took the crew out without jackets and went oh oh but it was fine. It wasn't shovelled yet but Nathan started doing that and Dennis finished the back. I haven't looked at the front.

After my Tony Horton p90x (2nd day) for my mind and body, we got the jackets out and I first took Risa and Kat for a walk. You will see the photos below and what worked in the way of jackets and what didn't and why.

I truly tried to laugh at it all! Poor Treasured - oh the Treasured one!

PS: We are offering daycare and boarding. The dawgs have a real blast and so do we!

Check it out below or click here to see a larger view.


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Monday
Dec072009

Hey It's Snowing!!!

Wasabi says, can you believe this?

The snow is here and now these crazy humans will have to dig out paths so we can whip around the backyard like the crazy Talemaker dawgs that we are.

Okay, it's not snowing THAT much but they say it's coming.

Mommy vowed to outdo herself with the paths this year as she needs the exercise.

Maybe she will even do one across the pool cover or maybe that crazy Daddy will do it as he is the one that walks all over it like us.

Treasure and Daisy didn't care that the temperature was dropping like a lead balloon.

All the dawgs went on their usual walk with enthusiasm without a thing on them except Fiona who is 9 lbs soaking wet and needs the coverage and the humans - well that Mom who had a sweat shirt, hat, coat down to the ground - well it looks that way and a hat and gloves. One would think it's hardcore winter already.

A good tip is get some Bag Balm and use it on our pads. It will prevent any cracking and soothe the bottom of our feet.

When we get cold we shake and we lift our feet often one at a time to tell you our feet are hurting from the cold. If this happens, pick us up. If we are a wee pup, put us in your coat, warm us up. Get the snow out from between our pads and let us walk again.

For many of you, it will be your first winter and oh boy are you in for some great wet fun.

We want to see photos, videos and anything else you can share.

Holidays are coming soon and we have Cesar coming this Sunday and a few more visitors after Christmas. Are we going to have fun or what. That human will have the video and camera going non stop. Hope you will too.