Havanese Play

Tia is visiting and she has been having a ton of fun with Treasure, Shoshi and Abigail. Yep, Abigail is back playing up a storm again and it is so nice to see.

This is a repeat visit for Tia and she fits in here so well. She gets her snuggles, her play and even doesn't mind the daily grooming.

Her mom suggested I wash her early as she was a tad dirty but I just used a waterless bath. This way when she goes home, she will be fresh and snuggable.

Saki comes tomorrow so I bet these two will play up a storm. Then Daisy will be coming before this duo goes home so it will be a real fun Sunday for sure.

It's been quiet enough for what seems too long. Catch the action this weekend here. We wil be telling you all about it!

Havanese Hair Tips Video

 Treasure was bathed today and we took a video of it. It's a bloody half hour video. My apologies but if you are interested, we will be uploading it. I only show one method with various tips that I have learned. Realize there are other ways to take care of a long coat too but I tried to show you what I do for her hair. Sometimes I mix it up with her and use various products and methods including Show Sheen in the tub but now to find a site that can handle the size.

Our puppy owners will have to get it burned on DVD. :-) .

Tia is visiting us tomorrow again. We are so excited. Watch for news on the video tomorrow.

More Photos Added to Archie's Gallery

We got some more photos in Archie's gallery that show movement and his fun nature. Check them out.

Havanese Archie Comes to Visit

This is Archie's first visit for daycare and he has been playing with Abigail, Treasure and Fiona. He has also got acquainted with the puppies but he's not totally sure what to make of them when they run in unison around him wanting to play.

He's sniffed and touch noses but as most larger dogs are that haven't had experience with the real small set, he is doing a wait and watch and see.

If you want to see what he is doing today, check out today's photos that I uploaded so his parents could see that he's truly enjoying his time here.

Look here.

Bad Hair Day: Havanese Mothers

We love our Abigail. But puppies really wreck havoc on ones hair. That's okay. It will grow back.

If you want to see a larger photo of Abigail, just click on the photo.

Today I meant to wash Treasure but it looks like I will do that on Tuesday and I will try to take a video so you can see how I groom.

Now this depends on how well Nathan can video tape me or rather Treasure. If he/I find the time. The goal is to show you how I take knots out and wash and blow dry. We will see if I can actually turn this into a reality. I promise not to brush her tomorrow in hopes I have some knots to work with. Her hair is rather dirty so maybe this siesta from grooming on just her will work. Tuesday will tell.

Today was rather gloomy but we got to go out and about.

Tomorrow we have Archie coming for the day for daycare. We are looking forward to it. More tomorrow.

I think we are going to have rain...

Cold Outside

We are in a lull here. We do not have any visitors until Feb 5th when the Milo and Hugo comes to visit for the day. We can't wait.

We just hope Abigail gets over her morning sickness by then. Poor Abs...so she is getting fed gourmet, hand fed and selected by Nathan and Wasabi is saying what is THAT about - hey I was bred too but she doesn't get morning sickness. She did her first time and this is Abs first time.

Two of our dawgs are going in for their cerf tests. We did a bunch in December and we spread them out so we are not doing an all day marathon.

It's still mighty cold outside but midweek we are supposed to see some warmer weather. The dirt and salt is mighty thick outside so I wish it would snow. The dawgs hate it between their feet. Who could blame them. Can you imagine salt and sandy grit stuck between your toes and no ability to get it out without human intervention or your mouth? heh

Now visualize THAT folks.

Havanese Roll in the...

There's nothing like a roll on your back to scratch it. I wonder if that would work for us?

Dogs do all sorts of silly things that you wonder if you duplicated their manner, if there is really something simply common sense about it.

I know - rather silly but sometimes my mind wonders such things. I must be so immersed in dogs that I am losing it but what a grand way to lose it, I say!

Today we had our usual grooming session. Emma, the golden that stayed with us went home. It was fun to have a golden stay with us. We had a visitor that wanted to introduce their dog to ours before it came to stay and Abigail still remains with an upset tummy.

It's cold and it's Sunday and Kat had a bath. What about YOU?

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!

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.

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'.

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!

Let the Fun Never Stop

When it snows, the dawgs really find their sense of true play. It's fun to watch.

Today I took some of the dawgs for a walk and our son took the rest. While I was walking Shoshi and Risa, I watched them do snow dives - yes snow dives where they jump head first into the snow then they roll back and forth with great glee.

I remember when our kids was young I was caught in a blizzard with them at a hotel. I had the sense to get off the PA turnpike with all the kids in tow. Nathan was at home. I was being my more adventurous self visiting our daughter in Leesburg, Va. (She now lives in Toronto) where they never have blizzards...yeah right. We were stuck at the hotel for days and people were sleeping in the hallways. Well, we went out that first day and we did snow dives - yes even me. I taught the kids to do it and they laughed and laughed and so did I.

I didn't teach the Havanese. They do it naturally. It's that fun that we seem to lose as we get older but the Havanese allow us to relish their own sense of play and somehow remember when we played with our own abandonment. We either live through our Havanese and their sense of play or they allow us to capture it again. Who knows - I may do snow dives yet this year. Will you?

Jazzy is visiting us. He's an absolute delight and is enjoying a quieter house. We still had a number of dawgs yesterday and 3 more are supposed to go home today. Oreo went this morning. Benny's owners plane is delayed and so was Louis. We just heard Louis will be picked up tonight and the verdict is out with Benny. After Benny and Louis leave, we will have Cesar (nickname party guy) till the 7th and Jazzy till the 11th.

It's been a way busy holiday season but I have to say we absolutely loved having the dawgs even with all the walks and grooming. The snuggles and the cuddles made it a delight. Just imagine a sea of dawgs keeping you warm.

During this time Wasabi and Abigail was bred in hopes for pups to go home in spring pups. It's been a really exciting holiday and it starts again during March Break but usually not as busy as March break really is different for everyone - expanding from March to April. But people are booking already. If you need a fun time for your dawg while you laze away somewhere cold or warm, let us know. Your dawg deserves a holiday too. :-)

We really miss the activity and all the dawgs. It's almost quiet - well quieter.

Check out today's photos.

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.

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)

Such a Character Pup & Today's Events

Our good friends Yvonne and Alex have a puppy for sale available to a great home a week from Thursday.

They fondly call her Twiggy and she is 9 weeks old on Thursday. Born October 29/09 and she is getting her 1st shots & chip tomorrow and BAER on the 7th. Lola is the dam and Rowdy is the sire.

She's sold now and has a new name - Jazzy!

Well, today was way cold. It was hard to get good photos from today. Between me chattering, the dawgs were lifting up their paws so it was a quick out and in. The little puppy we have boarding - well we put her on the pad. It was that cold. brrrr...
This is a few photos from today.

It was a busy day today. Nathan took Terra in for rehab then took 4 dogs in for cerf this afternoon. Cerf is the eye exam. All passed.

Benny came to stay for a few days and Fred is going home tomorrow. We will miss him big time. Then Remy comes for a New Year's visit. Then on the 31st, we send a number of dogs home just in time to spend New Year's with their owners. By the 3rd, it will be downright quiet around here with only 2 visitors.

I tell you, there is nothing like snuggling with a bunch of Havanese. It's a little slice of heaven.

I am just hoping it warms up some as walks are for short stints and playtime outside is shortened. Here's to snow and warmer weather. Is that possible?

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!

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.

What a Day & Night

The day started out early with Nathan going down to get Val and her TT and Bichon and Havanese. The Havanese, Kit Kat was coming for a visit and her Bichon and TT was going to the vets with Nathan who had to take Terra for her standing Tuesday rehab visit.

Yesterday Nathan thought he had flooded the van and I told Yvonne about it but it started fine today She was coming in for a doctor's appointment and I offered to watch her 4 Havanese and her puppy who is a cutie and still available - almost ready to go to a new home.

Well, I had Kit Kat and Bailey one of our visitors was not too crazy about this miniature Havanese. Kit Kat never bothered her but something about her - well Bailey wasn't crazy about so, I tend to expose the dawgs slowly when they have a reaction like that. I placed Bailey up high with me while I groomed all the dawgs. I do this daily. They may not look that way midstream but I feel better that they are knot free. I then washed Fiona as she was getting cut down due to the puppies mangling her hair.

Then Yvonne called to ask if the van was okay and I said call Nathan. I am glad she did. She came by the vets, picked up Val and the dawgs to bring them here and Nathan waited for CAA.

While Nathan was waiting for a tow truck in lovely Colborne, Yvonne dropped off her dawgs including a puppy and Val with her TT and her Bichon.

It was a sea of dawgs here and Bailey eventually adjusted and so did Cesar who looked around and I swear was counting.

The dawgs played and played. Check out the photos from today, here.

The car's in the shop. Nathan is tuckered out - me too and so are the dawgs. It's 9:30 at night and I am typing away.

Tomorrow brings Fred, Zack and Coco and the 4 Fiona pups will be coming for a short visit in the afternoon. What fun tomorrow brings.

Off to snuggle and play with the crew. I need it!

Christmas & New Year's Eve Safety

As you know by now, everything new, shiny, crinkly or with an interesting smell, will at some point or another attract the interest of your Havanese.

Try to imagine Christmas or New Year's Eve from a dawg's point of view. Furniture is moved around to make room for the tree or accommodate guests. Decorations are on display.

All sorts of people are coming and going and some are even sleeping over. There are sounds that are unfamiliar and you are busier than usual.

PS: We know this as our two sons have come and gone back to school.

How do you both cope?

Stay calm. You can get stressed out during the holidays, and your Havanese picks up on your stress. He looks to you as the alpha leader. If you are calm, he is calm.

Make sure you spend quality time with your Havanese. A bored dawg can equal trouble. It's not that your dawg intends on creating trouble but if you are too busy, well there are things to do and places to be that maybe your Havanese shouldn't. Some of those can be toxic or deadly.

Play with your dog before your party. If you tire him out, he’ll be too tired to get into any mischief when your guests arrive. If that is not possible, hire a dog walker or take him to doggie daycare.

Try not to use toothpicks for hors d’oeurves because your Havanese can eat the toothpicks if they are dropped on the floor and they can get stuck in his throat or puncture his internal organs.

Be especially careful opening your front door when you are greeting guests and also with delivery people so your dog doesn’t dash out.

Block off your Xmas tree or place it on a table. Keeping the water, tinsel, lights and bulbs away from your Havanese is important. As an extra protection, Keep your dawg from drinking the water by covering the tree basin with a tree skirt.

Ask your guests not to feed your dog or let him drink any of their drinks.

To prevent your dog from knocking over your holiday tree, anchor it with cord or wire to the ceiling directly above the tree's trunk. Don't attach it with wire to a wall behind the tree because your dog could get caught in the wire if be darts behind the tree.

Hang your ornaments with ribbons rather than hooks to keep your dog from accidentally swallowing something that could get lodged in his throat.

Do not use tinsel or angel hair on your tree. Angel hair, made of glass fiber, and tinsel, made of metal, can cause internal damage if your dog swallows any.

There are so many other safety tips I could cover but use your common sense. Our Havanese are precious beings that deserve that extra attention to safety that you should give. They also deserve quality time.

We, at Talemaker Havanese hope you have a safe an amazing Christmas and Happy New Year.

Our celebrations will be entirely dawg related with family, friends and visitors alike but it's as usual in this house where the dawgs count!

We have had a full day with Bailey playing heavily with Cesar, Abigail, Fiona and Treasure and Cesar playing with everyone. Tomorrow we have many dawgie guests just for the day. Kit Kat is coming while Nathan and her owner goes to the vet, Yvonne and crew will be coming while she goes to the doctor. Full house indeed but then they will be gone by mid afternoon.

Watch for photos tomorrow after our busy day is done. I am truly adoring watching and playing with the dawgs. It's a slice of heaven - I tell you!