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
Friends & Associates
Blog Archive
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 nathan potechin (127)

Tuesday
Nov202007

Wasabi's Havanese in Toronto Pups Video



We hope you enjoy it! Now the furry crew is off to bed and human mom too!

Tuesday
Nov202007

Havanese Non Stop Fun

My pups had nonstop fun and thanks to a Havanese friend of human mom's - Maureen who gave her the idea they got a new cat toy in the mail today and here it is. Here they are trying to catch that ball and boy did they have fun. Even the adult Havanese had a roaring good time with it.

We had a really full day today. We are increasing our eating from our dish, drinking or is that playing in water. Well, hey human mom you were the one that introduced them to that bath and water - tsk tsk!

We also had a play session out in the kitchen that was a roaring good time. We are going to try to get a new video up tonight or tomorrow.

All my pups are now 2lbs even or over but all under 3lbs. They are 5 weeks and 4 days tonight. We have our vet visit for shots, microchip and wellness set up for December 4th. Human daddy has to make a baer appointment to make sure we can all hear well but there's no doubt with that the way they react now. They hear everything and seem very curious about all sorts of noises including the vacuum cleaner, the door bell that rings and they even reacted to the crew barking when someone rang the door bell today. It wasn't a bad reaction but a cock of the head and a run to the edge of the xpen to see what was going on. My crew wants to see everything that is going on.

Well, they are all sleeping after the kitchen play. We will try to get a video up soon. Look for it.

Snuggles and nail clipping and tomorrow we are going to try combing hair with a baby comb to get them used to being brushed and combed. We will see how we do about that. Human mommy is looking forward to that as it gives her one on one time. She rather likes that!

Monday
Nov192007

Havanese Thoughts to Ponder

How many pups can you count enjoying their play?

A wise person said - "He never bit anyone, which is more than you can say for most of us." The dogs are getting teeth and I - Wasabi are starting to correct them and so are the humans by saying yeoch in a louder voice and they are catching on FAST.

Another wise person said... "People love their dogs." "People have the relationship with their dog that they expected to have with their spouses or their kids. Dogs never stab you in the back, probably because they don't have opposable thumbs. And they lick your face when you cry. You can't say that of anyone else. Nor would you want to."

Wasabi says: My pups are now at the age where they are licking your face, running to you when you near the x-pen, playing joyfully even with the other Havanese but when they try to feed off the other Havanese, well they are correcting them . We must do a video as soon as time allows.

We had a rather full weekend and are trying to wind down from that. Life is amazing with the little ones, human daddy says but they now need an x-pen upstairs vs. a whelping box. Although some of us a a tad under 2lb and some a tad over 2 lbs - we feel the need to spread out unlike Risa's crew. No one stays out of the play these days and all are highly curious. We change the environment to slowly condition them to feel comfort in change. This makes it easier when they go to their new homes. We are also walking them around the house, getting them used to water running on them if they need a bit of cleanup and praising them when they hit the pee pad.

More later...and look for a video soon!

Friday
Nov162007

Havanese Feeding Frenzy Time

Sorry we are so late in filling you in today. We have had lots of visitors and they are still here. So, today will be a tad short. My puppies are crawling all over me and get so excited to see me but they are now really entertaining themselves.

My littlest masked dog can often be seen on top of one dog or another playing his heart out wrestling and the white one - who happens to be a major snuggler crawls into my neck and settles in. He's been doing that since he was born. Nice....

More on the crew tomorrow...

Thursday
Nov152007

Havanese Wasabi Says It's Daddy's Turn

Here's human daddy hanging out with the one that has a half mustache like me. He's getting way cute as his hair comes in and he is one of the litter that hits that pee pad consistently. His play is creative where you can often find him under a blanket with the blanket going up and down and he loves tunnels, carrying cases and independent play but he also likes to play with the rest of the crew. He just seems to enjoy his own play thoroughly as well. What that means is he can find ways to entertain himself. We are really pleased with this ones personality. Each are different and unique in their own ways. Each have their own unique personalities.

My daddy was having fun trying to get my crew to eat from our round dish. Boy I (Wasabi) likes to clean up after that mess. Lick, lick - yum, yum. Goats milk - oh boy!

Another character (we only have a couple that are quiet but still playful so far) is the one we call Tux. He just has no fear about anything so far and just runs through the tunnels. When he isn't doing that, he is hanging out on his back swatting a fish - yeah a fish. We will put a video of it up as soon as human mommy gets her act together. We would love to count on her but she tells me work and sleep somehow count too - hahahaha!

Hey, we played in the tub today with mommy and had our first bath. We loved playing in the water, wasn't crazy over the shampoo but loved the blow drying and massages she gave us. So, we got to follow human mommy's rule of thumb - always end on a good note to make the memories a good one.

Here's a video of Tuxedo playing...

Wednesday
Nov142007

Havanese Puppy X-Pen Play Time

There goes that mommy again, crawling in and laying down in the x-pen to play with my pups. She can't help herself.

'Would you be able to?'

From one, to another till she is at the last one - they all get their snuggles and me time around here and if that's not enough, then daddy, and Jonathan and Dennis have to climb in.

One great thing is mommy really takes care of me when I feed the little ones. She often puts a soft blanket under my head so I am comfortable and strokes my head and back. She really takes care of me but everyone loves the doggies around this place and hey - how could they not. We make them laugh, feel good and we tend to complete the house they say!

Then this weekend we have more visitors and a bonus, grandpa is also coming to visit and he LOVES doggies. Good thing around this place.

Also, the grand kids are coming and they just ADORE us. It's going to be a fun socialization weekend for us. Socialization in small doses is important as it helps us to be all we can be.

Okay, mommy - it's my time. They do have to eat, you know - and sleep too. Oh, you haven't finished?

Now if that wasn't enough, mommy decided to put on a mini jacket that she had for Shoshi when she first got here and place it on our mostly white pup.

You can't see it in this photo but it's way too big. He's going to have to grow into it but we think this will be his coat as it's an easy on/easy off and Shoshi never wore it cause after all, she's a girl doggie. This will fit him for a bit till he has to get the next size.

When we have our back yard play sessions - maybe in the snow - am hoping - this will help us stay warm till we get our full coat (our undercoat) in. This is a perfect coat as it's fast to put on, gives freedom of movement and it's toasty warm. We be stylin it and mommy is doing a file that tells about what type of clothes you should look for and why. Look for it soon on our Havanese Stylin' & Toys section. Be sure to send your Havanese in stylish clothing and tell us why you like it. If the photo is a good quality (meaning not hard to visualize), we will add it to our Stylin' section.

Wasabi - yeah me - well I just adore sharing - I honestly do!

Tuesday
Nov132007

Havanese Moms Can Have Fun Too

It's 4 and a half weeks now and I finally went out back and had some roaring good fun with Katsuro. He's been bugging me for weeks to play so, I finally gave in.

Thing is, now mommy is getting that comb and I had to tell her - NOT NOW! It's time to let me in to see my precious babies. I mean - haven't they totally missed the scent of me from leaving their presence? What - they didn't notice, you say? Please...no white fibs around here, mommy. I am the sun and the moon to them now till they leave the nest and by that time, I will have done a stupendous job.

Oh - you think you are a part of that equation too? Just because they wag their tails and come running....oh okay they run faster for daddy cause he's a totally silly guy but I suppose they get excited to see you too. Heck, some of them just hang out, snooze, dream of fun things to come and not worry about Havanese mommy cavorting all over the yard with that big boy dog.

So, let me in and put that comb away. Oh, and don't forget my massage when you pick it back up. Sometimes you have to deal as I am an adventurous gal and I like the just rolled and shook hair look.

Saturday
Nov102007

Havanese Jammin' Calm Style

Well, folks, this is 4 weeks and 1 half of a day later since birth.

We are all growing and enjoying life. We are playing more and more each day and are really excited to see humans. Our tails wag and we literally try to engage our pack mates and the humans in play.

We have tunnels, a crate and lots of fun things to do in our day time world to help us be all we can be. From time to time, human mom and dad will change the environment and they will be taking us in various rooms on a variety of surfaces so we can be slowly conditioned and not afraid of anything.

Most people don't get to know me as I tend to be in protective mode over my kids. Sure, I am friendly but just want to know why everyone is coming to see my kids.

Human mommy says we have a full house this weekend and we may even see Jazzy's parents - another Havanese that we adore!

Let me tell you a bit about me. My nature is a tad different than Risa. I tend to be a calm dog. I am adventurous, I love tunnels, and playing in a silly manner. Daddy says I flow like poetry in motion. When they have captured me running, I flow amazingly graceful and don't try. It just comes natural. I am very agile and can balance on most anything.

I tell you all so you can get an idea of my pups and what genetic abilities I am apt to pass along. I don't have an aggressive bone in my body but I will protect my pack and my pups but tend to look for solutions. This is called evenly balanced.

Today, I went into this tunnel in our play yard and one of the pups crawled in after me, over me and right out over my head. some moms wouldn't have toleration for such antics but I tend to love deeply and take things in stride. I let things roll off my back or over my back quite literally.

Each pup is showing its strengths on a given day and that changes but personalities are coming out. This one coming out of the tunnel has a mustache on half his face like his mom. as it grows out, it will become stunning. This particular pup is mighty adventurous. He has no issues going through tunnels, under blankets and having a roaring good time. He also has started telling you when he wants to play. But each are different but similar and more on each as photos allow. Be sure to look at snapfish though as we add new photos all the time. Today we are going to try to get a video up but if not today - tomorrow. More later as we have company soon and human mom has to try to eat this garbage she made in the microwave - yuck!

Friday
Nov092007

Playtime is Off to a Great Start

They call this fun? The pups interacting this way is a pure delight to behold. You laugh and laugh says human daddy.

"The pups learn many social rules through play" Wasabi mom says. We learn a great deal about how to interact properly, social status and how to respond to appeasement behavior.

Enough about that, mom - we are plain having fun. Tails are wagging when humans come around. Play sessions are enjoyed and rubbing tummies is a past time we can't get enough of.

Personalities are starting to come out fully. Our rrrrrr purr growling can be heard by all and human mom loves that the best working right next to our x-pen. We find her in the x-pen more than out.

Thursday
Nov082007

One Havanese X-Pen Day Almost Down

Well, it's almost 1 day down in this big x-pen of ours. After our visitors come, well human mommy and daddy are taking us upstairs and then the cleanup begins. They clean it all up only to do it again tomorrow.

Tomorrow night we hit the big 4 weeks old. Wow.

Mommy placed this photo up as the first thing that came to her mind when she saw it was the song - 'stop in the name of love before you break my heart.' But it didn't stop there - but maybe it should have. Silly, silly mommy...

Then the song goes on 'think it over' heh and why these photos came right after each other - well just another Hava-nice day in the Potechin household at Talemaker Havanese. What can I say.

Pups are all snoozing. We are waiting for our visitors and then human mommy is doing a cleanup and as soon as the laundry hits the dryer, she's crawling into bed.

No visitors tomorrow but a very, very busy weekend I am told. Oh - and you know what the best is? We get to see the entire pack now. They all sit outside the pen and watch us as if we are from another planet - heh - well Havanese mommy Wasabi doesn't but....the pack is in - take care of the precious cargo mode and it's nice.

Thursday
Nov082007

Havanese X-Pen First Day Downstairs

Hey - mommy confused me as I thought the crew was coming downstairs tomorrow but here we are in our x-pen and life is grand.

We have a ton of extra space and we are spending our time snoozing or checking the new digs out - digs as in new surroundings.

We are rather busy today as human mommy is showing us the lay of the land and so am I but more later....

Wednesday
Nov072007

Havanese Finding Fun in Toys

My puppies certainly enjoy their toys and human mommy and daddy have a heck of a lot of them so they will be changing them every day when we come downstairs. Most of them like to snuggle and sleep with them. The white one tends to like to sleep with his head up on the railing and tux - the one with most black likes to sleep under the rails without the extra stuff. Will that change as they get older or we move to an x-pen? I am not sure. Time will tell.

For the first time mommy and daddy left the whelping room door open so I could snuggle with them and go back and check on my babies when I felt the need. I am beginning to relax and not worry as much as I know they are safe.

Today I got into the other side of the whelping box away from my pups and they climbed - all right over after me and then I went to the other side and they climbed over again. Something about wanting to feed, I imagine. They are good climbers. It means they are strong and that's a good thang! They all continue to gain. They are all walking and playing and investigating their environment and they love pushing that foam ball around.

Human mommy was weighing them today while she sat on the other side of the box and I came over and laid on her and soon all my pups were feeding and I was laying on mommy so she couldn't move. She thought that was a great experience.

Someone said we got snow yesterday - oh my - mommy will have to get cute jackets for the pups - excuses to dress them and when they are old enough, I will introduce them to that white stuff. Human mommy hasn't even moved everything in yet - silly.

Well, tomorrow we have a couple of people coming to see the pups so mom is deciding if we come down 1 day early to the x-pen or wait till Friday.

More later - human mom has to feed me and her too - and coffee junk too - well for her.

Tuesday
Nov062007

Havanese Full House Today

We had a full house today. Auntie Yvonne and momma Rita came to visit us. It was nice but too short. Human mommy says she has to do something about water pots - work - work - work.

My pups are having fun now playing with each other as you can see but you know what they like to push around? That foam - cheapie ball. Go figure - something that hardly costs anything.

On Friday the pups come down to the x-pen and we are excited - I think. Mommy gets to see them in her office all the time. She mumbled something about having to find the x-pen.

More later...

Monday
Nov052007

A HAVA-NEESE New Day

My puppies adore this doggie that human mommy put in the whelping box. It simulates a dog's heartbeat so my pups like to snuggle with it when I am not available. We bought it from DoggieStyle Petwear where they have a lot of cool dog stuff.

A gal has to go outside, do her duty and look at the big blue rainy, miserable sky - you know. Well, maybe not. I think I will hang out with the pups all day today. ROFL!

Human Mommy was at it with testing the pups but she didn't get to but one today. Busy - busy day but she did get to play with them, change their beds, weigh them and brush and comb me out. Those crazy celebrities are keeping her busy.

Mommy had one of my babies....crawling in this tunnel that she bought at Dine's Boutique (they have some really cool stuff) and he just didn't know which way to go. Much more difficult, at least for this one than the other tunnel but that's a good thing. It will hold their attention longer.

It wasn't until I Wasabi, his Havanese mom looked in the tunnel that he knew which route to go but that's okay. He saw me and life was good. They just smell me and come running these days. This tunnel also crinkles. How fun can that be!

I must have that extra special touch. Can you just hear him saying, oh there you are mom.

Human mommy and daddy are really enjoying how we interact now. It has just truly begun. The faces are getting more defined. The personalities are starting to come out. Life is ever so good. We even get to come downstairs at the end of this week - cool!

Sunday
Nov042007

Havanese Hanging Out on the Rails

Now I have some interesting pups, I might say. My puppies like to climb on the pig rails in my whelping box and sleep there. Thing is, they forget where they are and tend to roll off onto the floor and surprise themselves. None of Risa's last litter did this. Oh, they climbed over to the other side but didn't climb up to hang out on them. It's a Havanese trait you know to climb up on high places and just appear as if we are balancing but usually we are solid. I call this 'High Training' and they have a bit to go. I just ignore them and human mommy can't understand why but I know what they are doing. Silly human mommy - practice makes perfect you know!

My pups have some other interesting things that they do. I swear one purrs like a kitten - yeah you heard it. No, I didn't mate with a Kat - hahahaha for all those that know my packmate's name is Kat - I meant cat but he appears to purrrrrrr just purrrrfectly. I did mate with the stunning AMERICAN/CANADIAN CHAMPION R'Gang's Buster At Rockhurst.

Now some of us tend to spend time under the rails - yeah walking the line. Human mom says - didn't Johnny Cash do that already? Sometimes - whenever mom is charging the cameras - Murphy's law and all - you can see a few walking up against the wall and around the box. Maybe they are looking for an escape route? Next week they get to come downstairs into their x-pen and then the real fun begins.

Friday
Nov022007

Havanese Wasabi's Pup Climb Over

Well, am I in trouble or what?

I have spent my days on the other side of the whelping box as I have 2 sides put together safe from the little ones after I feed them. These little devils are 3 weeks old today and lo and behold 3 of them climbed right over after me.

First was El Blanco Grande and Mommy didn't have the camera ready for him. The next was Tux and she got a photo of him after he hit the floor. Then the one with the mask climbed over then climbed back as I tried to fool him by jumping on the other side. It didn't work with this one. Me thinks he might be the best climber of all as he climbed one way at me then back after me again. No puppy free zone left for me except out of the box now.

It's really hard when something happens to catch it midstream in the act. You have to be waaay fast and mommy is waaaaay old so she is slooooower than mollasses. At least she caught one of them. Even though it took her 3 dogs and a double cross-over to turn the &^%$ camera on. Mommy says she was excited so its hard to be fast when you are excited. Excuses - excuses - mom.

There's no place to be safe anymore. I guess it's jump up on couch time.

Gad these puppies are way agile before their time. Maybe they will take after me - Wasabi after all. The best of both I imagine.

Friday
Nov022007

Wasabi Havanese Watch

I have a great deal of experience with this stance. I spent a lot of time practicing it when I watched and teased Risa's pups. It was as if I was made for this job. Oh - is this a job? Me thinks it's a fun one, if it is. Everyone should be so lucky. Only those prima donna celebrities like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan has enjoyable JAY-OH-Bee-S - if that's what you want to call what they do.

They all have pocket dogs too and yeah you can carry all 10lbs of me soaking wet around but I am the real sturdy thang. Besides, other than the designer doggy wear, what do they have other than what I have? Daddy still feeds me the best of the best and mommy gives me massages. Hey - maybe I do have the celebrity life. Ha! Lights - cameras...and all that!

Daddy was so smart to come up with the idea to have a couch next to the whelping box. This way I can sleep in comfort during the night and day and still watch my babies in those in between times where my body needs to fill back up to feed the babies.

The pups are now 3 weeks tonight. I can't believe it. They are all walking and Tux almost runs to me if I even get near the box. El Blanco Grande stays sleeping till I nudge him cause after all, he likes the sleep. Our lone gal is playing dominance games with her brothers. It's all so cute - whose head is on top - mine - yes mine.

This morning, one of my pups was kissing daddy's face then he snuggled right up to his neck. Mommy wanted a photo of THAT but the idea of daddy - well being in his night time wear on my blog just didn't appeal to me so you will have to use your imagination. Ha!

Mommy is going to do more testing and playing with the crew today. Me, well - I saw how much fun they had yesterday doing the tunnel so I climbed in myself. Yeah - I fit. At preggie state - just ready for birth I would not have but I do now. Where was the camera - charging - go figure - that mommy - she needs enough sleep to get it together.

In another week the pups get to come downstairs to mommy's office - wow!!! Oh, they will sleep upstairs where everyone does but I get to be with everyone else then and still watch my pups.

One thing mommy has noticed is I am barking. I never bark and I get the whole pack barking when anyone comes over. Well, I have precious babies that need protecting and my pack - well we are family and they help me. Mommy says, a few barks okay but then that's it. It's nothing serious - it's more like bark talking but boy am I proud of these creations.

Well, time to take my nap. It's rather cold outside so heaters are on. Oh, we wish it was summer.

Wednesday
Oct312007

Havanese Life: Eat, Play and Conk Out

Life is so tough for my pups - I tell you. They suck me dry, keep me busy cleaning them and then oh my, they are starting to play. I was so looking forward to this day but now that it is here, wow 6 growing concerns having fun and one is even climbing up on the rails.

I refused to eat much all yesterday and mommy was so worried and then at night, daddy makes his chicken, we had vegetable rice and I ate and ate and ate more than I ever did in my life. Of course this was late at night so daddy went - guess no sleep for the tired till she goes out. heh The things human daddy's do for their precious Wasabi woo.

We had visitors here from 'Eye on Fashion' and they enjoyed looking at my pups. Today is mommy's day to try to recover from computer woes, backlog of work and much more. She may even take a nap with me - Cool.

More later when the pups do something exciting - well exciting to me. They are changing daily and mommy thinks they look like me. How nice...heh

Monday
Oct292007

Keeping it in the Havanese Family

This photo was taken at the beginning of the weekend but wanted to show those that do not visit the Canadian Havanese site that these Havanese are special. They share - they play nice and they genuinely care for each other. They even help each other out.

Now back to Wasabi. After all - this is HER blog.

It's one of THOSE days. The kids - well they are eating and even making slurping sounds. I need to teach them some manners. We don't slurp at the stomach - you hear?

Mommy has to put some soothing gel on me that is non toxic to the babies as a few are giving me things that look like hickeys.

My puppies - this is Tux - waiting for a new name when his personality truly shows - looking at you. Well, they all have their eyes open to some degree and it all happened all right after each other or at the same time. I call this so exciting as they can now see who is licking them clean and snuggling with them. I have some real snugglers in this crew right from the start. They like to snuggle up to my face and neck. Even when they couldn't see, they found their way there. I guess they could smell my breath. Read more about how Havanese smell.

The littlest one - the lone gal has now surpassed the smallest boy in weight. Later on, we will take photos of them with their eyes open.

Mommy and daddy are doing a program that introduces various textures to them starting on day 14. We have also been doing the superdog program that will help us develop high achievers. This way they won't be concerned no matter what the texture is or the feel. Toys are starting to come out now that eyes are open and a mirror will go into the whelping box. The fun is about to begin. Mommy tells me soon they will be playing - be patient. Where have I heard that before?

Well, we have also been busy adding new photos to the album and will be making another video each milestone, I imagine.

Today mommy got up at 430am to fit in her exercise as that hasn't been working so well for her - no havanade yoga for me doggie style or otherwise. I looked up at her and went - see you later when there's light outside. Mommy came back about 6am and Daddy joined her to feed me, weigh the youngsters and cuddle and kiss them.

More later...

Sunday
Oct282007

Day 16 Eyes Are Opening

Human Mommy bought us a cool new bed so we can get used to various textures - and its so plush and soft - mommy and daddy like soft - like we are when they snuggle with us. She is also placing us on different things so we can get slowly conditioned to our environment.

Today our eyes are starting to open and everyone is way excited around here. Who did they see first - daddy and he thought it would be human mommy.

Petsmart had these incredibly soft blankets that you see in this photo for $2.00. Such a steal.

Well, personalities are already starting to come out and we are keeping track of who reacts to what and how they react so we can track and try to make sense of it all. We are all having fun.

Mommy even dressed Wasabi in a Halloween hat. The things they do around here. Humans can be mighty silly but good to have around - don't you think?