Run Run & Watch the Landing

Oh to be a puppy and not even think of the way you land. You just go with the flow and 99% of the time it all turns out right.

Panda and Logan had a bath after this photo and I tried that new product on Logan so I am looking forward to hearing what Lynda thinks.

The dogs love to run like banshees here and Logan's favourite playmate is Truffie. Panda's remains Roxies. It's not that they don't play with all the rest but they tend to have that strong connection and it is nice to watch.

Treat Time?

So what do you want me to do? Sit, stay, down - okay what just give me that treat!!

Yes, we reinforce training at various tikes and you can too even during walks etc.

Training should never end. Besides, if done the right way it can be fun!

What's a Day Like?

Risa had a bath today

I got up at 7am this morning, helped get food out for the dogs. I changed all the water bowls cleaning before putting fresh ones down. Occasionally Dennis cleans them the night before and leaves them on the counter.

Then Dennis or Nathan goes out with the dogs after they are done eating and I start my exercise. If one is not available I go out and we always cleanup on site.

Then I either go take a shower or I start grooming. Today I took a shower first, groomed everyone but Logan and Panda who gets done in a few minutes before going home.

I also washed Risa and Shoshi today. While I am grooming/washing, Dennis or Nathan is doing pups, dogs, playing, cleaning etc.

Inbetween grooming I am transfering or folding laundry.

Shoshi had a bath todayI take photos throughout the day. I clean the puppy pen. We clean floors, counters and what have you. 

I take the pups out to play now twice a day, soon 3 times then 4 to 5 times a day. We condition and socialize them.

I eat somewhere inbetween things. I also resize photos, do blogs, transfer videos and play with the pups in their pen.

I know I forgot a bunch but I am just giving you an idea of what we do. We also take dogs for walks, play retreive, cuddle and train.

I had someone ping me and posted on Facebook as I hadn't responded to her fast enough. Well, the dogs count more than anything and I fit computer time in when I can.

I do believe I have my priorities right.

Then at bedtime they all go out one last time. I cleanup the pen and get it ready for the morning so pups can come down into a clean environment. Before bedtime the upstairs gets cleaned and sterilized.

Now off to clean and brush Panda and Logan.

PS: What do you think about Shoshi's whites and blacks? I tried this booster that you add to the shampoo - any shampoo. It's not cheap but you can add it to any shampoo and so far I like the results. The blacks look blacker and the whites look whiter. Now how did it do that? I don't know but I am impressed. Waiting for the apricot version to come in to see what happens with that.

Grooming Day

I got everyone brushed and combed up and they are relatively staying that way now that the rain is gone.

I love it when they are clean and just brushed.

Phantom woke me up this morning and then Truffie.

Boys are funny. They walk up your body and say hello - it's time where most of the gals, at least mine will just lick your face or nuzzle you.

Not all boys are like that but intact males tend to be, it's about me when it comes time to wake you up. I just laugh but if it's too early after I half open my eyes and look at the clock, I tell them off and roll over and go back to sleep. I used to not be able to go back to sleep but these days I manage to. I think its this daily exercise program I am doing called p90x.

My rule is not before 7am. When Nathan was working downtown we got up at 5am and by 9pm I was half dead.

The dogs were a bit disjointed as Nathan had Delilah and Kat in our guest room with him due to Delilah being in heat. Tonight the dogs will know the drill. Last night I went to sleep watching 'The Finder' on my ipad with dogs draped from my neck to my toes all over me literally. At one point I wondered if the numbness in my feet were due to a dog or the exercise I do daily. Then that particular dog moved and I got feeling back in my foot.

Now I know.

Today's Photos

Truffie still likes to climb under this desk and fall asleep. He no longer fits all that well but he still does it. It is amazing he can get back out as the drawer is where is head is and you can't go forward or sideways. He can only back out and he does.

Truffie had a bath today and then climbed under the desk for a long nap.

Phantom, Truffie's dad also had a bath and didn't stay looking groomed for long.

Two minutes after I clicked the earlier photo he proceeded to do everything to not looked groomed. I have to laugh.

It's treacherous outside. As you can see, Truffie is walking on sheets of ice and I have to brace myself out in the back to make sure I don't fall. The walkways are a mess.

Even in the grass it's ice and more ice as you can see in this photo of Kat taken today.

Although I washed Kat, Phantom and Truffie today I am not sure they will stay clean long. <sigh>

They say it is the rainiest winter we have ever had and the mud is back but so is the ice. I am hoping tomorrow is a better day.

New Scenery

Treasure and Roxie had a blast at Benji's house. Check out the photos on Fiona's blog.

Now I want Benji to visit during the summer so he can get used to all that water they have surrounding them. He needs conditioning, you know. hahahaha

The crew that came with us crashed fast asleep after getting home.

Me, I am off to clean up Logan as he goes home in a couple of hours and you don't come to visit here and just hang out, you play and muck it up and have so much fun that sometimes you need a cleanup.

To our Chinese puppy people and our friends that don't yet have a havanese, Happy New Year.

The key to the Dragon personality is that Dragons are the free spirits of the Zodiac. Conformation is a Dragon's curse. Rules and regulations are made for other people. Restrictions blow out the creative spark that is ready to flame into life. Dragons must be free and uninhibited. The Dragon is a beautiful creature, colorful and flamboyant. An extroverted bundle of energy, gifted and utterly irrepressible, everything Dragons do is on a grand scale - big ideas, ornate gestures, extreme ambitions.

----

I know some Havanese that would fit that description at least in their own minds.

Bracing Herself

Roxie almost looks like a owl perched on the deck, don't you think?

It's actually Roxie standing real steady with the wind whipping by.

She's looking forward to seeing Benji. I know I am too!!

Next week I may have to do a bath marathon anytime ending before pups come. :-)

Run Like Hey

Well it is really called Run Like Hell but some take offense. The Havanese do an amazing job at it with themselves, with others. They know how to expel energy.

It was so windy that you swear Truffie had a flagpole tail but he doesn't. Some Havanese do. It's usual if relaxed, or concerned that their tail doesn't go over the back for those that truly don't have a flagpole tail.

It does help you to understand what is going on. Body language is fun to learn and can teach you so much about what your dawg is saying or how they are feeling.

I know my dawgs so well that I know if something is wrong whether it is being ill, a concern they may have or just plain having mischievous fun.

Today Truffie managed to get his first real mats on his chest and he was giving me the evil eye but without complaint. They are all out now but his first ones since he was born. The snow, the play and the rubbing fun can do that but it's not usually an issue for me as I stay on top of it even if they never have knots as I believe in conditioning them to grooming. It makes your life easier in the long run.

Almost Forgot

It's time for bed. I forgot abou this blog and well it's snuggle time with hubby and dawgs so forgive me for being short. Tomorrow is another day!

Taking Care of Little Ones

The taking care of Lola has become a family affair. Each mom tends to spend time taking care of her. It's an interesting experience.

As I type this Abigail is poking her head at the xpen watching the Teaser pups and they are trying to bat her through it.

It's delightful!

Wet and Gloomy

It's been raining all day and that brings mud. So cleanup hasn't been the easiest today.

Nathan brushed a couple of dogs. I lined combed and brushed the rest.

I find by being thorough and placing a comb through the coat to find any remaining knots, the coat stays knot free longer and makes my job easier.

Many people do a puppy cut and I rather like them. But my passion is in full coat despite the work.

Eventually I will go short and at times I do clip one or two down and start anew but that's the fun thing about them. You can change their look as much as you want to.

Logan and Panda

Panda and Logan had a bath today and Logan is hanging out till his mom comes to get him after handling class. Me, I am off to go lay on the couch with him.

Logan and Panda although not biological siblings (Logan is from Yvonne's gal) they certainly act that way.

I think Panda is the mischevious one waiting to get that toy or treat that Logan has thought he could actually leave and it would be there when he got back.

Ah, but he loves her despite her 'I can't help myself' personality. It's a truly fun one and despite it all I think he rather likes it.

Communications

This is Treasure's talk to the paw look.

Yes, every dog will decide one day I would rather stay here than come in. So what are you going to do about it?

Get your treat out and practice your recall. Turn a stubborn moment into one that is productive.

Remember This?

Do you remember who this pair was?

I just love digging up older photos and seeing them as they were.

It does something to my heart - warms it up to remember the memories.

So Cute

I just love this fish bed. It adds an element of fun for us to watch but for the dawgs to play in too.

They truly love it!

Truffie loves to roll and roll around in it and I must take a video of it next time he does.

Yoga Doggie Style

Or is this a martial arts pose?

The dawgs make me laugh. They do things we would be worried some of us would see but them they have a who cares attitide and just love, live embarcing life. I rather like that!

Playing Day in and Day Out

Do the dogs play everyday like crazy dawgs? YES. Sure sometimes they can rest and relax and watch but at various times of the day they all play. Some days they play and play and play and that's what I caught in these photos.

Logan and Panda lives with Lynda. Panda is Roxie's sister and Logan is bred by our friend Yvonne. They come over,  hang out, I groom them, get tons of cuddles, and much more.

They both (Lynda's two) gives me a reason to click, click, click most days as they love to play and so does our Truffie.

Also Panda and Roxie had their first handling class last night. They did really well!

A wheelchair went by and they reacted. It was a good thing as I hope they see this woman in a wheelchair many times till they no longer react. Remember conditioning is a lifetime thing.

Photos of Roxie and Panda Playing

Photos of Logan and Truffie

Delightful Play

Today I managed to capture Logan and Panda our visitors and Truffie and Roxie playing up a storm. Truffie just had a bath so he was busy getting dirty again. He had a bath for handling class. I will try to take a photo or two of that tonight if I can stay awake for it.

I will also share the play session tomorrow if I can find the time but at the very worse in a couple of days.

Otherwise we are playing and the dawgs are having fun. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Watching the Melt

Remember this photo of the dogs watching the melt? Well, where is the snow now?

I must admit I haven't taken many photos as this computer has been a focus and so has spending as much time as possible with the pups before they go.

Nathan managed to take a bunch and he said he was trying to be creative and none came out clear. Oh well, that is how you learn the settings of a camera and he needs to do that. It's okay. You get to see an old photo and have to figure out who is who. :-)

When Does it End?

We have a goal to socialize our puppies and we do with many visitors including family extended and otherwise but the adults benefit too.

I do not think socialization should ever stop. Nor do I think you stop in teaching an old dog new tricks. There is something about stimulating the mind for us and for them that does us good later on in age.

Think about it. When you get up in age do you think you will know everything? Wouldn't you like a new hobby or something fun that you can enjoy that is new - a new challenge? Well dogs do too.

Your dog is all he can be due to his start but due to you as well! We are all in this together!