Day After Bath

This is Fiona this morning before she is groomed. She had a bath yesterday and she stays relatively clean and looking semi-brushed.

Although Fiona is a Risa grandchild, she has a desire not to roll and muck it up. I call her my delicate beauty. Give me cuddle time and I am happy oh and feed me the good stuff too!

It's so interesting how personality plays a part but it makes sense. The human caretakers play a huge part in helping them be all they can be too.

Not all like to swim or do agility or be a calming dog etc. You have to explore and find what floats their boat, so to speak. Cultivate that when you figure it out and enjoy!

Bath at Talemaker Havanese

It's hopeless - yes I mean totally hopeless. I gave a bath to Fiona and the dainty little thing - our smallest Havanese stayed beautiful all day long and Risa, well as you can see in this photo this was her AFTER the bath.

She shimmied and rolled and she just can't help herself getting leaves, sticks and all that dirt all over her beautiful, clean coat.

I caught her in action. Check out the photos here.

The Nose Knows It

We had a number of visitors today and there was a lot of sniffing going on. To learn more about a dog's smell, click here.

It was delightful to see Saki and Takara and Lyndall and Joe but it was also quite nice to see our other visitors as well though I was puppy sitting for the most part.

Tak and Saki are off to Austin till February so it will be a long time till we see them again. They will be missed.

Can you believe the air had this white stuff that had the audacity to hit the pavement but it had the common sense to melt on contact. I am not sure if we are ready for that. The waterpots are not even in yet but tomorrow is the day.

Dawgs also need to be washed and groomed. I fell a little behind with pups and all that brought to us but we are playing catchup. Sure I did the brusha brush but I like to snuggle under the covers at night with clean hairy things. I will let your imagination go on that one.

Nathan took some of the photos today and I took the rest. Check them out.

Visits to Make You Smile

Coco came to visit today to play with Raylan and Red. She is an amazingly balanced dog - ever so friendly - a credit to their owners. They will be adding an additional one from Wasabi's crew and I look forward to hearing the stories about Coco and her new sibling.

She rather gave us a spark of fun today - most needed.

Tomorrow, Saki and Tak will come to visit as they are heading off to Austin, Texas next week till Februrary and this will be our last time to see them for a bit. Lyndall writes about their adventures in the Havanese Breed Magazine and I hope I can follow along and feel comforted about the adventures and smile and enjoy and be envious that they will be warm. Then they will have to come visit on their return to play in our snowy yard.

I got many baths to do but that will wait till Monday when I start one here, one there and get it done but this weekend - well it's just dawgs, snuggling and puppies.

Tuned Out Time

No new photos taken today although I am waiting for Nathan to help me do individual pics of the pups. I didn't take any of the adults today.

Going to the vets and grooming interfered with that.

We will be back to normal tomorrow.

I hope you understand. We just placed on Puppy Life a link to all the puppies taken tonight.

We are Tired

With pups, well dawgs need to be groomed. Tomorrow is the day. I get to play catch-up. How scary - hahahaha

More when I am less tired but all the dawgs are doing well though I felt a mat on Risa. It's getting time for her bath. Maybe by Sunday.

With my usual daily grooms, if I skip a day it shouldn't be bad - should it?

Grandmothers Have Fun Too

Risa is a grandmother and she adores the pups. She no longer has pups of her own but she has a roaring grand time with her grandkids.

Risa had 3 litters and the last one brought two champions, Kat and Kemi who was born here.

When she gets outside, she does the shimmy and scratch her back at times. It gets the others excited.

We are on a laid back day as we are on watch but we are still managing to have fun, as you can see.

Risa manages to always be a delightful ball of hair every day of her life!

Enjoying the Weather

Fiona is hanging outside watching the crew. Abigail was taken outside to do her duty and they are all curious about everything Abigail at the moment.

Fiona and Risa needs a bath but not today. We are under thunderstorm watch.

We are also trying to have a low key rest day. Everyone has been brushed out and is lazing. We played a bit of retrieve and we had a bit of an issue with a major seizure from Whitney where I had to sponge bathe her but everyone seems to be power napping at the moment.

This gave me the opportunity to do the blog just in case Wasabi wants to have pups today. hehehehe

Tired Times

 Okay, so when is it my turn? Check out the Puppy Life Blog to find out about Abigail.

It's been a very long day. The dawgs are doing well. I only got half groomed, one bathed.

I had to put something hanging on my door for someone that usually comes in to visit as she forgot something here. Focus is moms and our dawgs. Appointments can and do get rearranged.  When it is time, everything else gets put off but I am sure you understand.

Was there a shower today? yuck... I better do that now.

Dawgs smell the dirty blankets that come down and the back of Abigail and go oh...that's what is going on.

So, today was way busy and we will have yet another way busy day when Wasabi's debuts. I just hope it is soon vs. when I need sleep.

Tonight we will rotate and do our puppy watch as the first days are critical. I may be bringing them into my office so our son can do night time duty and sleep during the day and I can do daytime and Nathan gets to do after work vigil.

Visiting Pups

Raylan and Red Adair with Nathan had the pleasure of visiting Bissli, a Wasabi/Joker pup.

From what I saw in the photos and heard, they had a blast.

Most of the time everyone comes to us to visit but it is nice to get invited to their home. This way the puppy can show off THEIR home and have a different type of a visit.

Thanks for the invite!

Beyond a Long Day

Just got back from the vets. It was a very long day. Red got his rabies shot as we always do them at a separate time than the other shots and the gals were in but you can find out all about them on the puppy page.

We stopped at the Big Apple and bought a pumpkin bread - yum.

Red is a dog that needs comfort. I hope when he goes to England they recognize it. He likes to spread out and have the best spot in the house.

Raylan's rabies titres also came back fine so that's one more step in getting his passport so he can go to England. It's going to be an empty house next year.

Well, there's a new restaurant in town (got a coupon tagged to the house) and Nathan is going to treat me before we can't go out. So - more tomorrow.

Long Day

This is a no photo day. I brought in a dog to the vets (not any that live with us) and we are back there tomorrow with the moms-to-be.

We are busy trying to get plants in but they are way too heavy. We are hoping for a warmer day tomorrow and then inbetween the rest, we have much work to do.

Are weekends ever relax ones?

Patt came over with Jazmyn and Marlee and I must say I miss them visiting. It was way nice to see all of them. I wish they lived closer.

Oh, to win the lottery and build a dawg house where I am able to. Such a dream indeed!

Second Skin

 Do your dawgs sleep in your bed with you? Ours do. Some even think they should cozy up as if they are a second skin. That's wonderful in the winter but what about the summer when it is hot? What if you have awful heat flashes?

Well bring frozen bean bags to bed and wrap them around your neck and fool your body. You may find your Havanese likes to snuggle up to it too.

Something about cooler times that is invigorating but ooops you want sleepy zzzs not a dawg that is invigorated. heh

Busy Day

 I have started cleaning out all the old magazines in my office to make room for all the plants coming in. I am not done but the dawgs are fascinated with what I am doing and want to help. So far it looks messier than when I started but I am making headway.

Inbetween we go outside and play and groom and play and clean and play and play - well you get what I mean.

I need to wash dogs but it probably won't happen. I am only human, after all. Aren't we all?

I am shooting for doing MOST of this room by bedtime and then tomorrow baths for vets. We are also practicing 'no bark' with our son coming in and out of the door about 30 times a day. They are barking less or shall I say for a shorter period. We are going to keep this up till he gets a job or beyond and I will take over. Hoping for 100% progress by December. It's a goal.

Havanese are not usually barkers but they do get excited in a pack at the door. I think every breed of dawg imaginable probably does. They just get so excited to see you so reward the right behavior and correct the wrong folks! Don't get excited to see them or you increase their excitement and then you will have to correct. Better just to stay consistent.

Changes in household also changes your house. We had kids move back in, a sister-in-law etc so the activity level changes and so do the dogs. They are what they experience.

Movement

Don't you just love when a dawg just runs and sails through the air? I love movement.

But if you do have an adventurous dawg who for instance loves to chase ducks and geese, well make sure they don't jump off decks not touching the stairs or they can end up with a cruciate issue.

The dawgs are low key today.

Sure they are running and our son Tal is practicing 'no bark' many times a day going in and out on purpose. It's helping but it's not there completely yet but with persistence, it should be. They are stopping faster. That's a start. Thanks, Tal!

Grandma and Grandson

Can you believe these two. Don't say you are ever too old to play. Risa tells you that life can be fun even as the mid-section is growing and the clock keeps ticking to that mid to late stage. We are what we think we are.

So, why do I feel so bloody exhausted? I wanted to do the show photos but really I have no stamina.

Raylan has an infectious attitude that even the older catches. That's a good thing. Company actually is good for exercise.

Have you ever tried exercising and keeping at it alone - by yourself? Well, I will tell you it's hard. It's not fun but when you have company, you have someone else to motivate you and you forget about the work. Two dogs have that effect.

Hoping to get to the photos tomorrow.

Exhausted

Usually I have new photos from each day but not this one. I was at a Jean Dodd's seminar all day so no photo taking and I am totally exhausted.

I feel bad for Yvonne as she has a long drive but she has the company of Shoshi who is headed to her house. I wonder how Shoshi will do with the puppies. Yes, Yvonne has puppies - pretty ones! Shoshi's never known any other home but ours.

Let us know how the gal is, Yvonne and how she does with your puppies.

We will update you tomorrow but check out the puppy page to see how Raylan did.

Show Visits

 Check out the puppy blog to see how Raylan did but tomorrow or Monday (most likely Monday) we will be posting photos from the show.

Here's a photo of Raylan and his sister Breeze having a grand time. This is what he did while he was waiting to go back in the ring.

Then Hugo and Milo also showed up and we had a roaring time watching the dawgs inside and outside of the ring.

Raylan's been bathed tonight. I had to drive home, come home and bathe him and now I am crawling into bed.

More tomorrow but I am ever so tired. The day was long for both humans and dawgs! This is all probably not making sense but... no photos from Sunday cause I won't be there. <sigh>

Show Trekking

Not sure what time we will get back and then I have to wash Raylan yet again so we may or may not be able to post tonight. Time will tell. Check back after 7pm tonight to see.

Windy Times

When the wind is blowing, be sure to check your Havanese eyes when they come in. You will be surprised at the irritation hair stuck in the eyes can do. I make it a habit to check more often in windy days and I check when I groom, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Is that a bit too much? Maybe but I think of me with hair in my eyes and how I would feel and it motivates me.

If your Havanese is prone to some drainage, this will reduce it by keeping the eye area clean.

Abigail adores the wind. She stands out there as if to say - ah - cool wind finally. I swear the Havanese adore the cooler weather. It appears to invigorate them as heat tends to make them sluggish.

That's rather like us, don't you think - well many of us.