Did it Rain?

When we went outside first thing it was wet, muggy and so uncomfie. What weather we have had this summer but we are in supposedly for rain and cooler weather this weekend.

On Saturday Raylan has to get his Titres, Red his next shots and Sunday we are supposed to go visit Hugo and Milo and that fab pair that live with the duo. We may visit Rens first but we don't know what time or what we should bring except my camera so I can update Suzie's photo for the Havanese Breed Magazine. She'll probably give me hey and say well why did you point to my old photo, Darlah but we wil get some dawgs in their on the update if Milo and Hugo cooperate.

Summer is winding down. I am still grooming all the dawgs. paula's pup got a bath - katsura got a bath and everyone else is getting a brush. I am adjusting to the quieter times. Less dawgs and finding house things to fill it with can be scary but I find I just play with the dawgs more. Sorry - can't help myself.

It's still very hot today.

Help & Possibly Win This Havanese Quilt

This fabulous quilt is a must to have. You should buy tickets. All donations go to the Havanese Rescue in Canada, which I am on the commitee. It is a worthwhile cause.

Not too long ago we had Kooba here. We took some time, got her housetrained, loved and she found a forever home with Jean. Jean remains a dear friend and Kooba adores her and so does her Quito.

If you want to be a part of helping Havanese Rescue, there's a draw in Halifax at the National Specialty for this great quilt.

Check out the details.

Slowing Down a Fast Eater

If you have a pup or an older dog that eats too fast, inhaling vs. enjoying, why not try the many kong type devices - the puzzle treat dispensing toys where he/she works their mind for their food. For most dogs it will be fun and not frustating if you don't make it too hard.

Slowly the summer is waning and we are getting back to just our crew. The dogs have had walks already. The weather was cooler this morning so it felt right vs. at night. We played fetch and find the treat today. I am about to groom the crew and do some loving snuggles.

What have you done with your dogs today?

New Video Available

Penny & Shanty are playing up a storm. Check it out on the Boarders and Visitor's Videos page.

Treasure, King of the Retrievers

I started to write about all the dogs in the house but I think today I’m going to focus on Treasure. Those of you that have been following my wife’s blogs over these past few years must know each and every dog of ours by now. Treasure is special. I can’t say it any clearer than that. She has an attitude and a majesty about her that is unique. She earned her Canadian championship without missing a step by seven months of age. Now going on two nothing has changed. She’s all attitude and she looks wonderful. Darlah keeps her in “show coat” which means long and flowing. Sometimes it’s as if her hair is floating around her and she races around the back yard chasing whatever is thrown. It isn’t that she is the fastest but that she is "The Treasured One". So when we play retrieve, she wins. If another dog is getting ahead of her she simply projects her aura and intimidates whomever right off the ball. She retrieves perfectly. That is to say she will always bring the ball back and drop it just out of reach. When I don’t move to get it until she brings it closer she will pick it up without being told and drop it closer, a foot at a time, on purpose. It’s part of the game she plays. Mark my words, one day she will be alpha in this house, when Risa decides it’s time for her to stop worrying about such things. Until then, we all get to enjoy every minute of her.

Before I sign off, for those of you that have been waiting, the first issue of Talemaker’s Havanese Breed Magazine is going to be available tomorrow. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to subscribe at www.havanesebreed.com/subscribe/. (Blatant plug, no shame whatsoever) I hope you will enjoy reading the magazine as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Nathan



Valentine's Day at Talemaker Havanese

What happened today? Well Marlee and Jazmyn had their baths before going home. We had many play sessions. I almost counted today how many times I go in and out with the dogs and then I forgot to count - how silly. I should remember to count one day. Let's just say it's too many to count.

The crew got groomed. I forgot to groom me. ROFL - Well the shower took place but the hair and all - well - I went to the dawgs long time ago so they don't mind. That's what I love about them...unconditional love and what better day to celebrate that then today.

Nathan is at a Collie specialty doing ring stewarding. He missed most of the day time fun these past two days. He's squeezed in as much as he can in the early morning and at night.

Here are a few photos from today.

Let's see....

Maia (spelling?) is playing up a storm today as you will see in some of the photos. She also is truly enjoying the 'see if you can get the toy' game with the crew. She started only going where I was and soon started adventuring inside and out. She doesn't mind grooming and still kisses up a storm. She wasn't sure where she was going when she went for her walk but her next one, she settled in and looked forward to it.

Jazmyn and Marlee had to go (sniff sniff) and I moved my gate back as she was having a grand time (Marlee that is) jumping over each time the door was opened. She would get her walk in and then say it's not fair and jump back to take another turn. I soon found out this doesn't help. Mom and Dad came and she was heading for the door as silly me put her on the floor vs. carrying her. So, the gate will stay back when she is here and she will get carried to the door each time. She wasn't going anywhere but I really like being extra careful. Other than Missy and Wasabi, I never saw such jumpers. But we can tell Marlee LOVES the walks and we are glad! They also get really excited to see mom and dad. We get to see them again in March.

Marlee was playing with Daisy today and with Coco. Marlee sort of looks at me as if to say - not another bath. She never complains but her body language tells me - just give me the treat and forget the rest. I smile - I give her kisses and hugs and she rather likes THAT! I truly make bath time fun. By doing so, they feel better, I feel better and they don't mind this part of their visit. I do the same with the daily grooming. Jazmyn is an even level, I know what I want gal and I rather like that!

Daisy, well what can I say about Daisy. I think if I got her together with a few more of our EverReady batteries, she would be dead tired but I think this is like Disneyland to her. She runs through the whole house and only Treasure seems to be able to keep up.

Abigail is preggie so she has an excuse. She used to be a play monster. I did catch her playing with a couple of dawgs today so pregnancy doesn't take all the fun out of her...thankfully plus she loves a squeaker toy.

Jazzy has been playing with Zack and at times with Marlee and Daisy. He's not sure what to make of Treasure's pounce methods of play that she uses on Daisy. He loves the outside and could stand and feel the wind in his face for hours if you let him. He adores the walks.

Coco has been playing quite a bit today and boy does she have Zack's number. She has him wrapped around her little paw. hehehehe

Zack - well he just loves the play. He was in the thick of it as much as he could get into it.

New Website we are looking at opening sometime this week. It's a work in progress.

Valentine's Eve Small Dog Boarding at Talemaker in Toronto

We have just one more visitor coming tonight and that's Jazzy. We just adore the guy.

We have had a very eventful day and it is far from over. I will try to highlight it while Wasabi gets her rest. Her belly keeps growing so she needs more rest that usual these days.

Nathan has been doing ring stewarding today and tomorrow so it's just me and the son till tonight. It's a local show and he is a fill-in as the guy scheduled had an emergency.

Let's see if I can highlight some of the day. Here's a few photos but no time to go through them all - sorry.

We have had our walks, our play sessions, our grooming - yep each and every one thoroughly. We had our snuggles. Maia (spelling?) is a new boarder here and she's fitting in quite well. She drank from my water glass with delight, jumped up on my lap. Explored the house and back yard and is NOT hanging out at the door so she's happy here. She's also a mad kisser. I never had so many kisses except by Daisy. ROFL She loves sitting on my lap.

Daisy has been playing up a storm with Zack, Coco, Treasure, Fiona and anyone else she can coerce into playing. Then she jumps in my lap when I sit down and nods off for a few minutes till the next play session.

Coco has been playing with Kat - yes KAT who rarely plays with the gals unless they are in heat. Oh, he does every now and then but they have to talk him into it. Coco did just that. Coco also gives some of the best hugs.

Zack has been playing with Marlee, Treasure, Daisy and anyone else that will play. He seems smitten with Treasure. Treasure eats it up.

Marlee is well Marlee. She is one of the most happy go lucky beings. Her attitude is infectious. She adores her walks and had to put up with me walking when she really is in love with Nathan, well at least at bed time. I manage to get my time during the day.

Jazmyn is a dear soul who cuddles up on me and rests and thinks the Treasure and crew playing hard is crazy. She runs with them but if it gets too physical, she says...you got to be kidding. Our Wasabi is the same way. She's quite happy though as she has an air about her that is way confident this visit.

Got to start organizing dinner plates for the crew. Will fill you in more tomorrow.

We promised you Tiger Lily photos from her visit yesterday. Hope you enjoy.

Boarding at Talemaker Havanese

As you know, Darlah writes the vast majority of the information on this site. Every now and then I slip in a comment. Today I feel like contributing.

We are currently doing our version of boarding with five additional Havanese. I say our version because to call us a kennel brings up images of crates, pens and chain link fences. That's not us. What we do is bring those dogs into our home and treat them just as we treat all of our dogs. Since some of them were born here in the first place that comes as no surprise.

Anyway, this means we play with them, love them, walk them, brush them, let them play with each other, love them more, greatly help any dog with socialization, let them sleep on the bed with the rest of the dogs unless the owners have specifically requested that we do not, and give them free run of most of the house and all of the backyard.

All of this evolved from the days when we had a single dog, an incredible German Shepherd named Lacie. Lacie was a King Shepherd, a large version at 105 lbs. She didn't growl at a stranger, per se. She simply looked at you and you froze in place until given permission to move. And yet she was a complete pussycat as you'd expect of a dog raised with seven children. But when we had to go out of town we had to board her and we hated it. The last time we did it we picked her up shaking and quaking we swore "never again". And from that day to this one of us stayed home at all times.

So when we decided to cross that invisible line and get into breeding and raising Havanese, offering boarding was a no brainer. We already knew this is something we ourselves would have wanted. And it just made too much sense. It truly was one of those win/win situations. We provide a dog with the best possible experience we can, almost as good as being at home with their family, and most important, we provide the knowledge to the people that have trusted us with their dog that they will be well looked after and loved. They are not here marking time waiting until their families return. They are interacting with our family and our dogs and loving it. But make no mistake, they are thrilled to death when the families return and they can once again go back to being the center of the universe instead of having to compete with all those other dogs here!

If you have a Havanese you wish to board with us, please email us, in advance. Believe it or not there is a limit to how many dogs can sit on me on the recliner at the same time.

Thank you,
Nathan

PS: If you haven't seen or purchased your 2010 Havanese calendar brought to you by the Havanese Canadian national breed club, please do so now. This link takes you right there. http://www.havanesefanciers.com/?q=Calendar2010. I really like it but then I'm bias as I created it with the help of a lot of photos sent in to me from HFC members from coast to coast.

Treasure Bites the Dust

I thought this day would never come. Treasure collapsed in exhaustion.

All it took was attending a dog show three days in a row, which meant getting up and being bathed and groomed each day. Then driving to the show, showing in Breed and then again in Group. Then driving back home.

As an added bonus both yesterday and today after we got home we walked the dogs to the local school. That meant we took four dogs at a time, two for Darlah and two for me. At the back of the school is a soccer field and as luck would have it, looking carefully in all directions, there wasn't another person in sight. So off came the leashes and the classic Havanese run-like-hell game ensued over a good portion of the field. All of us that own Havanese realize our Havanese invented this game.

Other breeds might have a facsimile but it just isn't the same.

We actually got some video today which Darlah will place up when she gets a chance. We just got back with Terra, Shoshi, Fiona and Treasure. Terra, our six year old Golden Retriever, knows this game well, having fallen head over heals over the years more than once trying to catch Shoshi who makes impossible turns that Terra cannot duplicate. So Terra loped along with them but didn't really get into the chase. That was left to the three Havanese and did they go. I even tried to run with them for comic relief. I mean they slowed down and laughed at me as they blew by. Treasure was exhausted in just a few minutes.

Then we still had to walk back home, almost a mile. About halfway back we pass a church with a nicely groomed lawned. Treasure walks onto their grass, sniffs for a second with me waiting patiently for her to do her business. She finally finds the right spot but instead of peeing, she collapses into the grass, flat out. She literally wanted to take a nap, right there.

I got her back up and we continued home. She is now out cold on the floor outside my office. It is the first time she has been this exahusted since she was a pup way back a few months ago.Maybe we'll do it again tomorrow depending on how much my own legs are burning when I wake up.
Nathan

New Snow Fall in Toronto

Last Monday, our friend Holly flew from Florida to pick up her pup, Blazin.

It was 8 Celsius (46 Fahrenheit for our American friends) that day. All the snow had melted and it wasn’t half bad.

The very next morning it was -8C (17F).

Holly thankfully handed me off Blazin to take outside for his morning pee and ran away from the open door.

She thought she was going to freeze to death momentarily.

Meanwhile I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt under my ski jacket, bare feet slipped into clogs. There was no snow.

On Friday we drove to our Vet located an hour and change east of Toronto. We got caught in a major snow storm and ended up spending a few hours visiting with Yvonne and Alex before heading back so that the snow plows had a chance to clear the road, a sometime reality of our Canadian lifestyle.

As always my largest issue driving back was all those drivers on the road that don’t have a clue that snow covered roads and lousy visibility calls for a different mode of driving. Not everyone was clueless but there were a few complete nutcases that made up for it.

One 18 wheeler comes to mind. I fully expected to see him overturned before we got back to town. He certainly wasn’t allowing for any margin of error in a vehicle that could not stop on a dime in any conditions let alone those.

Between Friday’s snow storm and today’s snow fall our yard is no longer snow free. Snow banks are probably two feet high and I’ve taken turns with one of my sons shoveling out paths for the dogs in the backyard. The dogs love it. They go racing round and round the paths and every now and then sheer exuberance with life sends them flying over the top of the banks right into the piles of powdered snow.

Watching their wonderful antics compensates for the pain in my arms, shoulders and back from all that shoveling. I get absolutely no sympathy though. The kids think I’m still 30 and if I didn’t go out and shovel Darlah would and then I’d never hear the end of it.

When outside in winter always watch your dogs for signs of stress, cold affecting their pads and such. They do not have the body weight and metabolism of the larger dogs and cannot stay outside in extreme temperatures for any extended period of time.

The other night it was -20C (-4F) when I took the dogs for a walk. Actually with the wind chill factored in supposedly it felt like -30C (-22F). I can tell you without a doubt that it was very cold. That’s not the words I would normally use to describe the weather but I’m trying to keep this to a family rating. I only went once around our own block and in two cases I had to pick up a dog because their pads got to cold.

Even though we have a large selection of sweaters, jackets, even snow suits, in such cold weather never spend too much time outside with your Havanese.

I have a few pictures to share with you. As you can see, they love running in the snow. Their joy of life is a constant inspiration. I hope you enjoy them and remember, comments are always welcome. Darlah and I love interacting with any of you interested in interacting with us.
I’m off to walk a few dogs.
Nathan

My Shoshi Story

I was having a conversation in email with a few friends. One of the women suggested that the dogs love them best. I begged to disagree and wrote a little story about our Shoshi. After reading it one of the ladies replied that they’d love to see a photo of Shoshi cannonballing onto the bed and into her spot. I thought about it for a minute but I don’t know how we could set that up. First, Darlah is in bed sleeping most nights before me. Second, Shoshi won’t go to bed unless I am in it. I’ll think about this and see what we can do. Here’s the story and I warn you now, this is not for the faint of heart or those that don't allow their dogs on the bed …

Once upon a time we got a Havanese who we named Shoshi. She was flown to us from Saskatchewan. When we arrived at the cargo area to pick her up she and her sister, also heading for a Toronto destination, were in their crate. The cargo people were clueless and so I opened the crate myself and half crawled in to lift out the two puppies, first theirs and then ours. Once I had Shoshi in my arms I never let go. I mean I never let go. I tossed my wife the keys. I actually don’t remember if she or one of our sons drove home but I do know that Shoshi was cuddled up against my chest the entire drive home and that is where she stayed. That night the concept of her sleeping in a crate didn’t even get lip service. She cuddled up against my chest in the bed and went to sleep.

To this day she cuddles up against my chest and no one or dog gets in her way. Darlah and I sleep in a King Size bed. We also have a Twin bed beside it. All the Havanese sleep on the bed with us. Shoshi will not come to bed until I do. So when I do get into bed, she goes up one of the two doggy steps we have, stops at the top and surveys the sleeping arrangements. I mean that she checks to see where each dog is sleeping in relation to her 'daddy'. If they are in her way she leaps over them, literally. If they are in her ‘spot’ she does what can best be described as a cannonball for those of you having seen that particular dive. She launches herself into the air and lands in her spot, bouncing any dog to close to the side of my chest into the air and out of her way. That includes Darlah! Shoshi sleeps against my chest today the same as she has done every night for four years.
Next time I’ll tell you about Risa.
Nathan

PS: Darlah here - and if you think he's getting a photo of me in my pjs - well you are DREAMIN'

Comments are welcome

Reading my wife's daily posts it occurs to me that we'd love to hear from you all. We get comments in email, even on the phone but rarely does anyone post a comment in direct response to something Darlah has written. I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage you to post comments please, when you feel you have something you'd like to share with us. I know from the statistics that a lot of people are reading every post each and every day and that's great but really, we'd love to hear your thoughts on our thoughts. Don't be shy. Join in please. Thank you for listening.
Nathan

A Bit of This and That

Kirsten, it was great meeting you and your family. Thank you for introducing yourself.

As always it was great to see Karyn and Scott.

We met so many great people that at times it was a blur. I finished taking antibiotics this morning and I was much better than Darlah who really is recovering from double pneumonia and insisted on working the show.

We had the pleasure of Sweetpea and Holly Ashley staying with us for a few days. They were up from Florida for the show. They did very well indeed and I believe enjoyed themselves throughout. We certainly enjoyed their company.

Yvonne stayed at our home from Thursday to Sunday with her four Havanese. So we had a full house of dogs and people. The only light missing was our little boy, Kat!

Wasabi and Abigail are coming to the end of their heat. Lola just went into heat. Kat got banished to Yvonne's place while the girls got to stay here. It was immediately apparent to me how much he is the center of our household and of all the dogs. It just wasn't the same without him and we miss him terribly. He'll be back on Wednesday. It is the first time he has been away from home without one of us in over two years.

Anyway, a bit about the show ... I knew I was in trouble the second we walked into the building on Friday as Fiona’s tail went down. Those that follow along with Darlah's posts know that her tail never goes down. It either had something to do with the bright lights, cement floors and echoes, noise, a combination of all of the above or maybe even Fiona is about to go into her first heat. With Abigail in her first heat right now, Wasabi, who we bred, also in heat, it can set off Fiona. Anyway, Fiona was not her usual spitfire self which really sucks at the specialty because I am, as always, so very proud of her and wanted her to show everyone how special she is even with my still learning handling skills on the other end of the lead. That was not to be. Usually she is entirely focused on me, oblivious to anything else. Not this weekend. She was constantly looking around to make sure no large monsters were creeping up on her. She went to sleep as soon as we got home and slept like a rock. This is so unlike her. Saturday and Sunday she was not much better. It just wasn’t her. She did win 4th and then 3rd in her class Friday and Sunday and they were very large classes. Abigail placed 4th but showed only one day. There were over 40 Havanese both days and I think 62 on Saturday.

On Saturday Fiona and Abigail won Best in Brace. I believe this was an event enjoyed by all. I was in the ring and trying to get Fiona to relax while Abigail was trying to jump on Fiona’s head. Keep in mind that when in brace they are supposed to walk demurely, like synchronized twins, calmly and properly. Normally when Abigail jumps on Fiona to play Fiona will immediately jump right back and off they’d rock and roll. But Fiona was having none of it. So when we were in stack position waiting for Deb’s Brace I tried to quietly pick up Fiona and place her on the inside instead of on the outside so I could be closer to her. I was hoping not too many people would notice I was swapping their positions. The swap worked so when we continued walking they were actually pretty good together. I suspect though, from the laughter from the crowd in the background, that everyone in the place saw me swap the dogs.

It was great meeting so many people from across the country. As this was the national specialty held once each year in a different city, this was the first chance Darlah and I had to meet so many of the national breed club members. We had the chance to discuss a lot of things that are of interest and importance to us and should be important to any responsible breeder such as health testing. The Havanese Fanciers of Canada sponsored and ran a BAER clinic on Friday so that anyone that wanted could bring their dogs for this once in a lifetime hearing test requirement. By the end of the day I think the Doctor tested 28 dogs, most being Havanese. Yvonne spent most of the day being the receptionist for the Doctor. I filled in for a few hours. At one point the next dog to arrive was a Bull Terrier. Oh my. If you are not familiar with the breed they are massively muscled, a real powerful breed. Naturally the dog was a total sweetheart. At one point one Havanese puppy got away and went running off into the hotel lobby. Freedom at last she thought. I finally walked her down at the end of a long hotel corridor. Never a dull moment.
HAVANESE RULE!
Nathan

Identify That Dog!

Every now and then we are lucky enough to receive email attachments containing photos of one of our puppies. I think I'll post this one up and see how many of you can recognize him. There is no prize at the end. There will be no test. Just for fun, guess who this is.

Nathan

Watching Puppy Videos

Every now and then I need a puppy fix. Since our dear friend Yvonne refuses to bring me her puppies (how selfish is that?) (smile) I have to make do with watching our own videos from earlier this year. I just watched one of Sebastian, Coach and Sassy playing together that was delightful. Give it a look and tell me if I am wrong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJZh5qf3ASg

We had Sassy, Coach and Remy here today. I realize how much they have changed in the past 6 months but they still remain totally delicious. If you want to lighten up your day just scroll down the right hand side until you get to the list of the older videos. I promise you they will bring a smile to your face. They do mine.
Nathan

Abigail, The Flying Havanese Squirrel Dog

I had to share this one.

Kat is playing with Abigail. Abigail runs up the stairs, does a dash around the upper deck, turns and launches herself off the two steps onto Kat.

Darlah captures Abigail in mid air. What a shot.

Abigail, the flying Havanese squirrel dog.

Nathan

Darlah Here:
What Nathan doesn't tell you is the crew was an amazing amount of fun and he missed it all. He was working. Our air conditioning is not so I took the portable outside to work and clicked away.

Be sure to click any of the photos to see a larger view.

Wasabi had just become extra comfie in her viewing slot in the very best spot to watch these antics. I will only share a few but gad I just kept laughing and trying to hold the camera still.

One day I a going to have a camera with a stabilizer and that takes fast shots so these shots aren't the kind of clicking before it happens.

None of these photos are staged. If they were, I would have to brush them first. ROFL

As you can see the two stooges are doing their Wrestlemania shtick and Kat's looking on. Oh - he got into it too!

It's why he looks a tad disheveled.

The boy once he gets into it just has a way of adding something to the mix.

Yep, the Kat was having a free for all with Fiona who was loving it and Abigail was running to save Fiona?

Nah..she wanted to have fun too or maybe she wanted to play with Fiona herself - nah couldn't be - its usually Fiona that wants Abs to herself.

The gals just love it when Kat joins in and it takes it to an entirely new level of fun that I would categorize as delirious.

There is something about more than one Havanese.

They love - they live and they play like none other with such a zest for life. We could learn from that!

When all was said or done Havanese style, Fiona had her tongue hanging out with satisfaction...

(Hey Fiona - mind your manners and get that tongue in - hahahahaha)

We don't call her the wild child without a reason.

...and Abs...well she found the bowl of ice and chilled out.

From the Talemaker crew to yours - we hope you manage to have this much fun and are staying cool somehow - someway this weekend.

Being a Puppy Vs. The Show Ring

I am in a bit of a quandary. Darlah and I are surrounded by contradictions and wondering how we can best satisfy all requirements. I know we are already quite forthcoming about the doings around our home. If any of you are following Darlah’s blog day to day you have a fairly good idea of our life. We hide nothing. We lay it all out for you to see. We believe in being open, in sharing our own experiences as we learn from others and from our dogs each day. But I digress.

On Friday we were unsuccessful in the show ring.

I know that Abigail is a beautiful, wonderful example of the breed. She exhibits the best features in the breed guidelines and has been complimented on her grooming, shown natural as the breed dictates, her “excellent” top line with which she was born thanks to the breeding lines of Beth Obrecht and Rockhurst Havanese, her perfectly straight legs and beautiful bouncing step.

But, in comparison to the other Havanese against which she competes, she has, for example, much less hair and she is not trained perfectly, yet. I can explain both and here-in lies our dilemma.

While we are a registered CKC Kennel, we do not have a kennel per se. Our dogs live in our home. They sleep on our bed or on the floor around us, they have free access to every part of the house and backyard and are encouraged to play, at all times. Now that the summer is maybe finally here we will be swimming almost daily and when I say we, I mean Darlah and I, and all of our dogs at one time or another. Besides that it is excellent exercise for everyone, most of them really enjoy it.

But this does not help us present a perfectly groomed dog in the show ring. Abigail went swimming on Thursday. She plays with Fiona off and on all day long. When they can, they get Kat to play with them. Then Shoshi joins in, Wasabi speeds around them and even Risa starts romping in excitement. They jump on and over and around each other like banshees and we love it. They are all so obviously having a great time with each other and with us. If you saw the video from the other day Kat’s excitement and enthusiasm comes through.

But this does not help us present a perfectly groomed puppy. Fiona nips at Abigail’s hair and vice versa. They all do the same with Kat. They aren’t hurting each other, they are playing. The solution is to isolate Abigail. I’m sure within a few weeks there would be a significant difference to the length of her coat but I am equally sure she would be miserable. So I search for the trade off, constantly. We do not want to sacrifice her pleasure as a pup for the fleeting glory of the show ring. The question is whether or not we can have it both ways and I’m sure we are not inventing the wheel here. I just don’t see many people discussing this aspect. (Darlah says: For her the solution is inbetween shows deep condition and leave it in as Fiona doesn't like the taste)

Of course it doesn’t help that I am not a professional handler. I just own and love my puppies. Abigail and I entered the ring together for our very first time. We are getting better every time we walk into the ring and we are diligently attending two different handling classes to get better in our technique. But I won’t take away her play time. I won’t. And so I ask you all to bear with us as we work to get Abigail’s championship. It will not be a quick win but in the end it will be a very satisfying one. Stay tuned for the ups and downs and please, do not hesitate to comment. Your posts are welcome here. Constructive criticism of any kind is welcome. Encouragement is especially welcome.

Yesterday, Abigail won Winner's Bitch for 2 more points. We are on our way to our Canadian championship.

Thanks for listening.

Nathan

Abigail Wins Her First Points

What a difference between today and yesterday. We all got the distinct feeling yesterday that the judging was running late. The Judge fairly flew through the Havanese breed and Abigail didn't get a second look. I was really disappointed as I thought Abigail had never looked or behaved so well. Granted I'm still not doing everything as and when I should but Abigail was the best she has ever been, yet was ignored.

Today was a whole other thing. The Judge was obviously very familiar with the breed and quoted to me a few of the breed standards as she was examining Abigail on the table. She complimented Abigail on her excellent topline and she proceeded to thoroughly examine every inch of her as she did for everyone else. She took her time. She had us walk down and back and then all the way around. I got the feeling Abigail's head needed to be higher. Abigail and I had a brief discussion about it and she got her head up higher. I was told after I still need to pay more attention to the Judge and less focused on Abigail and I'm working on that aspect. We won the puppy class beating one other female Havanese puppy.

That meant we went back into the ring a few minutes later to compete against all of the female Havanese of any age competing today. As I am with the puppy, we are last in line. The Judge told me off for standing behind the table and out of her line of sight. Hearing this the others quickly moved up a few feet to give us room to get into her sight. Again, Abigail walked around wonderfully. She does walk very well. I tried not to trip over my feet and mess her up. She asked that Abigail and another Havanese be placed on the table again and viewed them both from the front. Then asked us all to walk around again, this time with Abigail second in line. As we walked all the way around she pointed to us, thank goodness I was watching just in case, and indicated that we had won. Winners Bitch. Oh, my. What a feeling. I know I was grinning from ear to ear and thanked the Judge very much.

All the others then left and the male special went to stand in the ring in front of us. This seasoned three year old Havanese is one of the ranking toy dogs in Canada, immaculately groomed, professionally handled. But he stopped in a position that left me behind the table again. This time I didn't wait for the Judge but asked the handler if he could please move up a bit so we could get out from behind the table. He immediately complied and around we went. At the end, we didn't beat him but our day will come. :-)

Abigail finished today with Winners Bitch for her first 2 points. And Best Puppy in Breed. I was very proud of her. The Judge and I spoke for a few minutes afterwords and she said that she thought Abigail was excellently groomed and I immediately pointed out my wife standing outside the ring and said that Darlah was entirely responsible for that and thanked her for saying so. She went on to repeat that she believed Abigail had an excellent topline and she really liked her. I'm still glowing.
Nathan

Abigail Attends Handling Class

Abigail and I attended our first Handling class together last night. She becomes eligible to be shown in the middle of April. I was hoping to get her ready for her first show in about a month. That remains to be seen but we did not get off to a great start and of course I blame myself. Abigail is magnificent in every way.

We pulled into the parking lot at handling class and exited the car. I had her in my arms as the parking lot was quite muddy. We walked around the car we had parked beside and came face to face with a beautiful Great Dane. That was a little much for her.

Keep in mind she's in my arms and this Dane, standing on all fours, is looking her in the eye. Oh oh, I thought to myself but it was ok.

We continued on into the community center and she slowly relaxed. She is not generally intimidated by anyone and she proved it not much later when a Beardie pup came over to play.

At over 8 months the Beardie pup was easily 4 or 5 times the size of Abigail and playful as all pups. This particular Beardie was raised with a litter of Havanese. So naturally she came over to play.

Abigail put up with it for a minute, being quite familiar with Yvonne's Beardie, then snapped at the Beardie puppy and growled in her face. The Beardie hit the floor, backing off completely. She tried again a few minutes later and a low growl backed her off again. Abigail really was not intimidated by any of the other dogs although she was leery of the Dane.

There was another Havanese in the class, Apple, one of Yvonne's that we'd not seen since she was a small pup. Abigail greeted her properly but in Handling Class we are supposed to focus on our dog and ignore everyone else's.

I also knew the instructor, Julie, a Beardie Breeder (we were surrounded by Beardies) and a few of the dogs there. Should be fine, I hoped. Nope, Abigail decided she didn't feel like walking around and refused to heel, period. They asked me if she'd ever been on a leash before. I sighed, quietly, inside.

As many of you know that follow the Talemaker Havanese Adventures, I tend to walk them daily. Abigail has been on 50 walks, always on leash AND she's a graduate of Obedience class where she learned to sit, stay, come, down, HEEL etc.

Her and I walk daily. She just decided that she wasn't interested in walking down this path this evening and refused to move unless I was heading for my coat hanging on the back of a chair near the door, or the exit. She didn't want to sit, she wanted to lie down.

Keep in mind in Handling Class the dogs must stand throughout. No sitting in Conformation.

Darlah wasn't there to film it or you'd be laughing at my antics, down on my hands and knees, one hand under her bum, the other under her neck trying to get her to stand, tail in the air, head up, encouraging her for all I'm worth, rewarding her at the littlest hint of forward progress. Same with heeling.

Keep in mind this same little girl knows how to heel perfectly, has done it every day for months. Not yesterday. I couldn't coax her, I couldn't make silly sounds and movements to encourage her, I couldn't outright bribe her with treats. Nothing worked. As soon as I let her go, she went into the down position. An hour later it was time to go.

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Abigail the Magnificent One and her idiot Handler.
Nathan

Wasabi and Kat

I was just flipping through a few pictures we've accumulated over the years and I came across this one of Wasabi and Katsuro when Kat was about 5 months old. They are both lying on the security cover we have on top of our swimming pool, which is bolted down in about 50 places. I can walk on it. When there is no snow on it, the dogs bounce over it as if they are on a trampoline. For those of you with dogs and a pool I strongly recommend you get this kind of security cover for the winter.

Nathan