Wasabi's First PregnancyHavanese Health Truly Matters

 With us, care for your little one starts right from the beginning. We feel it is important to do all the health testing on the dam and sire before they are bred. This also includes all the right nutrition for the dam before, during and after pregnancy.

After the pups are born, we also practice a program to help us develop high achievers. This is important to us as we want you to have the very best Havanese companion possible. We not only practice the beginning stages of socialization but we also do everything possible to start them on the road to become balanced dogs.

We try to expose them slowly to various sounds and experiences to help them to embrace the world as the fun place it can be.

Play sessions outside of the playpen while your little one is developing in our home happens a number of times a day. It can be as simple as taking them to our kitchen to teach them all sorts of games, to adventuring outside. At night your little one is in their whelping box early on where we have access to them at all times and so does mom. Then as they get older, we graduate them to a playpen area where we can often be found laying in there with them to play. Their daytime playpen sits next to Darlah's desk and their night time playpen sits where their whelping box used to be. This allows us to not only monitor them but it gives us access to play and conditions them to all sorts of experiences. We can also start training them to go on their pads. We keep their area clean so they practice good hygiene not going where they sleep. This can be hard till they are on the right track. Some of this is a natural instinct but to solidify it, we train them to enjoy a clean environment. This not only helps us but it helps you. Early on we have a whelping box that they have to climb over, an area to get from their sleeping/play area to their area where they use their puppy pads. This not only helps them to keep things separate but it also helps develop their legs, strengthening them as they accomplish the climb over that they so readily enjoy.

We also practice good grooming where we keep their nails cut, make sure they are always clean and get them used to a brush and a comb, a look see in the ears, and a cleanup around the eyes. We bathe them several times by the time they come to your home. We do it all in a positive and rewarding way. They get snuggles and much more as a reward and if kept up, they will learn to enjoy the experience.

I also have at least one bath tub experience where I get on my suit, sit in the tub with the crew and add just a tad of water so they can splash and play. I add toys to help make the experience a fun one. I do this on a regular basis with our adult dogs as it's more enjoyable but if I have a quick cleanup, I use the laundry tub. Most people use a sink or tub. We are a tad unorthodox as we truly believe that if you expose your dogs to the elements in a fun way, you are more apt to have a more adventurous dog.

Darlah, Risa & WasabiWe could go on and on with what we do. Whatever it is, we always have a goal to achieve a balanced dog, a high achiever that is happy, confident and a loving companion. We always practice positive boundaries and limitations. The Havanese are people pleasers. This makes this an easier process than in some other breeds. Of course, we may always have the exception - the dog that beats to his own drum, tends to be more difficult in getting an end result but personally these are my faves. They are the ones where their minds are always working and once you achieve that bond and that avenue to exploit his/her creativity - well amazing is an understatement of what you will end up with.

Still, many prefer the docile type but even the most docile Havanese needs a walk. Put them together with another Havanese and often you will see the 'run like hell' game they are so famous for.

Whatever the personality, we steer you to the dog that will work for you. They are all unique and precious and just like us will have their own idea of what life should be about. They are dogs that adapt to your household and need people to thrive.

All of the above contributes to the well-being of our puppies. Of course we also do health testing. It isn't unusual for us to bring the puppies and the mom in their whelping box to our Vet for a quick once over. At eight weeks of age we bring them in for a complete physical, their first vaccination and the insertion of their microchip. We ask that our new puppy families ensure that they bring in their new pup for his or her second vaccination at 12 weeks of age and their third and last at 16 weeks of age. Then we ask that they wait a few weeks before going back for the rabies shot. In this way we ensure clarity in case of any adverse reaction and make it easiest on the pup while protecting them. We also take the entire litter in to the canine Nuerologist for a BAER test (hearing) at approximately eight weeks of age. We've never had a hearing issue but wil continue to test. We ask that CERF testing (for the eyes) is done annually and we continue to test all of our dogs annually at the canine opthamologist. To date all of our dogs continue to pass but we will always continue to check.

If any of our puppy owners have questions, we are always readily available barring an emergency (even then we have cell phones) but we want to hear from you. We want updated photos. We want to hear the stories. It's important to us. We fall madly in love with these pups and it doesn't stop when they go home to you. We genuinely care. We are but a phone call or an email away. We also hang out in the Havanese in Canada group and although it's not necessary, it is a fun place to visit to glean some great relationships.  

© Content published on this page has been a collaborative effort and provided by, and copyrighted by Darlah Potechin and Nathan Potechin (talemakerhavanese.com). No unauthorized reproduction or re-publication in any medium whatsoever is permitted without prior written permission.