One-On-One

With the all puppies now having received their first vaccinations, it's time for some individual time.

This is a very important step in the puppies development as, up to now, they've always been with their siblings or other dogs. Taking them places by themselves is needed to develop confidence.

I encourage families to pick up their puppy and taking them for a few hours to their homes or other 'safe' locations with no other dogs or pets to ensure they don't pick up any diseases during this crucial period. Introducing them to LOTS of strangers will help bring out that darling personality the breed is so well known for.

I have a soft crate that I pack up puppies in and take them to work with me. Usually the first few times is a bit traumatic especially since puppy still remembers the last car ride was to the vets!! We need to offer positive experiences.

The Peters family came on Saturday and took Zeus for a few hours in the afternoon. He was glad to come back home but I know he loved the attention of being the only puppy. Sunday was Chika's turn as we went to an Auction where she settled after a bit under the lawn chair in the shade. She had lots of people lovin' her :-)  Monday morning Amiga came to work with me and stayed on my desk napping and chewing her twist. Zeus came in the afternoon.

Zeus sitting on top of my desk - pretty comfy

Each of them cry while in the vehicle and take a little bit to settle but usually within the half hour, I have each of the puppies settled chewing a twist or sleeping.  Learning to relax in the new location is so important.

Also during this time the puppies will get accustomed to their harnesses and leash training as I take them outside for potty breaks during my breaks. It also works towards their house training as they must 'tell' me they need out. At this point, they just whine and can't settle. That's when I know we both need a break!

I will spend the next several days alternating between the 3 pups that are going to their new homes late next week. The other two pups, Milo and Nalu will be given their individual training time after Amiga, Zeus and Chika are confident and ready to take on the world.

This is an exciting time for puppies as their world expands  :-)

Stair Masters

A few days ago we started introducing the puppies to the stairs. I'd start with taking one puppy and placing it on the top step and calling it to make the small climb. Milo, Amiga and Chika were all very competent at this simple task. Ahi wouldn't move as he was afraid :-)  Nalu was too small.

After we got all the pups to quickly jump the single step, we moved them down another full step and asked them to climb two. Then three and then five.

Today, you can now see the puppies are quite comfortable climbing up the stairs. What's especially funny about taking the puppies close to the bottom step, is all the adults came down to cheer on the babies, and demonstrating how to jump up the steps...just in case the little ones needed an example.

Also I wanted to let everyone know that I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to live stream through the webcam this weekend. Our Agility club is hosting their spring trial and I will be away from home to help the club both days. My evenings will be assisting our son as he moves from Red Deer to Drumheller with a few days temporarily moving in with us.

It's going to be a busy weekend....! I'll upload some videos to make up for the lack of webcam.  Hava great weekend!!!

A Visit to the Vet

Today was our first car ride and it was off to the Veterinary we went.  The pups were so good going into their crate as they were hoping for some play time outside. Darn!! Into the truck and away we went.

The first few miles the pups were unsettled and whiny, however after the first couple kilometers they all settled down for a nap. We went to see Dr Higgins at the Cedarwood Veterinary Clinic in Red Deer, just one of the very excellent vets we have in our area. I find Dr Higgins to be very thorough in his puppy examinations and like him to see the pups at least once before they go to their new homes.

The vet weighed each pup and recorded the following:

	Birth Wt	8 wks          + 1 day	% of Gain
Milo	272	2460	804%
Nalu	193	1540	698%
Chika	253	2000	691%
Amiga	224	1840	721%
Ahi	271	2200	712%

So today the puppies received their first vaccination for distemper/parvo and they were all micro-chipped.

Nalu was the first examined by Dr Higgins

 Nalu squirmed and fussed during much of the exam except when her temperature was taken. When Dr Higgins took her to implant the microchip, I heard her cry. Poor little darling....  I have no worries that this lovely little girl won't be a stunning, happy and well-rounded adult...once she's no longer mauled by her siblings...hehe

Amiga was very well behaved.

Amiga didn't fuss at all during any part of the exam and when Dr Higgins came back from implanting the microchip commented on how good she was with very little flinching. Good girl Aminga.

Chika was next up for her exam.

Chika was also a very good girl with no fussing during her examination and very little response to the implant.
Continuing bringing the puppies to Dr Higgins from smallest to largest meant the next puppy up was Ahi who was BY FAR the best behaved puppy of all. When Dr Higgins came back from implanting Ahi he said the pup didn't even flinch! Good boy Ahi!!

Ahi doesn't mind the thorough checking

 Milo was the last pup to be examined. Like Nalu he squirmed while having Dr Higgins using the bright light to check each eye. He was pretty good for the rest of the exam but during the implant yelped the loudest of all! Looks like poor Milo has inherited the 'woosie' gene....hehe

Listening to Milo's heart

It was a quiet trip home but it wasn't long before they all wanted outside to play in the grass and on the equipment.

Overall, Dr Higgins was very happy with each puppy. He checked the internal organs, found no hernia's or other problems. Each of the boys have all their male parts. Eyes, ears and nose are good. Dr Higgins also checked the Patella's and was very pleased that all the pups have excellent joints unlike other small breeds who struggle with half the litters having patella problems.

Dr Higgins also examined each pups teeth alignment and bites. Ahi has an excellent mouth while the other pups are all in various stages of jaw development and different degrees of base narrow. This is common with pups and not a concern as the top jaw develops independent from the bottom jaw as well as each quadrant develops individually. We believe that if the only item we are to watch is the normal growth of the jaws, then we are very proud of our breeding program.

I'm certain our families are looking forward to bringing home their special pup from Seda Havanese.

Training for Manners

Growing puppies require larger spaces. On Monday evening I changed their bedroom to accommodate 5 individual crates and gave them more space. The night went really well when everyone found a place to sleep until 9am the following morning.

Growing spaces....

Their current weights are:

	Birth Wt	At 8 wks	% of Gain
Milo	272	2403	783.5%
Nalu	193	1480	666.8%
Chika	253	1946	669.2%
Amiga	224	1766	688.4%
Ahi	271	2111	679.0%

The boys are certainly topping the charts... but I'm pleased to see that Nalu continues to have the same rate of gain as the others. I suspect that Milo, Chika and Ahi will all mature about 10" to 10 1/2" at the shoulder. Amiga should mature between 9 1/4" to 9 1/2", while Nalu about 8 3/4" to 9" at the shoulder. They will all be within standard.

I have mentioned in several different places in my blogs and website, as well as to everyone we talk 'Havanese' to, the breed are treat hounds!! They literally will do anything for a 'high end' treat and are such smart little dogs that it only takes a few times to figure out the game.

I prefer to start with a holistic biscuit cut into VERY tiny pieces when it's time to train. The video that I've posted is the VERY FIRST TIME the pups are getting this special treat and they must demonstrate manners before getting it. You'll notice I don't ask the puppies to sit. I have an expectation that WHEN they sit, they will get a treat. I slipped up only once.

It started off with the pups absolutely mauling me to get to the new item, but before long they quickly learned what the expectation was to receive the reward. Watch and see!!

Then I went for more treats and we shot another clip. See the change in the puppies in just a very few minutes....

In the second clip Chika had a hard time trying to stay off of me but the instant she came off my leg she was rewarded. Watching her siblings getting more than her certainly was incentive! She was much better in the first clip. Nalu probably got the most as she was so smart in staying behind the pack and quietly waiting. Patience is rewarded!!

Using our new found manners, we managed a group picture for their 8 week photo. What darling puppies!!

From Left to Right: Chika, Nalu, Milo, Amiga and Ahi

 Then all the puppies raced back to the kitchen where I had gone two times before to cut their treat up. Sitting at the base of the cupboard they felt they deserved  to 'play' some more. Milo even barked to encourage me to get back to the kitchen and bring more treats.  I'll start working with them individually in the evenings as we teach them some simple manners. I wonder if I can use this method to teach them not to shred their new piddle pads....sigh*

Such an intelligent breed is best taught with positive reinforcement! By far, this is the most important thing families, owned by their Havanese, can remember!!

Puppy Development - "I'm Afraid Of Everything' stage

We often get asked why we don't send Havanese to their adoptive homes until minimum 10 weeks of age. 

Experts feel that the time between 8 to 10 weeks to be the most important time for puppies as they continue to learn behaviors and manners that will affect them in later years. One should NEVER isolate puppies from humans during this critical age.

 

The reason is the pups enter the “I’m Afraid of Everything” stage that begins around 8 weeks and lasts to about 3 months. It's often a time of by rapid learning as well as a “fearful period” that usually pops up at around 8 to 10 weeks. Not all dogs experience this, but most do, and they’ll appear terrified over things that they took in stride before. With a Havanese, you should never engage in harsh discipline, loud voices or traumatic events. Sending an un-socialized puppy to their new home is very traumatic.

We have been very diligent in socializing the puppies by having people come to our homes. Over the next few weeks, we'll be taking the puppies out for visits. The vet is probably one of the first outings they will have and this Thursday afternoon is their first set of shots and micro-chipping.

After they have their vaccinations, we'll start taking the pups for short car rides to pet stores, offices and friends homes to expand their social circles. Positive experiences is very important so we'll be sure to bring along some liver treats!

 

Development of the puppies bladders and bowels are going to be more evident and the puppies will start to have much better control - thank goodness!!! Pretty soon they'll be able to sleep through the night without getting up half-way. Now just to convince me to get up earlier to take them outside for their am piddle and bm. 

 

We can begin teaching simple commands like: come, off, and leash training will begin. I prefer clicker training so I won't teach sit, stay, using voice commands. Only by expectations and reward the desired result. Visitors to the house will start engaging in the training by playing the 'Come' game. A solid RECALL is one of the MOST important skills your dog will EVER need and it starts at this tender age.

 

With all the training and socializing we have been exposing our puppies to, you can expect your Seda Havanese puppy to take this next stage in stride!!

Victoria weekend

We had another busy weekend at Seda Havanese.

Saturday was soooo gorgeous that the pups spent about 3 - 4 hours outside playing in the pen.

While the pups played, I spent part of the day bathing and grooming all my adults. They look fabulous!!!  I must admit I LOVE the brush I picked up at the last show. It has made grooming the full coats so much easier and matts a thing of the past. I've looked all over the internet for an online supplier with no luck. The only place I have found it is through Pupular Pet Products in Leduc. I'll talk with Mike because I can't even find the brush on his website. Must be a trade secret!!

Since Sunday was expected to be quite quiet, I had already decided that it was going to be bath day for the puppies. Each of the pups have received several 'bums baths' over the past week, but Sunday was the full salon treatment. Shampoo, conditioner, blow dry and style! Fluffed the little ones up very nicely. However partway through the process my camera steamed up so only limited pictures.

First wet Chika down completely

Add shampoo and lather :-)

 

Not impressed!!

Amiga after the bath and wrapped in the towel for drying.

Getting ready for the blow dryer and style. This takes treats to keep them settled...

The pups that handled the bath the very best were the two boys, Milo and Ahi. Hopefully this weekend we'll be able to bath them again and take their 'soaped' pictures.I'm looking for volunteering that can handled being bossed around.......just kidding. I think Daryl can be suckered into helping.....  :-)

Late Sunday we went to visit friends and left the puppies in their bed pen. They were not impressed when we got home!! Then Monday was spent inside as it rained Sunday night and all Monday. The pups missed their play time outside but it was good to reinforce using the piddle pads while in the house. We had a pretty good success rate with all the puppies........as long as we were watching them.

They did get lots more play time in the house though and have decided that 'tug and toss' is great fun! If we only toss the toy about 1 meter, the pups will fetch. We're pretty sure that Havanese are genetically coded to play fetch :-) 

By Monday evening the pups have discovered the hallway and that Cane can be chased to his crate. NEW GAME!!! We have to keep our bedroom door closed as the pups like to terrorize Cane to his crate and then imitate Jenga and Raine who love to lay under our bed.  They have also discovered their bedroom which is also at the end of the hall....a quick bite of sustenance and cool slurp of water and OFF AGAIN!

With the puppies now able to play HARD for an hour before the crash, means a very busy week ahead. I'm thinking it's time for some training.....

Lovin' the outdoors

We now take the puppies outside about 4 times every day and they LOVE IT!!  They know they have to crowd into the crate and instantly settle for a quick trip to the outside pen. Open the crate door and they RUN out to enjoy the freedom.

Look at Nalu RACE through the tunnel

We have a larger tunnel outside for them to play in for the past several days which they are very comfortable racing through. New to their area is a 'bridge' and they are exploring it's purpose. They haven't started going through the small piece of lattice that we have also placed in the outdoor pen to teach them about their back feet.

After the pups have spent the first 5 minutes enjoying the pen, pretty soon they settle down and Milo loves to lay in the cool grass while Nalu picks all the dandelion flowers. Chicka likes to snuggle against me when I sit down, Amiga loves playing in the dirt and Ahi likes sitting on the wood objects.

After about 15 minutes, all the puppies head back to the crate to tell us they are ready to go back INTO the house. Such smart babies!

Everyone's ready to go back in the house

The Terrible Two's

This is the stage that I compare to our 'Terrible Two's".  The pups are no longer nursing from momma and although they have been eating kibble and soft for the past few weeks, they have decided they are holding out for Mom. That's not going to happen....!!

As a result, the pups are very vocal as they crave Mom or human company. We are now teaching them they are not allowed to be demanding....I'll tell you next week how that's going :-)

They are all playing with tug toys and chasing after balls or toys tossed very short distances - approximately half a meter. They are also playing tug together which is great as they build their personal strengths.

They are going to the outside pen more and I'm consistent with lunch hour and evenings weather pending. When time allows I also go out in the morning for a quick playtime and potty break. All the pups are very comfortable playing outside and are easily transferring potty time to the grass.

Leash training has started with putting harnesses on puppies in the evenings to get them used to wearing something. At this point no one accepts the harness and will either manipulate it to escape or crawl into the tunnel to sulk.  It won't be long as they are much too playful to let the harness bother them for long. Soon as the puppies are tolerant of the harness we'll start taking them outside on a zip line and follow them around allowing them to lead the way or follow Mom.

They are all comfortable with the agility equipment they have being the tunnel and the table. We'll now introduce a 'bridge' which is a 2x4 about 2' in length. We'll also introduce a 'wobble board' which is small 2'x2' square piece of plywood with a paperweight underneath to make the board unstable. The Teeter or Seesaw is probably one of the hardest pieces of agility equipment for a dog to get used to so introducing the wobble board to babies is a great confidence booster.

They have grown so much in the past week that we have noticed huge differences. We are still weighing them and here are their weights from 6 weeks. Can't believe I'm almost a week behind again...... :-)

	Birth Wt	At 6 wks	% of Gain
Milo	272	1531	462.9%
Nalu	193	1010	423.3%
Chika	253	1350	433.6%
Amiga	224	1205	437.9%
Ahi	271	1409	419.9%

The Great Outdoors

The past six weeks have gone by so quickly for us at home and the puppies have grown so much. It's hard to remember those tiny babies that would curl up into our palm. Soon they'll be getting their first set of vaccinations.

Tuesday evening was so gorgeous and warm I took the pups out for their first outside experience. Too funny!!!

Milo quickly bailed out of the crate which is why he is missing from the video and Nalu did eventually come out for a short visit. We didn't keep any of them outside so not to over stimulate them. However we hope to get the puppies out every warm evening and during the day on weekends. Here are some candid shots of the pups enjoying the evening.

A few candid shots....

Milo

He sure loves the outdoors. This little sweetheart is a heart-breaker. He just wants to be with his people and will stick his nose through the ex-pen, give you those sorrowful puppy-dog eyes in hopes of coming out to play....and who can resist? Momma Evelyn and Milo have already started their bond.

Nalu

This precious little girl is a such a gentle soul, but that's not saying she can't ruff it up with the others. She is so very smart and we're still looking for the right home that will allow this little girl to develop into the stunning and confident girl we know she is. She has all the right stuff for the show ring under the right person.

Chicka

Chicka is a soft spoken girl with lots of confidence and athletic ability. Presence is her middle name! She loves to chase the toys and it won't be long before she'll be bringing them back, as it's all about the 'game'! Terry & Susan will be able to present this girl into the show ring or any competition ring they want to challenge themselves with.

Amiga

Amiga is another incredible girl that has the looks, the structure, the talent and the heart to be everything her new family cares to challenge her with. She also loves her people and yet isn't assuming. Quiet, confident and adorable all describe this sweet girl. She'll definitely be the 'darling' at momma Lauretta's office.

Ahi

Our very precious Ahi is such an incredible boy. His coloring, lineage, structure have made him quite desirable to other breeders, however it's hoped that this boy is going to a family with two boys. Ahi (permanent name pending) will provide hours of playing chase, fetch and more before settling for those well loved belly rubs. He is also expected to be presented to the show ring where he is expected to do very well.

Can you tell we're very proud of our babies....?

Busy....busy....busy....

The puppies were 5 weeks old on Wednesday already!! Their personalities are showing more and it has been quite a week. I do apologize for the length of time between blogs but between working full time and then caring for my canine family means that I usually sit for the first time after 10:30. Too late for blogging....

Milo - you can already see his silvering on legs and face

Earlier this week the puppies were showing interest in helping Momma eat her kibble, so I thought now is a good time to bring out their puppy kibble. I started by adding a little water but the pups had no interest in the food. I then gave them some dry puppy kibble and they LOVED it!!

Only Nalu and Amiga suffered from loose stools for a day or two but it wasn't long before everything was back to normal. I have tried offering their canned food a couple times a day and they eat it but no longer with the exuberance they did previously. My babies are growing up....

Nalu - this gorgeous little girl has a soft personality that will blossom under the right family

They are also drinking their water from a bowl with no interest in starting with a water bottle. These Cuban Havanese are certainly strong, healthy puppies!

We have them out playing in the living room every evening and are trying to teach them about going to the piddle pads which we have a couple placed in the room. It's still a 'hit and miss' situation but we are so happy when the puppies make the right choice.

Lewa - We now call her Chika and are excited to see this little girl rock the show scene!

They are so adorable as they are trying to get up on the couch where momma goes to get away from the little darlings  :-)  I can't believe these pups are so balanced that they can sit on their haunches and wave their front feet in the air asking to be picked up. So cute!

They had their first deworming on Wednesday and had no problems giving the small tablet. Every two weeks from now on.

Aina - Confident, sweet and quiet all describe this lovely little girl her family is renaming Amiga.

We still have lots of company and encourage the adopting families to stop in to see the babies. Chris, the owner of the sire Cayo, also stopped by and was very impressed with all the babies. Kayleigh also has been out to play with the babies and all the company just keeping making these babies more and more social.

Ahi - People are drawn to him for his sweet personality and lovely coloring.

We have also had really positive responses from viewers of the webcam even though I've had some problems with our Internet and software conflicts. When I can, I have been go live in the afternoons and trying to keep it going during the evenings. Leave us your comments on the blog or webcam. We love hearing from you!!!

Week 5 to 7 - Continuing the Socialization Stage

At Five Weeks in birth order

Puppies sense of hearing is quite well-developed now and enough to allow the possibility of command conditioning using positive reinforcement, as well as name recognition - the puppy will begin to respond to the name chosen and we are using the new names that some of the puppies have been given. 

The puppy's fear response to sudden startling sights and sounds will begin to emerge at or around this point in their development, so exposure to any normal household objects and noises and association with positive experiences is very important. We have noticed several responses running to their day pen and are quick to reassure them. 
Also, the kind of play that puppy is used to with his littermates, including the "inhibited bite," or "mouthing," is starting to appear in their interaction with us. We are quick to put the puppy in their pen if they try to get to rough with us. For such a social dog, it's quite heartbreaking to not be allowed to play in the living room.
House training can has begun with piddle pads in the living room. We are still waiting for warm weather before we take the puppies for their first outing.

The Social Stage - Four to Twelve Weeks

This is the FUN stage!

Physical co-ordination and eyesight are still not fully developed, but the puppies mobility have progressed however they are not completely steady on their feet yet.

The puppies are very influenced by their mother and litter mates as they continue playing. During this time they are gaining their social skills such as inhibited biting (play biting and not to hurt), as well as where they fit within their pack and the pack's structure.  Mom's attitude becomes a large influence at this stage as well because if Mom is aggressive or fearful, the puppies pick up on that. Luckily Jenga is a wonderful dog with great personality and temperament.

Development experts recommend this a a good time to socialize the puppies with other humans and a variety of people to interact with them - young people under supervision, elderly as well as both male and females. We are lucky as we have been exposing the puppies to a large variety of people and they are already very social with all types of people.

This is also the time we will start introducing the other dogs to the puppies and allowing more 'play' between them all under complete supervision. The big dogs are completely enamored with the small ones but are thankful for the ability to jump onto a couch away from baby when necessary.

Smelling nice and playing hard....

It has been another busy weekend!

The little ones are eating their soft food so well now that we have stopped mixing with formula. They like it much better now and quickly clean the dishes we set out. This tends to make the house more 'doggy' smelling including the puppies. Time for a bath!   And the introduction of kibble....

Saturday after bathing and grooming 3 of the adult dogs, it was baby time. Unfortunately I was by myself and unable to take any pictures. Sorry  :-(   I'm VERY pleased however with the neurological stimulation that we have been doing for the past month as each and every pup was very accepting of their first bath. There was no fuss except when the cooler temperature of the shampoo was applied, but I quickly rinsed them with warm water. A nice warm towel and rub, a short exposure to the blow dryer and under the heat lamp to finish warming and drying.

This weekend was also the start of the adult dogs getting to know the puppies better, it was funny to watch Raine truly play with several. It seems Raine likes the more dominant pups Milo and Lewa but probably because those were the pups that were more adventurous in expanding their boundaries beyond the playpen area. Spenser was curious to meet but not quite ready for play and Cane ran to hide every time a puppy looked his way. Such a big chicken!!! Even Jenga is getting in the game of playing as the puppies are less interested in mauling her to satisfy their thirst.


Since the pups are more interested in play, toys and are steadier on their feet, it's time to introduce the agility equipment.  I added the flexible tunnel today as well at the table. I find the tunnel gives them incredible confidence and the table prepares them for climbing stairs. Nalu was the first pup to actually check out the tunnel but it didn't take long before we were counting heads trying to find a missing pup or two quietly hiding in the tunnel  :-)  Getting on the 'table' (a small cardboard box covered with grip) was a bit more challenging but it wasn't long before Milo and Lewa had the confidence to climb on it. Milo also preferred to chew the corner and draaaggg it around the room.

Nalu was the first to check out the new item in the playpen.

A couple times today I noticed the pups reacting to loud sounds in a fright/flight response. One of the main reasons we bring the pups into the living room every evening is to desensitize them to all the different noises, barking, TV, etc. The other is to get in my puppy fix.

As promised I have setup the webcam so you can now watch them in the evenings. Check in about 6pm MST every evening and watch the babies play. Find the live streaming at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sedahavanese

Here are some pictures of some of our adopting families as well as some of the gorgeous pictures taken by Terry & Susan, and Lauretta, Brian and Ethan during your visits. I hope it's okay that I share them with everyone!

The Peters - Noah (next to dad) knows every pup by description and name. VERY impressive Noah!!

Terry and Susan with Chika (Lewa)

Nalu is the Hava Silk type while Lewa has the Cuban head and muzzle. Most evident when side by side.

Lewa at 3 1/2 weeks with Nalu in the background

 

 

Lewa hiding behind Brian

Ethan checking out Ahi's sharp molars.....

Without seeing the front feet I have a hard time telling them apart!!

Milo making himself comfortable...VERY comfortable!!

Who said dogs don't laugh?!?

Aina found just the right spot in Ethan's arms for a nice nap.

Aina