# Nala's House Guests



## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

I have been lucky to get to dog sit some local Havanese dogs lately. I always start with the dogs meeting on a long walk. Nala doesn't always do great with a head on meeting. If she gets too startled she will get snarly. The dogs seem to be getting along great and playing in the house and then it will turn "snarly" and I will have separate them. I highly suspect it's Nala who turns the mood of the interaction.

I always feed them separately (also because Nala is on a special diet) and I won't leave them alone unsupervised.

With our first guest she was like this a handful of times and then after 5 days I could leave them alone.

Now I have one dog perched above my head and Miss Nala on the other side of me.

I am just wondering if this ever happens to anyone else??? 
Nala is 3 years old and unspayed. She had several litters of puppies in a backyard-ish breeder place. The breeder said that she became "un-breedable". (Cranky?) We are waiting until she is super healthy (she had liver issues) until we have her spayed. Does she think the houseguest Havanese are here to breed with her?

Annie


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## Perugina (May 28, 2008)

Wow, good question. It sounds like she was never properly socialized with other dogs and may have had some irritating mates...Kudos to you for taking in dogs and trying to turn this around.


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi Annie,
I am not sure why Nala is reacting that way, but it seems like you are doing everything perfectly. I have to say that Marble is very snarly around any other dog when I'm around. He snaps at them within 10 seconds, but he is perfect when I drop him off with the dogs at doggie daycare. I'm sure that with added time, Nala will get better, unless it does have something to do with her not being spayed (I've never dealt with that before).
Gina


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I think we forget that first and foremost, Havanese are dogs. They are not all the perfect fluffs described in the books. It takes a while for my two to warm up to other dogs, sometimes quicker than other times. When we go to a playdate, they don't just run in and start playing. They will kind of check things out first and it could take a good 15-20 mins before they are comfortable enough to play.

I think how you are handling the situation is great, especially with Nala's background.


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## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

We had another long walk and they haven't snarled at all. When do I know if I can leave them alone together??


Annie


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

irnfit said:


> I think we forget that first and foremost, Havanese are dogs. They are not all the perfect fluffs described in the books.


ound:
That was a good one
Gina


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Annie, This may be more of a Havanese trait than some of us realize. Smarty is not social at all to most dogs, this is why I as so ecstatic when Galen came into our lives. We will still have the snarly,” I’m going to kill you”, then they take off and RLH. A lot of Smarty’s noise is just that, noise. Galen has figured it out and now seems to nag it on. I want Smarty back in Agility so we are starting a Behavior class in September to help determine if something has happened to change "I love every dog' to what we have now and to hopefully correct her interactions with other dogs.


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