# New Havanese puppy owner



## marisoma (Jan 20, 2008)

Hi Everyone!

I am getting a Havanese puppy in two weeks. I've been reading the board here for a few days now to get an idea of what I am getting into. I am so looking forward to getting my little guy, but have no experience with Havs and I haven't had a puppy in the house in years.

We are trying to get ready now for his arrival and just puppy proofing what we can and reading up on potty training and housebreaking. We plan to take a puppy training course as well. I am excited about it but also scared to death...LOL!

I just wanted to say hi and that I will probably be here asking questions and advice as it gets closer to the time I bring the puppy home.

Maria


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Maria,








. You're in for such a treat with these little sweethearts. Your new baby will win you over in a heartbeat and you'll be just as dotty as the rest of us. Ask away. We all have in the past.

You'll find some of the nicest people in cyberspace here and you're likely to get addicted as so many of us have. Post pictures when you get your little one. We love photos. Is it a boy or girl and do you have a name picked out yet?


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## abuelashavanese (Mar 26, 2007)

:welcome: Maria ! We can't wait to hear more about your new little fur baby.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Welcome to the Forum Maria :wave:
We love lots and lots and lots of pictures. :biggrin1: Do you have any you can share yet???


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Welcome Maria!


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Welcome to the forum! We love pictures!

Amanda


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Welcome to the forum!

Ryan


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

:wave::welcome:


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2008)

Maria!!! Welcome to the forum!!!:whoo:

Do you have a name yet for your new little fur baby??? I can't wait to see
photo!!!!!:biggrin1:


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## ECudmore (Jun 5, 2007)

*new havanese*

Welcome to the forum;

I was also scared to death when Racquet arrived.

You will find the forum so so helpful and everyone here is willing and eager to lend a hand and an ear. You will gain so much information about raising your new baby.
We can't wait to see him.

Elayne and Racquet


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## amy-ciara (Jan 5, 2008)

:welcome: 

Welcome to the forum Maria ! I´ll hope the time goes by soon, till your little hav will arrive.
Do you already have pictures ?


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## Ans (Jan 4, 2008)

@Maria

A nice welcome from the Netherlands.
A puppy, wow, enjoy the puppytime, before you know, it is grown up.
Congratulations!
Martina knows everything about puppies, her Ciara had 9 puppies!
One of her puppy is my Hiro! 
They are almost 10 Months now.


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## punkie (Jan 7, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.

I wish you a nice time here and good informations.

Want to see a picture too.


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## Leeann (Feb 28, 2007)

:welcome: Maria, we cant wait to see pictures of your new little one.

We need details, girl/boy and what color?


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Maria, welcome to the forum. It is a great place to be, and lucky for you, you found us "before" you got your baby. I wish I had, cause there is so much to learn, and the information here is so great!! If you have been looking thru the forum, you know - we love pics!!! MOre details please??


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## marisoma (Jan 20, 2008)

Thank you for the welcome!

I do have pictures that the breeder sent to me, but I'm not sure how to get them from my computer to the forum. Once I figure that out I will post pictures.

He doesn't have a name yet. We are thinking of a few but want to see him in person before officially giving him one. The ones we are thinking about are Gadget, Bosco, or Max. No definitive decision has been made yet, and we may think of something new once he gets here.

Right now he is 8 weeks old and he'll be 10 weeks when we get him. He's a four hour drive away so hopefully he won't get car sick on the way home. His coloring is a mix of browns and blacks. He has a little white fur on his face and four white paws. We think he is pretty cute and he reminds me of an Ewok (from Star Wars). The breeder says he's a character and has a funny personality. We are looking forward to getting him and hope it is an easy transition for us all.

Thanks again for the welcome!

Maria


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## Diana (Oct 23, 2007)

:welcome: Welcome!

We are also first time puppy owners, our guy is 3 months old. This forum has been a great place to get info and support, it is a wonderful group of people! Oh, and one tip- they like ALOT of pictures!!:biggrin1:

Good luck, you are in for a great adventure!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Maria,

When you reply to a message just scroll down to the section that says manage attachments. Click on that and it gives you the option of uploading the photo from your files. Just make sure the size is not over about 600x whatever. 

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your cutie pie. He sounds adorable. I love those colors.


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Welcome to the forum Maria!! I look forward to seeing pictures of you new furbaby - talk about exciting times!!  Btw, you puppy's colouring sounds beautiful.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

*Welcome to the forum, Maria.* You are in for the greatest treat. These puppies are so much fun. If I knew what I know now or could do the house breaking again I would definitely do the potty pads and/or litter box. My Smarty was half trained to the outside when we got her at 9 weeks, she would follow her mom out the doggy dog. We always had short haired, large breeds so the outside was the only way to go that i knew. Because of what she could meet on our property she is not allowed out alone. With the rain, snow, cold and sticks and leaves in her longer coat it would be so nice to just clean out a litter box. Good luck, keep us posted.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

welcome to the forum Maria!!!! can't wait to see your new Havababy!


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

WELCOME Maria and congrats on getting a new baby hav.....they are so much fun and I'm sure you will love him immediately! Can't wait to see pictures...


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Welcome to the forum, Maria. Congratulations on your upcoming puppy.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Welcome to the forum, Maria. Glad you found us. You will find so much info on here that you will have no problem raising your new puppy. You will soon learn that these are the most amazing little creatures on earth. They are smart, funny, loving balls of fur (unless you shave them). 

You will also learn that we are very nice people, but need to see pictures. :biggrin1: Can't wait to see your new furbaby.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Welcome to the forum, Maria! You've found the best place to learn and ask questions about Havanese. The folks here have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are eager to share it. I can't wait to see your little guy. He sounds like a cutie!


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

:welcome: Maria! Look forward to seeing the pictures of your new furbaby. Good luck!


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

Welcome to the forum Maria!!!
You will have sooo much fun learning about this wonderful little breed and then when you bring him home it is nice to have a place to go when you have questions!!! Keep us posted!!!


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

:welcome: Maria. So glad you found us before you got your puppy. Hope the info was helpful. I think a lot of us were scared to death when we got our fur babies. I even got sick that weekend I brought him home. I think it was the stress.

Good luck. From your description, your little guy seems so cute. Can't wait to see pictures.


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## Amy R. (Jul 1, 2007)

Welcome, Maria ! Don't worry, it will all work out and you will fall head-over-heels with your puppy. The day I drove several hours to pick-up mine, I nearly had an anxiety attack & turned the car around, thinking "what am I doing?!" Now we don't know how we ever lived without him! So enjoy every minute with him!


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

:wave: Welcome to the forum Maria! I hope you have fun reading up on all their antics here on the forum.There are many topics and many pictures!hoto:

Congrats on your new little guy!:baby:


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## HayCarambaMama (Dec 8, 2007)

Welcome Maria! I've only owned Havs for a couple of months and already I'm sooooo in love! Soooo excited for you on the arrival of your little guy! And can't wait to see his pic! I just got Duncan at 10 weeks and I think it's a great time to get them from the breeder. You will have sooo much fun!
And, ITA, they DO look like little Ewoks!


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## Moko (Dec 11, 2007)

Welcome, Maria! :whoo:

You're gonna' love being part of this family!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Maureen and Molly


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## Doggie Nut (Oct 20, 2006)

WELCOME MARIA AND YOUR NEW LITTLE GUY! GLAD TO HAV YA!


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## marisoma (Jan 20, 2008)

Well, I tried to upload my puppy pics but they are too large. I don't know how to downsize them.

When I get him home I will take new pictures and hopefully I will be able to post those.

I'm still excited about getting him, though I am stressing myself out thinking about things like potty training, grooming, vet appts, housetraining, etc. It's such a responsibility and I want to make sure I do right by him. I also have never had a long haired dog. I've had retrievers or short haired mix breeds all growing up, so this is a whole new arena for me. I did sign up for puppy training and a puppy socialization course at Petco. I'm looking forward to that and think it will be helpful.

This forum is GREAT! I have learned so many things I had no idea about before.

Maria


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

:welcome: Maria. Can't wait to see pics of your apparently Tri-color puppy boy. In order to resize the pics you should get good advice clicking on 'sizing photos' or something similar. You'll find this option on the main forum page to the right. Hope to see pics soon!


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## JanB (Oct 26, 2007)

Maria, welcome and congratulations!

We had a 3 1/2 hr drive home and our Tessa did get carsick. She hasn't been carsick since so I think it was stress and anxiety making her sick. Take lots of paper towels just in case!


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

:welcome: Maria! I'm sure you can't wait until you have your puppy! Post lots of pics when your baby arrives!


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

Welcome and enjoy the forum. This is an awesome group of people who will help you every step of the way!


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## mom23girls (Nov 26, 2007)

:welcome: Welcome Maria!!! This is a fantastic place, you're going to love it!!! Everyone is so kind and willing to help you along the way. Can't wait to see pictures of yur new fur baby!!! Congrats:whoo:


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Welcome Maria! yeah another MA hav owner to be. I see play dates in our future!!! can't wait to see picts of your furbaby ---


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## RCKNROB (Nov 27, 2007)

Welcome Maria
These girls know their stuff, I am new and learning something new from the forum everyday. I know you are going to love your Hav more than you can imagine. I love mine more each day. They are such a delight and joy. I can not imagine life without one or two now.


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## marisoma (Jan 20, 2008)

Hi All,

I'm getting my little guy on Saturday. We are excited and I am of course worried as I think about all the things that could happen or how I will handle puppy training and the like. I am sure I am overthinking all of this, but do have a few questions.

1. I plan to potty train him outside, but thought of using the puppy pads indoors for those moments when there isn't enough time to get outside or when he is alone at home. I have an X-pen (well, baby play yard) for when he is home with me but I can't watch him 100%. I will also use my laundry room to contain him while I run an errand or the kids to school, etc. So for those times he'll need a puppy pad until he can hold it for longer periods. Do you think that will confuse him? 

2. What kind of grooming brush and tools do you recommend? There are so many types and I don't know which works best for his coat. 

3. How often do I feed him and should I always make food and water available? The package of puppy food I bought says to feed 2-3x a day, but is that enough for his age (10 weeks) or will he need more? I don't want him to be hungry, but I thought if he is eating and drinking all day that potty training will be more difficult.

I guess that is it for now. We found a vet and a groomer. We got food and toys and all the supplies we expect him to need. We are just waiting for him now.


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## stoneruls (Dec 26, 2007)

*From a new puppy owner...*

We have had our mambo for 7-8 weeks. Last checkup with the vet, the vet was very happy with where he was at. Here is what we have done:

1. Potty training: we have use crate training, not an expen. With crate training you basically watch the puppy at all times or put him in the crate (only big enough to go in, stand up, turn around and hold a couple of toys) in which we feed him. We take him out before and after every meal, after every nap and after every play time. His crate changes rooms in the house and he seems fine with it.

2. I will defer to someone with more experience, we just use a round tipped brush that was recommended at petsmart. Brush him every day from day one, touch his paws separating his toes also with the same frequency to help him be ok with it.

3. At the recommendation of the breeder and later the approval from the vet, we feed 3x a day at the same times (within an hour) to help with potty schedule. The vet said to free-feed for 15 minutes. This means put the food down for 15 minutes (refilling if he finishes) and removing at the end of 15 minutes. This teaches him that food is not there forever so that is eating time and he will eat (again helps with potty training because the follow-up is we go potty 20 minutes after we eat). Everything we have read speaks against leaving food down all day because of the potty issue and because a lot of dogs will just eat as long as they have food available. We leave water for him all day long (24 hours) in a bottle. The rule as we have read is he has to have water available if you will leave him alone 4 hours or longer and should be taken away 2 hours before bedtime or so to prevent nighttime accidents or walks. We have no problems with nighttime issues since day 2 or 3 so we just leave the water down always.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

As for feeding, check with your vet. My experience with my dogs is to feed 3x per day, which will gradually taper off to 2x per day. Beware that some of these guys are great eaters, and others tend to be very picky. So don't get frustrated. One thing to remember is that they will not starve themselves. 

As for grooming, there is plenty of info on the forum. It seems that everyone loves a rotating comb for removing mats, and a pin brush without the little balls on the tips. There are tons of suggestions about shampoos, etc. Just do a "grooming" search.

Potty training - mine are trained to go out as well as to the pads. Not everyone agrees with this, but it works for me. An x-pen is great and there are also threads that address this issue.

Good luck and can't wait to see pics of your new furbaby.


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

I can't wait for you to get your little one....it seems the waiting is the hardest part....before we got Jillee I was really nervous about it all but when we went and got her all that went out the window.....you just figure it all out and plus this forum is great as well. I am ready for another one when the time is right...Jillee will be a year old in April!!! They are addiciting!!!


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I fed Bugsy three times a day until he was 8 month and then it became apparent that he was ready to skip his midday meal and go to twice a day feeding. As for brushes and combs, I have an old Greyhound comb that was originally made in Belgium. They no longer make that one and the new Greyhound by Ashley Craig are awful in comparision. I notice that a lot of people on the forum use Chris Christeansen butter combs, but am not sure which ones. They also use the Chris Christeansen brushes. I tested a couple of them at the show and wasn't really impressed. I didn't like the way the pins go through the coat, I found that they pulled too much and didn't glide through the coat enough. These were the original wooden brushes. I wonder if anyone ever tried their Fusion and Gold Series Brushes and how they compare to the original. You can find all these products at http://www.showdogstore.com/

HTH


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## marisoma (Jan 20, 2008)

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for your replies!

I got my little guy on 2/2. We named him Giotto. So far, he is a remarkable little puppy. He's so friendly, sociable, loveable. He's a velcro dog though, he likes to be right at our feet or following us around. That is fine when we are home (which is most of the time) but troublesome when we leave. He whines and cries even if he is in his X-pen across the room. I have resorted to taking him with me in the car when I bring the kids to school or to activities, but that can't go on forever. He has adjusted so well. He sleeps in his crate at night, no problems. He wakes up only to pee and then goes right back to sleep until I wake up. He is a bit of a picky eater. I've gone through quite a few different treats and even dog foods until I found one he would eat. He was on Bil-Jac from the breeder but on the third day stopped eating that. I was going to switch him to Wellness anyway, so I started weaning him to that but he wouldn't eat that either. Now (on the rec. of a friend) he is on Merrick (dry and canned). He LOVES that! So for now that works.

Overall, we are enjoying him. He does have a habit of growling or grumbling at times when he is being held, especially by one of the kids. He doesn't snarl or show his teeth, just growls. I don't know if that is common for the breed or something I should worry about. The kids are afraid he will bite them. I don't think he will, but I also don't want to take the chance that he will either. I don't really know why he does it but to help counteract it I have just been putting him in his X-pen when he does it and not giving him any attention for a minute or so, and then letting him out. Most times that does the trick for a bit, and sometimes it doesn't. Potty training is hit or miss. He loves the snow but hates the rain and cold. It's been hard to get him to consistently go outside because of that. At the breeder's he was paper trained, so I have continued that here. He's about 80% with it, especially if I get him to the papers in time. He rarely though poops on the paper. I don't ever catch him in the act of doing this, but he always goes in the corner by my couch. I don't know why he does this and it's always the same place. I'd like to get him to go on the paper (or preferably outside) but that would take catching him in the act and that hasn't happened yet.

I guess that is about it for right now. He's been fun so far (and more work than we anticipated). We never had a puppy and they really are a full-time job. I have no pics right now as they are on my camera and I can get them uploaded. I am going to put them on a disk tomorrow so hopefully I can upload them that way and I will post some pics of him. He's a beautiful puppy. He's tri-color, brown, black and white. He also has an underlayer of silver which I think may become a more dominant color as he gets older.

Thanks again for all the tips and advice. This place is has been a great resource.

Maria


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Maria, sounds like you're in the middle of puppyhood, LOL. How old is Giotto again?
As for pooping on the pee paper, welcome to the club! Pablo would rather die than poop on the paper where he peed. He occasionally poops on the pad if it's all fresh, but otherwise would poop on the carpet too, if I didn't catch him in flagranti. But I put an end to that by writing down the times he poops (VERY consistently), feeding him his kibble off the ground in the spots he pooped (I even rubbed the kibble into the carpet a little bit) and putting toys&beds in those same spots. I usually take him outside right before he has to go in order to avoid accidents. But just to make sure that he knows it's OK to poop on the pee pad, I put him in his ex-pen first thing in the morning where he won't get out of unless he's peed and pooped. He gets his water as a treat after he pees and will get out of his ex-pen THE MOMENT he pooped on the pad.
Hope that helps...


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## butterflylover (Feb 7, 2008)

*New puppy owner with lots of questions--*

Hi everyone- We just got our 4 1/2 mo. old girl Sat. and it's a little overwhelming! We had a collie about 38 yrs ago so it's been a long time and everything is all new again.
One of my main questions is- we got Ashley from a breeder and since she had her a little longer than usual she is already pretty well trained to the puppy pads. I would eventually like to have her 100% trained to go outside, but for now should I just use the puppy pads and work on the outside training after she is more accustomed to us and her surroundings? I think Michele said that her puppy is both pad and outside trained?
Any advice you guys can give me is more than appreciated -

Thanks,

Anne


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Anne,

Congratulations on your new puppy! I would start teaching her how to potty outside immediately if that if your ultimate goal. Less confusion that way. My boys both were mostly pee-pad trained, but I wanted them to learn to potty outside exclusively, so we started as soon as we brought them home. I don't think it is too much for them as they are adjusting. Pottying is a BIG part of a puppy's new routine :biggrin1: 

Good luck and keep us posted on her progress!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Anne, welcome to you and your new baby!! I am sure you guys are very excited and having a ball. I agree that you should start the training right away for outdoors potty. What I did with all three of mine, was treat and have a potty party after each time they went outside. If they used the pad, nothing is said, I just cleaned it up. Eventually they understand that you want them to go outside, they get treated for it, and it makes you happy. When she starts to go on the pads, just go ippipp ipp ipp for some noise like that, and take her out to the grass right away. I would say it was a good month to 2 months before I got rid of the pads all together. You will need to do this in conjunction with crate training eventually, so that she learns to hold it, and as soon as she comes out of crate, that means outdoor potty.\
Good luck to you!!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Mine went outside from day one, and I got them both in the winter with snow on the ground. However, since I don't crate and they have the run of the house, I also use pads. It just fits for our lifestyle. They don't go as often now as when they were puppies, and most of the time they go outside.

I used to keep one in the corner of the living room, because that's where Shelby chose to go. But that one has been removed now. I have one in the kitchen, because that is where Kodi was trained to go. I'm thinking of doing away with that one, also. I also keep one in the den, near the back door. That is the one that Shelby uses.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

maryam187 said:


> Maria, sounds like you're in the middle of puppyhood, LOL. How old is Giotto again?
> As for pooping on the pee paper, welcome to the club! Pablo would rather die than poop on the paper where he peed. He occasionally poops on the pad if it's all fresh, but otherwise would poop on the carpet too, if I didn't catch him in flagranti. But I put an end to that by writing down the times he poops (VERY consistently), feeding him his kibble off the ground in the spots he pooped (I even rubbed the kibble into the carpet a little bit) and putting toys&beds in those same spots. I usually take him outside right before he has to go in order to avoid accidents. But just to make sure that he knows it's OK to poop on the pee pad, I put him in his ex-pen first thing in the morning where he won't get out of unless he's peed and pooped. He gets his water as a treat after he pees and will get out of his ex-pen THE MOMENT he pooped on the pad.
> Hope that helps...


Maria, I agree with everything Maryam suggested. we fed treats on the cleaned up accident spots-- along with sitting down and playing right where the accidents happened-- for us it was in the dining room. Also, the writing down every pee and poo is key- you will find there is a pattern and you can be prepared to lead him to the pads or outside. It is possible he has too much freedom if you never see him do it. We kept both Jasper and Cash in the pen or the one room we were in-- and only when we could watch them.

Welcome Anne, My boys use both the pads and outside. They much prefer outside- but will use their potty room in an emergency. I found the key to long term success with using both was to set up one and only one area in the house as their indoor potty- and train her to that first when you are confident she knows where she is allowed to go in the house- you can start taking her out--- Out doors comes naturally to them with all the scents-- but I have always felt you have to cement the indoor routine first.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Anne,

Welcome to the forum. I would also start training your puppy to go outside right away, since that's where you want her to go. Keep the pee pads available for her inside until she is ready to potty outside only. 
Bugsys wouldn't use pee pads at all (except to shred them), since my big guys went outside, so did he.


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