# Meet Coco



## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

We are thrilled to welcome Coco to our family! We brought her home on Saturday and she has been adjusting very well to her new environment. She seemed a little subdued the first day after the long car ride home and slept much of the second day, often opening her eyes just a little to make sure my two daughters were there ready to dote on her. She sleeps with a blanket and bunny that has her littermates’ smell and it’s just the sweetest thing. She had no accidents the first two days. We were amazed at how she instinctively knew to potty on her UGOdog or her litter box every single time. 

She did have a tinkle accident today. We think she was too excited to see my daughter when she came home from school. We thought it was funny. Attaching some photos as well. We have fluffy blankets and comfy dog beds, but during the day she prefers to nap on shelves. 

She is 12 weeks old today and we celebrated by giving her a frozen spoonful of apple, pumpkin and carrot baby food. She loved it and we love her. 

Feeling so thankful for this precious one and grateful to Tom and Pam King for giving Coco such a great start in life.


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

HavaCoco said:


> We are thrilled to welcome Coco to our family! We brought her home on Saturday and she has been adjusting very well to her new environment. She seemed a little subdued the first day after the long car ride home and slept much of the second day, often opening her eyes just a little to make sure my two daughters were there ready to dote on her. She sleeps with a blanket and bunny that has her littermates' smell and it's just the sweetest thing. She had no accidents the first two days. We were amazed at how she instinctively knew to potty on her UGOdog or her litter box every single time.
> 
> She did have a tinkle accident today. We think she was too excited to see my daughter when she came home from school. We thought it was funny. Attaching some photos as well. We have fluffy blankets and comfy dog beds, but during the day she prefers to nap on shelves.
> 
> ...


That's hilarious she loves to sleep on the shelves! Too cute! Love the pictures, and I loved that you celebrated her 12th week birthday!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

She is beautiful! Lots of fun days ahead with this little one!


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## Lucindagh (Sep 20, 2018)

So adorable! And happy belated bday to her! Our Molly is 15 weeks old today.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Coco is just adorable.


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Thank you all! We are certainly enjoying her. She went on a short hunger strike and refused her breakfast this morning. She didn’t seem as energetic either. She is still adjusting to her new home. 

We happened to have a vet appointment and the vet got very worried about it. She said for a dog this small her sugar levels may be too low from not eating for so long and she may have seizures. She tried to entice her with wet dog food, but Coco wasn’t interested. Then she gave her a small pea sized bit of Nutri-cal. Within minutes she started eating the kibble I brought along. Not sure if it was the Nutri-cal or if she was finally hungry. 

By the time the kids came home from school she was as happy and energetic as ever. She keeps us on our toes!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

She is just adorable! Lot's of fun days ahead!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Congratulations! She’s adorable! And welcome to the “Starborn family”!


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

krandall said:


> Congratulations! She's adorable! And welcome to the "Starborn family"!


Happy to be part of the family! Karen, I remember in one of your posts you said that Kodi was never interested in his stuffed Kong. Coco seems to have no interest either. What other chew toys or distractions did you use for him as a puppy? My husband and I alternated playing with her between our work calls. She hated being alone and let us know by barking. Even when I had her in the same room with me while I worked, she would bark. We love giving her attention, but hoping that the stuffed Kong would keep her busy. Right now we stuffed it with kibble and the baby food that she loved. No interest!

I would love advice from other forum members too! I would love to create more motivation for the kong or employ other tactics to have her be comfortable and happy when we can't actively engage.


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Heather's said:


> She is just adorable! Lot's of fun days ahead!


Thank you! We are looking forward to it!


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## Sam I Am (Aug 26, 2018)

Our puppy is 14&1/2 weeks now. She seems to be turning a page, going to the door when she has to poop, & actually napping on the floor. Before she would only nap in her pen or the couch in the evening. She only barks to try to get our old dog going, doesn’t work though. One night when it was time for bed she got the zoomies & was barking at me as I tried to corral her. I got stern with her, telling her STOP that! Next morning, a new puppy. Sweetest thing ever, lots of kisses. I always told my kids, when they had kids, & the kids were trying their patience......the kids are ‘looking for the line’. Where is the line? There must be a line. Same with puppies. My old dog provides the line in short order. Abby LOVES my old dog, & just wants to be like her. She is in heaven when they lay side by side chewing their treats. Every day with a puppy seems huge, but when you look back, they go by so quickly. We had a UTI with Abby that seemed to hang on until we changed meds, that was worrisome. Good luck, & good health to your baby, she is a cutie.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

HavaCoco said:


> Happy to be part of the family! Karen, I remember in one of your posts you said that Kodi was never interested in his stuffed Kong. Coco seems to have no interest either. What other chew toys or distractions did you use for him as a puppy? My husband and I alternated playing with her between our work calls. She hated being alone and let us know by barking. Even when I had her in the same room with me while I worked, she would bark. We love giving her attention, but hoping that the stuffed Kong would keep her busy. Right now we stuffed it with kibble and the baby food that she loved. No interest!
> 
> I would love advice from other forum members too! I would love to create more motivation for the kong or employ other tactics to have her be comfortable and happy when we can't actively engage.


None of mine have ever been interested in a Kong. There are lots and LOTS of "puppy chew toy" options, and I think we've been through most of them. They seemed to like it best when we rotated them so there was always something new. When Coco gets to teething Pam showed me THE BEST idea. Take a washcloth and cut it into 4 strips. Tie the strips in knots, soak them in water, then freeze them. Give the puppy one strip to chew on until it's defrosted, then trade it for another one. They all LOVED the feel of this on their swollen gums! (and it was practically free!)

As far as barking at you when you are working, you just have to be tough. Don't look at her, don't talk about her, do your ABSOLUTE BEST not to react emotionally to her... and only respond to her when she is being quiet. I had a tough time with this with Kodi, because he was my first. (and I work from home too) It's REALLY hard not to get anxious yourself when you aren't sure you are "doing it right". With the girls, after learning on poor Kodi, I was much more confident. They were much faster to learn that when they were in their pen or crate, that fussing wouldn't get them anywhere. As a result, they are really good about it.

Kodi... I failed in that department. LOL! I finally solved the problem at the time so that it worked for both of us, by setting up an ex-pen around my desk, with a litter box in with us. Then he could be right by my feet, with nothing between us, and he was completely happy. That's not really TRAINING the dog, I know, but it did work for us.  Even now, at 9+ years, any time he is gated away from us, on the wrong side of the bathroom door, or crated when we are home (except bedtime) he fusses. He's my spoiled baby... what can I say? LOL!

The funny thing is that he is FINE crated, penned or behind a gate when we aren't home, and he is super crated in the car or away from home at a trial or training. But at home, he wants to be at my feet. All the time.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Very pretty girl. Looks like an angel!


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## Henry&Kate (Mar 29, 2017)

Coco is lovely. Congratulations! Lots of fun ahead.


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

krandall said:


> Kodi... I failed in that department. LOL! I finally solved the problem at the time so that it worked for both of us, by setting up an ex-pen around my desk, with a litter box in with us. Then he could be right by my feet, with nothing between us, and he was completely happy. That's not really TRAINING the dog, I know, but it did work for us.  Even now, at 9+ years, any time he is gated away from us, on the wrong side of the bathroom door, or crated when we are home (except bedtime) he fusses. He's my spoiled baby... what can I say? LOL!
> 
> The funny thing is that he is FINE crated, penned or behind a gate when we aren't home, and he is super crated in the car or away from home at a trial or training. But at home, he wants to be at my feet. All the time.


OK - - he may be a spoiled baby, but that is SO SWEET!!!!!


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## lolo1 (Jul 24, 2018)

*Congratulations on coco*

Our baby Jack just turned 13 weeks and is a "high drive" puppy so we've had to learn a lot very quickly. I agree with Karen, do not respond to attention barking in any way. Jack was barking early on, at 8 weeks, and it was ear piercing. We just did not respond and it has significantly improved. We also slowly started leaving him alone in his crate or pen for short periods, first when we were home and then we would go out, and trust me he did not like it at first. He does loves crinkle toys and chew toys and we make sure he has variety and we rotate them. We are up to around 3 hours alone with good behavior in the expen. For the barking and the separation training we used a lot of positive reinforcement with rotating treats that he really liked (it took a little while to find the right treats). We also make sure he has plenty of exercise on a regular basis. Any type of running or chasing game, rolling a ball, tossing a toy, following something (Jack can now play fetch) in addition to simple training for sit, following a lure, down, off, etc. helps them use their mind, gain skills, and they are a little more ready to spend quieter time. It is a matter of time, sticking to it, and rewarding the right behaviors over and over. Some days were very long, and Jack had more to learn than these things, but we love him so much and he has a great personality. I hope this helps!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jeanniek said:


> OK - - he may be a spoiled baby, but that is SO SWEET!!!!!


He is NOTHING if not sweet! He will always be my baby boy! <3


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## Sam I Am (Aug 26, 2018)

I’m starting to think many are ‘high drive’ puppies, mine certainly is. We have been joking that we should have named her Taz, or Zippy. She wants to know everything, where everything is, & can she turn it into something fun. She loves the kitchen, because that’s where all treats & food come from. I got a kick out of your comment about some days being long, as I have actually looked at the clock some days to see how many hours left until bedtime. I think the most exhausting part is the housebreaking as we train ourselves to continually watch, and get them out to avoid costly training mistakes, for me anyway. She has a potty tray in her pen, for overnight, but doesn’t need it much anymore. She is still in her crate every morning. 
Sorry, I didn’t hit the quote button in my reply, I was replying to lolo1.


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## lolo1 (Jul 24, 2018)

Sam I Am said:


> I'm starting to think many are 'high drive' puppies, mine certainly is. We have been joking that we should have named her Taz, or Zippy. She wants to know everything, where everything is, & can she turn it into something fun. She loves the kitchen, because that's where all treats & food come from. I got a kick out of your comment about some days being long, as I have actually looked at the clock some days to see how many hours left until bedtime. I think the most exhausting part is the housebreaking as we train ourselves to continually watch, and get them out to avoid costly training mistakes, for me anyway. She has a potty tray in her pen, for overnight, but doesn't need it much anymore. She is still in her crate every morning.
> Sorry, I didn't hit the quote button in my reply, I was replying to lolo1.


I have to say, we were surprised at first, and it took us some time to figure out he was high drive but once we did we started adjusting. The high drive brings those wonderful fun loving traits and curiosities you talk about as well as the need to be busy a lot of the time. The constant watching for where they are and what they are doing and how that in itself is an exhausting human adjustment makes total sense to me!!! We too have wondered if other names would be more appropriate for his personality!! But I do feel that although we weren't expecting this personality we are actually better for the opportunity to work hard and delight in the amount of joy he gets and we get through his zest for life.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sam I Am said:


> I'm starting to think many are 'high drive' puppies, mine certainly is. We have been joking that we should have named her Taz, or Zippy. She wants to know everything, where everything is, & can she turn it into something fun. She loves the kitchen, because that's where all treats & food come from. I got a kick out of your comment about some days being long, as I have actually looked at the clock some days to see how many hours left until bedtime. I think the most exhausting part is the housebreaking as we train ourselves to continually watch, and get them out to avoid costly training mistakes, for me anyway. She has a potty tray in her pen, for overnight, but doesn't need it much anymore. She is still in her crate every morning.
> Sorry, I didn't hit the quote button in my reply, I was replying to lolo1.


There are high drive Havanese puppies (those are the ones I am drawn to!) and lower drive Havanese puppies. But they are ALL puppies, and will all have "busy" times and try our patience. That's why they are so cute. Otherwise, we'd drown them before they had a chance to grow up! LOL!


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

krandall said:


> He is NOTHING if not sweet! He will always be my baby boy! <3


awwwww! What a great picture!


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

krandall said:


> There are high drive Havanese puppies (those are the ones I am drawn to!) and lower drive Havanese puppies. But they are ALL puppies, and will all have "busy" times and try our patience. That's why they are so cute. Otherwise, we'd drown them before they had a chance to grow up! LOL!


hahahahaha!


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

lolo1 said:


> Our baby Jack just turned 13 weeks and is a "high drive" puppy so we've had to learn a lot very quickly. I agree with Karen, do not respond to attention barking in any way. Jack was barking early on, at 8 weeks, and it was ear piercing. We just did not respond and it has significantly improved. We also slowly started leaving him alone in his crate or pen for short periods, first when we were home and then we would go out, and trust me he did not like it at first. He does loves crinkle toys and chew toys and we make sure he has variety and we rotate them. We are up to around 3 hours alone with good behavior in the expen. For the barking and the separation training we used a lot of positive reinforcement with rotating treats that he really liked (it took a little while to find the right treats). We also make sure he has plenty of exercise on a regular basis. Any type of running or chasing game, rolling a ball, tossing a toy, following something (Jack can now play fetch) in addition to simple training for sit, following a lure, down, off, etc. helps them use their mind, gain skills, and they are a little more ready to spend quieter time. It is a matter of time, sticking to it, and rewarding the right behaviors over and over. Some days were very long, and Jack had more to learn than these things, but we love him so much and he has a great personality. I hope this helps!


This is very helpful. We are all trying to get on a schedule that includes playtimes and rest times and I think that helps. No barking in the last few days! She does do a little bit of whimpering, but we use the same tactics of ignoring until she is quiet. It's just so much harder because it sounds so pitiful and she really tugs atour heartstrings.

Once she has stopped whimpering/barking, how long do you wait before you go to her to reward the quiet behavior? Do you give her a treat while in the expen or verbally say "good job" while walking by. Also, what treats are his favorite? 
We have been working on "sit" with Coco. It seems if we ever pick up the container with her treats or even move it around on the shelf, she automatically goes into a "sit" with a wagging tail. We love her so much!


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Sam I Am said:


> Our puppy is 14&1/2 weeks now. She seems to be turning a page, going to the door when she has to poop, & actually napping on the floor. Before she would only nap in her pen or the couch in the evening. She only barks to try to get our old dog going, doesn't work though. One night when it was time for bed she got the zoomies & was barking at me as I tried to corral her. I got stern with her, telling her STOP that! Next morning, a new puppy. Sweetest thing ever, lots of kisses. I always told my kids, when they had kids, & the kids were trying their patience......the kids are 'looking for the line'. Where is the line? There must be a line. Same with puppies. My old dog provides the line in short order. Abby LOVES my old dog, & just wants to be like her. She is in heaven when they lay side by side chewing their treats. Every day with a puppy seems huge, but when you look back, they go by so quickly. We had a UTI with Abby that seemed to hang on until we changed meds, that was worrisome. Good luck, & good health to your baby, she is a cutie.


We just witnessed our first experience with the nighttime zoomies last night! She had us laughing so hard. When we finally caught up to her, her heart was racing! I wonder what makes them do that? We caught some of it on slow motion on our phones. Even more hilarious on slow-mo.

What kind of dog is your other dog? It's so cute that Abby looks up to your older dog and wants to be just like her. My kids are already asking for a second puppy so that Coco can have a playmate. I look at them incredulously and say, "you're her playmate!"


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

krandall said:


> None of mine have ever been interested in a Kong. There are lots and LOTS of "puppy chew toy" options, and I think we've been through most of them. They seemed to like it best when we rotated them so there was always something new. When Coco gets to teething Pam showed me THE BEST idea. Take a washcloth and cut it into 4 strips. Tie the strips in knots, soak them in water, then freeze them. Give the puppy one strip to chew on until it's defrosted, then trade it for another one. They all LOVED the feel of this on their swollen gums! (and it was practically free!)
> 
> As far as barking at you when you are working, you just have to be tough. Don't look at her, don't talk about her, do your ABSOLUTE BEST not to react emotionally to her... and only respond to her when she is being quiet. I had a tough time with this with Kodi, because he was my first. (and I work from home too) It's REALLY hard not to get anxious yourself when you aren't sure you are "doing it right". With the girls, after learning on poor Kodi, I was much more confident. They were much faster to learn that when they were in their pen or crate, that fussing wouldn't get them anywhere. As a result, they are really good about it.
> 
> ...


Hey Karen! I think I did that washcloth trick for my teething babies eons ago and I totally forget about it until you mentioned it. That's a great idea.

I had a few important calls on Friday over video conference. I set her up with me as you suggested with a new no-hide chicken stick and she was quiet the whole time! You are right in that it got me through the day but has not solved the behavior issue. Yesterday she was perfectly content in the expen in the kitchen as long as she could keep an eye on us. A few times we all left the kitchen for 10 mins and she did great! Baby steps... or rather, puppy steps...


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Jeanniek said:


> OK - - he may be a spoiled baby, but that is SO SWEET!!!!!


I agree with Jeannie. So very sweet! I love hearing about the special relationship you have with Kodi.


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## Sam I Am (Aug 26, 2018)

krandall said:


> There are high drive Havanese puppies (those are the ones I am drawn to!) and lower drive Havanese puppies. But they are ALL puppies, and will all have "busy" times and try our patience. That's why they are so cute. Otherwise, we'd drown them before they had a chance to grow up! LOL!


Agreed, we suffer frustrations (normal) & amazement in equal measure. Endearing is who they are in the end. So much going on every minute in their heads. We need to step up our game to keep up.

I appreciate this forum. Sharing what we learn on a daily basis helps calm any over reactions we may have. #1 thing is to enjoy your puppy, then your puppy will enjoy you, & not in a spoiling way. Thanks folks!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

HavaCoco said:


> My kids are already asking for a second puppy so that Coco can have a playmate. I look at them incredulously and say, "you're her playmate!"


My 11 year old was asking for another on the trip home from the breeder for the same reason - I laughed and said the same thing! Within two weeks I knew I wanted another. I thought I would wait 4-5 years until my kids are in high school, but the time table keeps shrinking. Now my goal is to bring home a puppy when our first is 2yrs.


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## Sam I Am (Aug 26, 2018)

HavaCoco said:


> We just witnessed our first experience with the nighttime zoomies last night! She had us laughing so hard. When we finally caught up to her, her heart was racing! I wonder what makes them do that? We caught some of it on slow motion on our phones. Even more hilarious on slow-mo.
> 
> What kind of dog is your other dog? It's so cute that Abby looks up to your older dog and wants to be just like her. My kids are already asking for a second puppy so that Coco can have a playmate. I look at them incredulously and say, "you're her playmate!"


This is our old girl, Jesse, mini aussie. We don't want her to feel pushed back with all the attention we give Abby, because a puppy obviously requires a ton of attention at this age. Jesse is doing a good job, & we are proud of her. She loves jobs, so that helps. Mini aussies are very oriented to only their people, & don't want to be touched by anyone else. When we were going to get her spayed as a young dog, & they said she would have to stay overnight, I decided to not do it, & just go through heat cycles, but many years later we almost lost her to pyometra, because she had not been spayed. Lesson learned, the hard way!


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## lolo1 (Jul 24, 2018)

HavaCoco said:


> This is very helpful. We are all trying to get on a schedule that includes playtimes and rest times and I think that helps. No barking in the last few days! She does do a little bit of whimpering, but we use the same tactics of ignoring until she is quiet. It's just so much harder because it sounds so pitiful and she really tugs atour heartstrings.
> 
> Once she has stopped whimpering/barking, how long do you wait before you go to her to reward the quiet behavior? Do you give her a treat while in the expen or verbally say "good job" while walking by. Also, what treats are his favorite?
> We have been working on "sit" with Coco. It seems if we ever pick up the container with her treats or even move it around on the shelf, she automatically goes into a "sit" with a wagging tail. We love her so much!


Coco is so very cute!! As far as rewarding for the no barking, we started off with short periods of time and once he calmed down and wasn't barking for a few minutes we rewarded him, unless he was sleeping of course, and considered that session was over and we moved on to other play. We just kept increasing the time and moving in and out of his sight, and he started to accept that we would leave and come back, so the barking decreased. It's just not a straight line to success as there were good and bad days, so dont get discouraged. I can tell you your effort will pay off, but it is difficult to hear them whimper!! As for treats he didn't like any at first...it was something he had to learn..but now he really likes the pet botanics mini training treats which come in various flavors and are 1 calorie each, and I also used his kibble in the beginning as sort of a feed and treat at the same time. So I try to stay healthy with the treats, but I do want to admit I did use the occasional very small piece of cheese here and there for something like brushing which he hated in the beginning, but it is not my "go to". I too would love another havanese puppy in awhile. They are such loving and smart dogs and just want to be with us!!


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

lolo1 said:


> Coco is so very cute!! As far as rewarding for the no barking, we started off with short periods of time and once he calmed down and wasn't barking for a few minutes we rewarded him, unless he was sleeping of course, and considered that session was over and we moved on to other play. We just kept increasing the time and moving in and out of his sight, and he started to accept that we would leave and come back, so the barking decreased. It's just not a straight line to success as there were good and bad days, so dont get discouraged. I can tell you your effort will pay off, but it is difficult to hear them whimper!! As for treats he didn't like any at first...it was something he had to learn..but now he really likes the pet botanics mini training treats which come in various flavors and are 1 calorie each, and I also used his kibble in the beginning as sort of a feed and treat at the same time. So I try to stay healthy with the treats, but I do want to admit I did use the occasional very small piece of cheese here and there for something like brushing which he hated in the beginning, but it is not my "go to". I too would love another havanese puppy in awhile. They are such loving and smart dogs and just want to be with us!!


Thank you for breaking it down for me. We left her alone in our kitchen for about 20 mins and she happily worked on her Kong! This time we just put loose, dry kibble in it and didn't seal it with anything. She liked the instant gratification!

Our breeder suggested we work with teeny tiny bits of cheese to teach recall. One of us would hold Coco back while another would call for her excitedly. When we let go, she came running and got a click and treat! Havanese are so smart! It was a great exercise and we all had fun too!


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

HavaCoco said:


> This is very helpful. We are all trying to get on a schedule that includes playtimes and rest times and I think that helps. No barking in the last few days!
> 
> We have been working on "sit" with Coco. It seems if we ever pick up the container with her treats or even move it around on the shelf, she automatically goes into a "sit" with a wagging tail. We love her so much!


Sounds like Coco has meshed right in beautirfully! What a smart girl!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

HavaCoco said:


> Hey Karen! I think I did that washcloth trick for my teething babies eons ago and I totally forget about it until you mentioned it. That's a great idea.
> 
> I had a few important calls on Friday over video conference. I set her up with me as you suggested with a new no-hide chicken stick and she was quiet the whole time! You are right in that it got me through the day but has not solved the behavior issue. Yesterday she was perfectly content in the expen in the kitchen as long as she could keep an eye on us. A few times we all left the kitchen for 10 mins and she did great! Baby steps... or rather, puppy steps...


That sounds like great progress! Some of it is just "baby stuff" that goes away on its own, with time, if you don't inadvertently reinforce it.

The other thing to remember is what my obedience instructor always reminds us about. "Dog training is all about Mind over Matter."

If you don't MIND, it doesn't MATTER!". LOL!

So, the fact that Kodi always wants to be at my feet really became a non-issue once I didn't have to worry about the potty training aspect. he's always quiet when he's with me... And I have just learned that I don't MIND having a dog in the bathroom with me! LOL!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sam I Am said:


> This is our old girl, Jesse, mini aussie. We don't want her to feel pushed back with all the attention we give Abby, because a puppy obviously requires a ton of attention at this age. Jesse is doing a good job, & we are proud of her. She loves jobs, so that helps. Mini aussies are very oriented to only their people, & don't want to be touched by anyone else. When we were going to get her spayed as a young dog, & they said she would have to stay overnight, I decided to not do it, & just go through heat cycles, but many years later we almost lost her to pyometra, because she had not been spayed. Lesson learned, the hard way!


Oh, that's so sad!!!

Yes, older females are at risk for Pyo if not spayed. But, for future reference, and for others reading this, ask around! There certainly ARE vets that will let the dog go home the same day. When Pixel was spayed, I actually stayed there and was with her until they were ready to anesthetize her. They brought her back to me as soon as she could sit up after her surgery, and she stayed on my lap, wrapped in a blanket for the rest of her recovery. It was harder on me than just dropping her off and picking her up the next day, but I was happy to be able to make it as easy and comfortable for her as possible! (here she is, in my arms, recovering from surgery!  )


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Photo of Coco from last week. She is such a sweetheart.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Adorable!!!


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Aww what a sweet face.


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## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

I absolutely love her face!0


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## Milo's Mom (Aug 31, 2008)

Oh my! She is too cute!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

You can bring her back, and trade her for a cute one.:smile2:


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

If we come back, we are bringing another puppy home!


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

*Coco at 9 months old*

Our Coco has gone through two puppy socialization and basic manners classes and is now nearly done with her first obedience class. My daughters love training with her. We are teaching her how to target now. She is very timid with new people and backs away from new situations. I wish she were more friendly and outgoing, but then I think maybe she is just an introvert. The training and socialization trips have been helping. She is doing great with loose-leash walking and hasn't had an accident in the house since November. She loves chicken, liver and blueberries.

Havanese are the best!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Such a pretty girl!


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## ollie'smom (Nov 27, 2018)

Hi there, darling Coco!


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## Janet (Feb 19, 2007)

That picture of Coco - if you crossed a Wookiee and an Ewok


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

She is such a pretty girl!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Oh how pretty! Love her color!


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## PNWAlan (Oct 9, 2018)

HavaCoco said:


> Our Coco has gone through two puppy socialization and basic manners classes and is now nearly done with her first obedience class. My daughters love training with her. We are teaching her how to target now. She is very timid with new people and backs away from new situations. I wish she were more friendly and outgoing, but then I think maybe she is just an introvert.
> Havanese are the best!


Coco sure is a beauty!

Count your blessings about her being a bit introverted!! Skye at 6 months is quite the opposite. He does nicely while at home and in the neighborhood. Take him to a store and he turns into a whirlwind. It takes at least 30 minutes before we can begin loose leash training. Around new people he goes absolutely nuts dancing and prancing around their feet. We had to take a break between Puppy Level 1 and 2 training so I can work on getting him tamed down a bit. If you want to sell a little of that timidness send me a PM. :laugh2:


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

She is growing into such a gorgeous Havanese! 

Ours started out so timid and is not at all anymore, so I bet with the classes and care you are taking it will continue to work itself out. Mine’s very friendly when meeting new people, which he loves. At the dog park he’s an angel, he has perfect etiquette as far as approaching other dogs and recognizing and responding to whether or not other dogs want to play, and he isn’t aggressive or pushy. I’m always so proud when we take him there! 

In fact, he’s come so far, it’s almost the other way! We took him to an outdoor mall last week and I about died. I swear he thought everyone was there to play with him. He wanted to greet every single person and he was getting so much attention, he was trying to get everyone to chase him! It’s been a long time since we took him to a more crowded place where the purpose isn’t puppy playtime, so it reminded me we need to do it more often and practice the skills he’s mastered in low key environments. Time for us to set some new goals!


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> She is growing into such a gorgeous Havanese!
> 
> Ours started out so timid and is not at all anymore, so I bet with the classes and care you are taking it will continue to work itself out. Mine's very friendly when meeting new people, which he loves. At the dog park he's an angel, he has perfect etiquette as far as approaching other dogs and recognizing and responding to whether or not other dogs want to play, and he isn't aggressive or pushy. I'm always so proud when we take him there!
> 
> In fact, he's come so far, it's almost the other way! We took him to an outdoor mall last week and I about died. I swear he thought everyone was there to play with him. He wanted to greet every single person and he was getting so much attention, he was trying to get everyone to chase him! It's been a long time since we took him to a more crowded place where the purpose isn't puppy playtime, so it reminded me we need to do it more often and practice the skills he's mastered in low key environments. Time for us to set some new goals!


This is so very encouraging! We are continuing to socialize and I do see her gaining confidence. I just don't know if others outside of our family will ever get to see the cheerful, goofy sweet puppy we have all come to love. Does yours let other people pet him?


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

PNWAlan said:


> HavaCoco said:
> 
> 
> > Our Coco has gone through two puppy socialization and basic manners classes and is now nearly done with her first obedience class. My daughters love training with her. We are teaching her how to target now. She is very timid with new people and backs away from new situations. I wish she were more friendly and outgoing, but then I think maybe she is just an introvert.
> ...


Lol! If only we could trade traits like that! How old is yours now?


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

HavaCoco said:


> This is so very encouraging! We are continuing to socialize and I do see her gaining confidence. I just don't know if others outside of our family will ever get to see the cheerful, goofy sweet puppy we have all come to love. Does yours let other people pet him?


Yes, but that's an interesting question that makes me think. We always tell children to let him sniff them first, and usually we pick him up with children, too, and tell them where to pet. I think we actually started doing it because if a child would start to pet him he would start circling around to sniff her and it made little kids who don't have dogs nervous. Adults don't really pet him very often. Although someone out of nowhere scratched his head in a pet store the other day and he just looked at her.

He doesn't hide from people unless they have big dogs or boys with skateboards (our neighborhood has walking paths that are near skate ramps in one area). Then he might watch for a second and approach cautiously. Even then, he LOVES most big dogs.


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Janet said:


> That picture of Coco - if you crossed a Wookiee and an Ewok


Yes! We are huge Star Wars fans and she will have a Star Wars costume this Halloween. Yes, we are one of those people! Lol.


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> HavaCoco said:
> 
> 
> > This is so very encouraging! We are continuing to socialize and I do see her gaining confidence. I just don't know if others outside of our family will ever get to see the cheerful, goofy sweet puppy we have all come to love. Does yours let other people pet him?
> ...


If she is in a new situation, Coco will circle behind me (or my daughter) and sit between our feet. I think she feels protected. A stranger would offer their hand for her to sniff and she will. But when they try to touch her she backs away. We were thinking of having her take the Canine Good Citizen test, but there are so many elements with "friendly strangers" I am sure Coco will not pass at this point in time. Nevertheless, it is something we are actively working on and she is making some strides with showing more confidence.

I have done the same where I have picked her up so strangers can meet her. I've always wondered if I should continue doing that or work with her on sitting and allowing strangers to approach slowly. I know for the CGC they need to be sitting on my left. But what are the interim baby steps we should be taking to lead up to that?


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

HavaCoco said:


> I have done the same where I have picked her up so strangers can meet her. I've always wondered if I should continue doing that or work with her on sitting and allowing strangers to approach slowly. I know for the CGC they need to be sitting on my left. But what are the interim baby steps we should be taking to lead up to that?


Someone posted an article here that really reaffirmed my instincts about fears. There's a lot of conflicting information out there! Reading the article also led me to more by Denise Fenzi that were helpful. I don't know that this answers your question directly, it's more that it gave me a reference point with which to evaluate possible approaches.

https://www.havaneseforum.com/6-general-discussion/133550-comforting-fearful-dog.html


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Just don't do anything at all about her being careful about strangers. Carry on as if nothing unusual is going on, and don't try to force anything, or get the strange person to do anything but ignore her. The worst thing is someone reaching for her with eyes wide, teeth showing (smiling), and hands moving towards her.

If you feel any anxiety, they also feel it. Everything you do, and feel, is training them-not just training tricks for treats. There is nothing you can do to get her over it better than simply completely ignoring the behavior. She'll figure out that it's not worth the trouble after a while.

It all comes down to the same thing. Ignore the behavior you don't want, and reward the behavior that you do want. Don't stray from that, and everything will work out.

Birdy was like this, probably around the same age, and now she's one of the first to be in any visitors' laps. We did nothing at all to get her over it outside of going about our normal way of doing anything.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Willow doesn't like children. I don't really know what to do about it. It's usually just the little kids - 3 feet high or so. I have to warn parents that she doesn't like children as children are usually the ones that want to run up to her. It's embarrassing as we take her camping with us and there are always lots of kid and toddlers and she'll growel and act aggressive towards them. I know it's probably the wrong thing to do, but I've had to just pick her up to get her away from the kids and then everyone thinks I have a mean dog. We don't have children and every neighbor is a senior citizen so I can't expose her easily to the little ones.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Willow doesn't like children. I don't really know what to do about it. It's usually just the little kids - 3 feet high or so. I have to warn parents that she doesn't like children as children are usually the ones that want to run up to her. It's embarrassing as we take her camping with us and there are always lots of kid and toddlers and she'll growel and act aggressive towards them. I know it's probably the wrong thing to do, but I've had to just pick her up to get her away from the kids and then everyone thinks I have a mean dog. We don't have children and every neighbor is a senior citizen so I can't expose her easily to the little ones.


That's hard, but you know I don't really blame her! Kids mean well, but they can be scary.

I have a lot of respect for people being honest about what their dog doesn't like, or is afraid of. I want to help, I don't want to scare someone's dog! I did think it was kind of weird that someone took their dog to our neighborhood playground full of little kids and then said their dog wasn't nice.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

When Shama was little, and even now, I take her to playgrounds where kids want to pet her. I tell the kids to wait until she's lying down and then to only pet her on her side. I put Shama in a down then give her delicious treat after delicious treat while she's somewhat oblivious to the people petting her on her side. There are some kids in the neighborhood who like to lie on their backs while I have Shama climb up onto their bellies and lie down. She does just about anything for a good treat, and the kids respect my instructions for good behavior around her. I used to give treats to kids to give to Shama, but then a friend suggested I be the only supplier of treats so that Shama looks to me, not random people, for food. I thought that was a good point. Coco is beautiful!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Do I remember correctly that you’re a teacher? Even if you aren’t, you would be a great one, teaching the kids in such a simple way how to interact with her


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Yes, I am a teacher. Thank you.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> That's hard, but you know I don't really blame her! Kids mean well, but they can be scary.
> 
> I have a lot of respect for people being honest about what their dog doesn't like, or is afraid of. I want to help, I don't want to scare someone's dog! I did think it was kind of weird that someone took their dog to our neighborhood playground full of little kids and then said their dog wasn't nice.


Thank you! That makes me feel better! I've been told by several small dog owners that their dogs don't like kids either. I think it's because kids just move so fast and are kind of screechy at times!

I remember when I was a little kid my aunt had two pomeranians that were always so well groomed and so fluffy looking. I wanted to pet and cuddle them sooooooo bad but neither dog would have anything to do with me and would growl at me. My aunt would try to get the dogs to make up to me but nothing worked. They were fine around my parents.


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## HavaCoco (Aug 31, 2018)

Tom King said:


> Just don't do anything at all about her being careful about strangers. Carry on as if nothing unusual is going on, and don't try to force anything, or get the strange person to do anything but ignore her. The worst thing is someone reaching for her with eyes wide, teeth showing (smiling), and hands moving towards her.
> 
> If you feel any anxiety, they also feel it. Everything you do, and feel, is training them-not just training tricks for treats. There is nothing you can do to get her over it better than simply completely ignoring the behavior. She'll figure out that it's not worth the trouble after a while.
> 
> ...


That's great advice, Tom. We have been following it the last few weeks and I wanted to write back to let you know but the pop-up ads were preventing me from responding.

We took her on a walk and one of my neighbors joined us for the walk. I asked my friend not to engage with Coco. I noticed Coco walked ahead of us, instead of beside me like she has been, and she kept looking back to check if my friend was still there. Each time I swear I could see the disappointment in her eyes. lol. She didn't pull away from my friend, but she definitely wasn't her usual self either. I wasn't sure if this is behavior I should reward or not. On the one hand it is not ideal, but on the other, it is SO MUCH better than how she usually is with friendly strangers.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*new people*



HavaCoco said:


> That's great advice, Tom. We have been following it the last few weeks and I wanted to write back to let you know but the pop-up ads were preventing me from responding.
> 
> We took her on a walk and one of my neighbors joined us for the walk. I asked my friend not to engage with Coco. I noticed Coco walked ahead of us, instead of beside me like she has been, and she kept looking back to check if my friend was still there. Each time I swear I could see the disappointment in her eyes. lol. She didn't pull away from my friend, but she definitely wasn't her usual self either. I wasn't sure if this is behavior I should reward or not. On the one hand it is not ideal, but on the other, it is SO MUCH better than how she usually is with friendly strangers.


Sometimes when new people come over to the house (especially if it's a 1 time thing, like when the Internet repair guy came on Monday) I will pick Perry up and hold him... but if the person ends up walking behind us Perry twists himself around and keeps throwing suspicious looks back at the person - 'you still here?! go away!'


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