# Cleaning the hav's face and beard



## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Henry's little face seems always to be dirty, or full of something or just plain wet, and okay smelly.

I feel like a bad Mom !

I chase after him with the washcloth - how often do you all do the face? do you soap up the face real good with a lather or is it a light wash??


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Tripp's face is always wet because he drinks so much water. And he gets food on his beard/mustache after he eats. I will usually take a wash cloth and put shampoo on it and wash his face them rinse it off. I usually only do that 1-2 times a week. But i do dry it every day. You have to make sure you keep their beard/mustache as dry as you can or it can get a yeast infection.

You said it smells, is that after you wash it? If so you may need to get it checked to make sure there is no yeast infection


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Have you tried a water bottle instead of a water dish? We use a water bottle here and Rufus's face doesn't end up all wet from drinking. I wash and brush his face every day to remove tears or any other strange crumbs. :becky:


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Just like Christy I use a bottle for Oreo. It really keeps his beard dry. I also give him face washes 1-2 times per week. If you find it smells funny, I would also check to make sure there is no yeast infection.


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

I have a water bottle in the ex-pen, I am not convinced Brutus, let alone Roxie, knows how to drink from it. How do you train them. I tried peanut butter on the bottle tip, but once the peanut butter was gone, Brutus stopped drinking from it. Perhaps it is because I still leave a pan of water out so he doesn't get thirsty.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Question..
What type of water bottle is this you speak of? Like the type you put in a hamster cage?

Beamers beard an stash are always so wet after drinking..


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Gucci's face gets icky from her runny eyes, even though its clear and I know they aren't infected it still has a *smell*.

So I wash her face a few times a week in the kitchen sink with Johnson's Baby Shampoo (so it won't hurt her eyes if she were to ever get shampoo in them accidentally) And lately, I'm trying to start doing her face the same time I do her "butt bath" LOL

She is high maintenence grooming wise.......a full bath every 5-6 days and a face/butt bath every other in between. Shew. The perils of having a white/cream dog! 

What exactly smells on his face? Is it eyes, beard or breath? Sometimes its hard to pinpoint.

She loves drinking from a water bottle too, but I just give her drinks out of the standard water bottle. I haven't tried the one for dogs? Is it just like a hamster water bottle? only bigger?

Kara


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

I thought about a water bottle, but they drip. I was at a Hav specialty 2 weeks ago & people had water bottles but they all dripped. Tripp drinks(gulps) a LOT of water & he likes ice in his water.
Yes, they are just like a hamster water bottle but bigger. I have seen some pretty ingenius 'holders' people have made for them.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

I bought the dog varity of the Lixit bottles from Petsmart. You must fill to the top to form the vaccuum to prevent leaking. Once Smarty figured out how to get the water she drinks from them all the time. I have one on the car crate, one in her house crate and one in the kitchen. Works great.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

I bought a Lixit also. And i filled it to the top, but it still leaked. 
Sandi, what do you use as a holder in your kitchen?


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

How do we know if it is a yeast infection ? ?

I think he, um, just smelled like 'dog'. That's what I kept telling him. So I have the face/beard a good washing this morning, then combed the beard out and the eyebrow area as well. I am going to do this everyday for a week.

Thanks everyone, for all your help.

I got a water bottle stand/holder from the CanadianHavanese Rescue Group Auction. It was the first and only free-standing water bottle I had ever seen. It appears to be some sort of home-made rigged item. Then I emailed he person who donated it about how to get more, but I never heard back. Henry and I feel lucky to have this one, and he licks from it all the time. I wouldn't say it leaks, but it does drip slightly as that is the bottle's nature.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

I use grooming wipes on Jas and Cash's face. they very easy and always there - kind of like baby wipes for dogs. If their faces get gunky or smell like dog - I just wipe them down. My favorite is by Earth Bath.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Missy, i was just looking at Earth Bath website. I am almost out of wipes. What do you like about theirs? Do they smell good?


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Yes- they smell teriffic, not like baby powder like most wipes smell like. I like the green tea. It smells sweet and grassy and clean almost like lilly of the valley. But I have not tried the other scent.


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

I have a lixit bottle too, but I have figured out that after I have filled it and fastened the lid tightly, I have to hold it in the air to check if it leaks. When it does, I usually have to loosen the lid and it prevents the leaks. I have a little towel under the nozzle area because when Oreo drinks, he splashes  But at least his beard is way better now and his face doesn't smell anymore.


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Missy those wipes sound great - I love the scent of Green Tea. I will have to check out their website.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks Helen for the Lixit tip, i will have to try that. What do you use to hold your water bottle?


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I have the Lixit brand water bottle with the blue tip. It comes with a spring clip and attached to my ex-pen easily. I also use water bottles of my birds and have found that using room temp. water helps avoid the leaking. If the water is cold or warmer than room temp they leak alot more!


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I've placed a small dish under the Lixit bottle Shadow uses. It catches any drips (which are few if you check it like Helen described above). 

We get such a laugh when Shadow is out of her ex-pen and wants a drink. Even though there is a bowl of water in the kitchen for her she doesn't choose to drink from it. She will go to the outside of the pen where the water bottle is hanging, stick her nose through the bars and using that long Havanese tongue, she is able to reach the spout to get a drink. She will do this even if the door to the pen is open and she can easily get to it. ound:


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

I HAVE to have ice in their water. If the water is warm, Tripp will just look at me & wait for me to put ice in. Can anyone say 'high maintenance'........


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Missy said:


> I use grooming wipes on Jas and Cash's face. they very easy and always there - kind of like baby wipes for dogs. If their faces get gunky or smell like dog - I just wipe them down. My favorite is by Earth Bath.


Are they made for the face (safe to use around eyes?) Are they for all over the body?


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Bugsy' face get really dirty from digging, playing, drinking and eating so I wash his face every day with Spa Fresh Facial Scrub. It is blueberry and fresh vanilla and suppose to help remove tear stains and dirt. I am not sure how well it doe it, but it's better than other products and it's made especially for the face (lol). The product is has great natural ingredients and it smells heavenly.  I buy it at the pet shop, if you want to check it out, here's the link. This is just for the product, the manufecturer's link didn't come up.

http://www.renspets.com/mm5/merchan...=rpd&Product_Code=6200260&Category_Code=Sport


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Shannon, Outside I have a birdbath that was carved out of a piece of granite rock --- it has now become their water bowl. Cash will drink anything. But Jasper waits til I get the hose and clean out the old water and fill it with new cold water. Yes we know high maintenance. But I know I am to blame.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Mintchip, I use the wipes all over the body- I will go around the eye but not directly over them- I use eyes wipes to clean out the gunk.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Missy, are you saying it could be MY fault that Tripp is high maintenance?:angel: 
I didnt think so!!:biggrin1:


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Shannon, oh no you're not to blame! I am to blame. probably for Tripp too enabler that I am.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Are you kidding! Tripp is spoiled rotten. Arent ALL Havs!!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

LOL!

I am sure glad to know that I'm not the only one with a dog that sulks if I don't put ice in her water! ound: 

Gucci is seriously high maintenence! She crawls on my chest every night for a doggie massage before bed too! I wish I had her life 

Kara


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