# Adventures of Archer



## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Figured I'd post a general update on here and include some pics. Things are going well with Archer who is now just under 12 weeks old. We're still not 100% on potty training but doing lots better. We had a big party for my boyfriend's birthday and Archer was a star. He wanted to be with everyone even though there were so many people. He was tired but didn't want to rest! 

Then we went to visit his half-brother (1.5 yrs older- same mother) with a nearby couple for a play-date. They had a blast together and played for about 2 solid hours. I was a bit concerned he was going to wear himself right out but he kept going! And was really tired later (so I snuck in some grooming then, buwahaha). 

We have taken some in-crate walks around the busy block here to keep him getting used to the noises and sights (mostly he wants to get out and play with the people), we have done a few little harness/leash jaunts in parking lots, and he is pretty much unperturbed by the vacuum, coffee grinder, and blender now! He learned stairs recently and has played with an English lab and his Havanese relative. 

He is sleeping through the night (as long as he is in his crate by our bedside) and I have been able to leave him during the day for one-hour stretches in his crate with a special Kong. As long as I do it after I have worn him out a bit and when he would be napping anyway, it seems ok.

Nipping is still happening but not too bad... he seems to be getting the message at least some of the time. He is good at Sit (with looking in my eyes too), Down, he is learning Stay, he is learning Roll Over, shake-a-paw, "High five" (shake a paw from down position), "In your pen", waiting to come out of his pen until I say Ok, "In your crate", "Come", "Off" and "Let's Go" (for walking together and stopping when I stop). He is good in the car now too!

So! This week he will be getting his 2nd set of shots and we'll be able to explore outside more. then we'll be doing some kind of Puppy K so he can have other people give him commands and play with some other puppies.

I think we have both gotten over my under-feeding of him and his digestion is doing a lot better (though not perfect yet). Going to weigh him soon and see if he has caught up! Starting not to remember Life Before a Havanese!! (Also known as the Dark Ages)


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

Sounds like great progress and settling in to the new puppy dynamic!


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## Wags Mom (Dec 15, 2013)

What a cute puppy! When did he get the tatoo?


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

The tattoo is from the breeder...


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

He is just the cutest little thing ever!! Sounds like he is doing well too! I didn't know that pups were given tattoos.. ya learn something new everyday on here.


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

whimsy said:


> He is just the cutest little thing ever!! Sounds like he is doing well too! I didn't know that pups were given tattoos.. ya learn something new everyday on here.


I think that some breeders use tattoos in place of microchips for identification purposes.


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

Great Pictures :thumb:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

He's SO cute, and it sounds like you are all doing great!

I think tattoos are more common in Canada, while microchipping is more common in the U.S. The good thing about tattoos is they are so visible. The bad thing about tattoos is they are so visible.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

He got his 2nd set of vaccines today. I have to admit I was not thrilled with the vet I saw just in terms of how he kind of manhandled him. I was hoping for a bit more of a gentle touch and encouragement with him rather than just kind of grabbing him and forcing him to do everything... but I don't have a lot of experience with what I can expect from vets with dogs.

He got his Strongid dewormer, and the DHPP & Lepto (one combined shot). So I am home with him today to keep an eye on him. They said since he is almost 5 lbs it is unlikely he will have a reaction but he will be sleepier today and that if he did have a reaction I would see it around his eyes (swelling) within 5-6 hrs...

I can shop around and bring him to different vets until I find one I am happy with. Archer did NOT like it when he was trying to look at his teeth. He noticed a problem, he said that the bottom teeth were not properly aligned, that the bottom jaw was too narrow and the teeth were not at the right angle? He said he didn't know much more about it as dentistry was not his specialty but it could be a problem and require dental surgery and made a referral for us to bring him to a dental specialist to have it checked out. So I am feeling concerned about that...

I can't believe how stressed _I_ got with this vet visit! I wanted it to be perfect and for him to be relaxed and not fight anything, but he did not like getting his temp taken or the de-wormer administration (surely there is a better way than struggling to shove it in their mouth?) or the shot or anything.  I brought treats and kibble and tried to feed him as much as I could during it. But I would say overall it was probably not a good experience.

They recommended he get the kennel cough vaccine but I didn't go for it today. They also recommended using Revolution year-round since we are in a condo and apparently the hallways can be a year-round source of fleas. I chose not to get it this time since he'd been through enough already (and so had I!). I need to do more research on what the best plan for flea control is...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

OMG. I'm so sorry! YES. I would DEFINITELY find a different vet. I wouldn't give Lepto anyway, but I CERTAINLY wouldn't give a combined shot like that to a known vaccine sensitive breed. And please watch him carefully, because vaccine problems acn show up up to 3 days after.

You were DEFINITELY right to refuse any more chemicals going into his little body all at once, and I wouldn't give kennel cough anyway. Here's a good article on Kennel Cough:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/10/08/cough-treatment-for-dogs.aspx

And here is the protocol most havanese owners follow:


__
https://66693331640%2Fdodds-dog-vaccination-protocol-2013-2014%23.U0cdQP3hUwI

Did they do a stool sample and he had worms? Why did they need to deworm him? This isn't something that should be done "just because".

Do your research on flea issues, including talking to different vets in your specific area. What works where you live may be completely different than what works other places in the country. You want to use the least toxic substance that you can and use it as infrequently as you can. Revolution seems to be a flea, tick AND heartworm med. That makes me nervous. Heartworms are internal parasites, fleas and ticks are external. that means that stuff is going to get all the way into the BLOOD STREAM of a very small puppy. Do you know if heartworm is a problem in your area? And for how much of the year? Don't treat all year for something that is only a potential problem for 3 months or so.

And as far as handling is concerned&#8230; that's one of the reasons that I switched to my wonderful holistic vet. Kodi was traumatized by some rough handling at the vet's office too&#8230; not that they were purposely MEAN or anything, but they handled him like he was a piece of meat rather than a sensitive living creatuer with feelings. I went to my current vet the first time, and went to lift him up on the table, and she stopped me. She got down on the floor with him, with a handful of treats, and didn't put him up on the table until he was climbing all over her and wiggling all over as well. She got HIS vote that day, and got MY vote by her cautious integration of modern western medicine and alternative therapies as appropriate.

Oh, and another tip on making it as non-stressful as possible&#8230; Leave him in the car until they have a room ready for you, THEN bring him in, so he avoids the stressful waiting room. Then put him BACK in the car and go back in to pay your bill. My obedience trainer taught me that.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I am so sorry you and your dog had such a horrible experience. Molly's vet also gets down on the floor with her when she comes into the exam room. She makes her so comfortable she thinks she is there to play. She and the vet techs have the procedures down so well that she doesn't even seem to notice that they are giving her a shot or trimming her nails, etc. I hope you can find a vet that will treat your dog as well, along with keeping the breed in mind when prescribing appropriate medical treatment for him.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Sigh, I went in with different ideas and I felt like the vet kind of dismissed them ("those crazy ideas"). I feel like I actually should have just pulled the plug then and left but it happens so quickly and it was hard to think clearly. As for the vaccines I was going with what the breeder recommended, same with the de-worming. I had brought a stool sample but they said they just do it anyway. I think I will be insisting on the sample for the next time because theoretically he is supposed to get more dewormer in a month with the next shots... and also rabies is apparently required here.

This was at the #1 best rated clinic in the city! And yeah that was the thing, he didn't take the time to get to know him or make him comfortable, even though I had treats and stuff on the table and was feeding him and stuff. When he was looking in his mouth and he was fighting it and growling and everyone was just struggling more, he was just saying "oh, he has a temper", and I thought no, he doesn't, you're just going about this all wrong! But then you're in this weird situation where you're the hapless uneducated dog owner and the authoritative vet is telling you what you should be doing, so it is hard to be confident. But, it just didn't feel right. 

I remembered about doing the shots 10 days apart but he said the combined one was fine... I feel like I should have been better prepared to stick to my guns but he was very dismissive of all the stuff we talk about here. Sigh, I'm disappointed that I didn't go in with a better plan of exactly what I wanted or was willing to do or not do. My natural inclination is that the vets should really know what they are doing and they see hundreds of dogs and puppies and should have more experience and better judgment than I have...

Well as someone stated earlier when I was feeling horribly guilty about under-feeding him, I have soon found something else to feel guilty about! He is so sleepy right now and sensitive in the vaccine area. Hopefully he will be ok. :/ He has woken up to play a little and he is still eating.

So what else should I be looking out for in the next 3 days? They said it is normal for him to be sleepy... but to check for swelling around the eyes which I am not seeing so far.

Oh! And I just wrote that Animal Hospital a bad review on Yelp, since it was via Yelp that I was somewhat misled because of the great reviews. There was _one_ other bad review from someone who brought their puppy in as well, so, maybe it will dissuade other owners from thinking that place is totally awesome. I already have a line on another vet who is recommended so I will probably just take him in for another $30 basic checkup in a week or so, just to see what I think about them before I go back for the vaccines...


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I hope you and Archer are feeling better today. Don't be too hard on yourself. I am sure every person on this forum has felt bad at some time about things that have happened with their pets. We are all just trying to do the best we can for our pets , and just like with children, things don't always turn out as we hoped they would.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I agree with Molly. Don't beat yourself up. As the saying goes, "when we know better, we do better."  I didn't advocate strongly enough for Kodi with my first vet either. We learn as we go along.

Don't take the vet's word for it… Find out FOR SURE what the law is about when he has to have the Rabies vaccine. And really, who besides you is going to know the age of that tiny puppy. Keep him from biting anybody, and you can easily put off getting him vaccinated until he's a little older. 

You might want to find a health food/vitamin/supplement place and get some Thuja.(Do you have Whole Foods markets up there? They carry it) This is a homeopathic herb supplement that is supposed to help with vaccine reactions, even minor ones, like the sleepiness you are seeing now. I'm not totally convinced about homeopathics, but I DO know it can't hurt. Many holistic vets suggest you give it to your dog for a minimum of 3 days after a vaccine. You can give it up to a week later. For Rabies, you give Lysin instead. You can put 3 of the tiny pellets in their water. I wasn't sure Kodi would get it that way, so instead, I just crushed them between two spoons, (you don't want to touch them with your hands as the oils in your skin do something to them) And poured them into his mouth. They are in a sugar base, so he thought this was just nifty. 

As far as reactions are concerned, they can vary. In Kodi's case, he developed a high fever 3 days after his last Rabies vaccine. He was very sick, just laying around panting and crying, for about 12 hours before the fever broke. No other symptoms, not "illness", just the fever. NATURALLY, it happened on a Sat., right after my vet's office closed for the day, so I had to take him to the university ER. Because it's an ER, of course they ran a bunch of test, then just gave him fluids and something to bring his fever down and sent him home with the instructions to bring him back if his temp went over 103 again. Cha-ching! $800, please!

Here, I can get a vet's letter saying that he had a severe reaction and that, plus titers is legal. That's not true everywhere in the U.S., though, and I have NO idea about Canada. (and, of course, I don't have to do ANYTHING different for the next 2 1/2 years, because he is covered by his current vaccination until then)


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Every one of these pictures is adorable!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Today he is doing well- back to his usual energetic self, playing, training for food, etc. I will still be keeping an eye on him but so far so good. 

Now I can start taking him downstairs for pottying and leash training (we've been working on it in the house but with all the distractions outside it is a lot harder!). He still has his indoor litter box but I am starting a program of taking him down in my arms when I let him out of the crate either in the morning or after his naps or after I have left him for a while. That way I should be able to get the desired potty behaviour right away and then have fun play/training time outside. It's scary because it is such a busy street outside- I keep worrying about what if he slips out of his harness or something! But he doesn't seem to be able to get out of it unless he is left alone with it on for any amount of time and can sit down and pull on it (it's a front clip one, like the sensation harness). And despite the distractions he still wants to stay close to me. I also have him wearing his collar with his tags on it just in case.

My boyfriend and I are starting now with "fake" exams on the kitchen table. Hopefully we will get him used to being handled more and then if I take him to a nice vet next time it won't be a bad experience. So we have been looking at gums, eyes, ears, lifting paws, poking with a capped pen, doing a bit of brushing, and feeding him his breakfast or lunch of kibble while we do it. Then he gets to play and have fun after. That worked for getting him used to the vacuum, coffee grinder, and a lot of other scary things. The hardest is the mouth. He is not keen on having us open and look in his mouth. I'm thinking this is something I will be able to achieve by successive approximation... and using the power of food!

And now I have to worry about his propensity for eating things on the ground, like the piece of sharp-edged concrete he snarfed down the other day! I was watching him like a hawk and grabbed most of it out of his mouth, but some still went down the hatch! I'm thinking of practicing "wanna trade" with chunks of carrot, in the house, and trading for beef liver. Then I might be able to use that when he is trying to eat a contraband item outside!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Today he is doing well- back to his usual energetic self, playing, training for food, etc. I will still be keeping an eye on him but so far so good.
> 
> Now I can start taking him downstairs for pottying and leash training (we've been working on it in the house but with all the distractions outside it is a lot harder!). He still has his indoor litter box but I am starting a program of taking him down in my arms when I let him out of the crate either in the morning or after his naps or after I have left him for a while. That way I should be able to get the desired potty behaviour right away and then have fun play/training time outside. It's scary because it is such a busy street outside- I keep worrying about what if he slips out of his harness or something! But he doesn't seem to be able to get out of it unless he is left alone with it on for any amount of time and can sit down and pull on it (it's a front clip one, like the sensation harness). And despite the distractions he still wants to stay close to me. I also have him wearing his collar with his tags on it just in case.


His wanting to stay so close may wane a bit as he gets older. Most of them go through an "adventurous" adolescent stage. But by that age, he'll have a stronger understanding of the leash, too.



Naturelover said:


> My boyfriend and I are starting now with "fake" exams on the kitchen table. Hopefully we will get him used to being handled more and then if I take him to a nice vet next time it won't be a bad experience. So we have been looking at gums, eyes, ears, lifting paws, poking with a capped pen, doing a bit of brushing, and feeding him his breakfast or lunch of kibble while we do it. Then he gets to play and have fun after. That worked for getting him used to the vacuum, coffee grinder, and a lot of other scary things. The hardest is the mouth. He is not keen on having us open and look in his mouth. I'm thinking this is something I will be able to achieve by successive approximation... and using the power of food!


Awesome! When you get him to the point that he's good with the two of you, start having friends do it with him&#8230; only as much as he can tolerate at any particular time, and keep those cookies (or dinner!) coming!



Naturelover said:


> And now I have to worry about his propensity for eating things on the ground, like the piece of sharp-edged concrete he snarfed down the other day! I was watching him like a hawk and grabbed most of it out of his mouth, but some still went down the hatch! I'm thinking of practicing "wanna trade" with chunks of carrot, in the house, and trading for beef liver. Then I might be able to use that when he is trying to eat a contraband item outside!


Yeah, this is a serious puppy problem, especially for our guys whose heads are so close to the ground to start with! Teaching "drop it" (by trading) and "leave it" (by getting his attention, and making sure that YOUR treat is very high value) is exactly the way to do it. It does take time, though, and that's all the more reason that you need to be able to handle his mouth. Kodi would happily play the "drop it" game with anything that wasn't THAT important to get back from him, then would hold on for dear life to something I was afraid might hurt him. :frusty: I TRIED not to do it if I didn't have to, but there were definitely times when I had to pry things out of his clenched jaws. It does take time for them to learn this&#8230; sometimes a LOT of time. Now he's pretty funny. If I see him with something he shouldn't have, I put my hand under his chin and say, "Drop it!" He'll give me the death-ray eye, growl for a moment then SPIT it into my hand and stomp away. :laugh:


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## Cody010414 (Mar 23, 2014)

I did the same thing at the vets, Naturelover. I took Cody in for his 2nd set of vaccines. I was all set to tell the vet not to give him the Lepto vaccine. She said that she had 4 cases of Lepto come in and 2 out of the 4 dogs had died. So I panicked and said OK to the Lepto vaccine.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Cody010414 said:


> I did the same thing at the vets, Naturelover. I took Cody in for his 2nd set of vaccines. I was all set to tell the vet not to give him the Lepto vaccine. She said that she had 4 cases of Lepto come in and 2 out of the 4 dogs had died. So I panicked and said OK to the Lepto vaccine.


Jill, I was set for it too but they had all these scary videos about why your dog should get the lepto vaccine. And then the vet telling me it was a good idea. So, happily, he seems ok so far, but it is definitely crazy how you can get swayed one way or another based on fear or emotion!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Just remember that Lepto vaccine is FAR from perfect, even if there are no side effects. there are several strains and the vaccine doesn't protect against them all. For me, one of the scariest things about the vaccine is that it gives people a false sense of security that their dogs can't get it. Caught early, it is quite curable. If you wait until your dog is really sick to go to the vet, those are the dogs that die.

The best thing you can do to prevent Lepto is not allow your dog to drink from standing water outdoors. We hike with Kodi all the time, but I ALWAYS carry a water bottle for him, and if there are a lot of puddles, he remains on leash.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

My Leo threw up about 3 times one night about a week after his puppy rabies shot and developed a lump at the injection site that stayed there about one month. He had his 3 year rabies last Saturday. The vet gave him the injection in the muscle rather than under the skin because of his reaction to the puppy vaccine. I gave him Benedryl when we got home, six hours later and the next morning. So far do good but I hope he doesn't have anymore reactions. Vaccine reactions can be awful.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Trying out my new sig!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Cute!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

*Good Day Today!*

Well the last 2 days have been pretty good, post 2nd shots. He recovered from the fatigue by the next day no problem. Then I was able to leave him for 4 periods of 1 hour in his crate (with a tasty Kong containing canned beef tripe & kibble), and afterwards bring him downstairs to pee in the real world.

He was super distracted outside- I got his attention a few times but tried to focus on making his outdoor experience a good one with meeting new people, hearing the motorcycles, seeing the cherry blossoms blowing on the sidewalks, feeling the wind, etc! He was a champ. Usually he gets pretty spastic and overstimulated after a while then its time to go back inside.

This morning we started on the "fake" exams to get him more comfortable being handled and restrained.

Then we moved his rascal dog out of his ex pen and on to our patio. We have to crack the door to allow access and I haven't picked up a potty bell yet (on my list), but he already knows to beeline there if he has an incoming "business time". Pee takes longer and he gets distracted but no accidents inside today! I think I am improving a lot with my understanding of his cues and behaviours.

He also got to go to science world and he saw/experienced the following things (remember I live in a crazy busy area of the city!): 
heavy traffic, garage doors, flowers blowing, shadows, dogs walking nearby, bicycles, people running, children playing with him and getting him to sit, a loud and active rube-goldberg display outside Science World, a friendly and lazy Great Pyrenees, a jaunt sitting in my bicycle basket, grass, cement, wood benches, water fountains, kids yelling, people of different ethnicities, strollers!

And that is within 2 blocks of my condo. He was amazing. Only super distracted but in a joyful curious way.

Then bathtime, which is the 3rd one we have done and he is getting better. Still complains a bit but tolerates it well and voluntary stayed (well there were chicken treats involved) for parts of the blow-drying.

All interspersed with naps and playtime and other obedience-type training.

It's a crazy amount of work but it is fun and enjoyable (and I am able to take the time right now), although not exactly relaxing because you have to be very hyper-vigilant. I'm doing everything I can now to make sure he is gonna be a good companion and can enjoy his life to the fullest.

Puppy K classes are not starting for 2 more weeks. I'm feeling concerned about that but the training is going well; the puppy class I expect to be mostly for the socializing, and I am able to use some friends dogs in the meantime (though not many.) The rest are dogs he meets outside. Only met 2 so far but they were both good experiences (a 5 months Coton and the 1 yr old Great Pyrenees).


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It sounds like you are doing a WONDERFUL job with him! I would certainly take him to puppy class, because he'll get to play, free, with other puppies close to his age, which is a different type of socialization. But you are doing such a good job yourself that I wouldn't worry that it is starting a little later than you would prefer. 

There are a lot of people where the ONLY planned socialization the puppy gets are those 6-8 hours of puppy K. Those are the ones where it is absolutely CRITICAL, and the earlier the better.

One word about the bells. It certainly doesn't hurt to hang them now, but for MOST puppies, they need to be pretty securely potty trained, THEN learn to use the bells to tell you when. People who expect that the bells are going to solve all the potty training issues are usually sadly mistaken. 

…And then there are the "other" ones, like Kodi. Kodi is demonstrably a smart, trainable dog. But the bells? Forget it! I put a LOT of work into teaching him to use the bells for MANY months, and he NEVER used them independently. I'm not sure whether this was a lack of understanding, or whether there was something about the bells that he didn't like. But it was a non-starter. So when it became apparent that the ONLY effect the bells were having was to scratch up my wood work, I took them down. Eventually, in his own time, he figured a way to tell us he needs to go out. It is one short, deep "woof" at the door that he uses for no other purpose. Works for him, works for us. 

Many dogs learn to use bells and it works great. But it isn't a sure thing.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

So we've had a good last week overall- a mix of fun times and some frustrations too. Archer has been able to get out and do lots more things, like playing in my friend's backyard and meeting her cat, and his first trip to the beach with his English lab friend. He tramped through the rocks and muddy tidal flat with me (he wasn't thrilled with it but wanted to be with me more than he wanted to not get his feet wet), tried drinking some saltwater (not too much fortunately) and met a few other dogs who were mostly distracted with their own beach experience. He got quite cold though, quickly, so I had to pick up the muddy sandy shivering pup and hold him in my hooded jacket for a while. I think anytime his feet get wet he starts getting cold. After running around with the dogs for a while we were treated to a nice 10 or 15 minutes where both Archer and his lab friend were sitting quietly by us on the sand, chewing their respective chew-things. A brief glimpse of my hopeful future of relaxing dog-ownership! 

In my friend's backyard, he seems to have decided he is a Dandelion murderer. So I pulled quite a few Dandelion heads out of his mouth. The drop it training isn't going so well currently. I have to be very prepared with a high value treat to get him to drop it, and I am a bit worried anyway about setting up a chain of events like: bite dandelion, wait for her to run over, then get tasty treat. 

We had a barbeque later and I brought him up to my friend's porch and tethered him with a pile of toys, water, food etc. But he still just wasn't looking comfortable and was kind of searching around. I knew he wanted something soft to rest on. My friend brought out an old towel and he was then quite content. I'm getting a whole new perspective on things dog owners do that I previously thought were spoiling the dog or unnecessary! But if a towel is what it took to get him to relax and give us some peace, well...

I did run into an unexpected twist on our previously successful potty training mission. It just started a big rainy stretch here in Vancouver- the first since I've had him. Archer is a diva. I thought dogs were made into divas, not born that way! He steadfastly refused to use his litter tray when it was raining outside (even if the surface was just wet, and it wasn't raining much), and I didn't want to move it inside again as we'd been doing so well with it out there. I wanted him to learn that outside, regardless of the weather, and be it on the patio or downstairs, is the correct place to pee. So unfortunately in my foggy-headed morning daze, it devolved into a battle of wills where I kept putting him out there and he kept racing back in. So the result of that was an indoor pee accident when I should have just brought him downstairs, knowing he really had to go. The other things that have worked are me holding an umbrella and putting a fresh pee pad down on top of the rascal dog. Or putting a piece of dry newspaper on top. But it didn't always work and I didn't want to set some kind of weird precedent. So I started taking him down to the street (some preparation required so not great for last minute pee needs) on other times. He really does not like the rain. So I lured him out into it, when it was just light rain but wet ground, with lots of treats. He eventually did do his business outside. But he was SO ready to come back inside, actually dragging me to the door, and I could not break his attention. I tried to get him to sit and pay attention to me for treats as much as I could, but it seems when he is that interested in getting back inside even that doesn't really interest him much. A friend assures me I will be grateful later when he just pees outside quickly and comes right back in when it is raining... but it does rain like 2/3 of the year here!

So, it is still going to be raining for the next several days. Hopefully we will just be able to get through it and he will adjust to it. He does get cold even walking a block, so I think I will need to buy some kind of little jacket or something, or just keep the outdoor excursions very short. I thought about little boots but I figured he would probably mess with them and I want him to just adjust to life as a regular dog...


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Got Archer to mostly voluntarily drop a cherry blossom out of his mouth today. A rock too. As long as I am prepared with the high value treats. He has been going in the bedroom to get contraband items. Amazing how he knows socks and underwear are contraband even though I have not once chased him with them! I just go get a treat and calmly ask for a drop it. But he is racing around with glee! Pretty funny stuff. I am relaxing and enjoying the puppy antics more now that I am getting into the swing of things. And now that I am seeing progress. Have two 1st puppy classes coming up. Trying a drop in at 2 different ones to see how we like them.

Potty training is going well, and so is separation as long as he is in his crate. Out of crate is another matter. 

I am looking forward to the dog socializing classes because I have a hard time interpreting his excited, barking, dashing and bowing behaviour to initiate play with other dogs, most of whom are confused! We meet them on our neighbourhood walks. Now I see why Havanese like playdates with other Havanese... they really do play a bit differently, don't they?


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Another quick update- Archer did great while I was away for a week. I had a friend come in throughout the day (my boyfriend works long hours), and then he got to stay for a couple days with the people who own his half brother. By all accounts he was a wonderful guest and they welcome him back any time. Which is fantastic! He greeted me happily when I went to pick him up and then went back to playing with his older half-bro. So he was none the worse for wear for me being gone, except a couple whiny nights initially, apparently. But that settled down. And his nipping has diminished significantly (good timing as he is 17 weeks now- according to Ian Dunbar he has 1 more week to get his act together on that front!) and so has the pant-leg grabbing. It still happens but way less. So the techniques you all recommend have been very effective in dealing with that and I'll keep using them.

I have been helping out my friend's parents with their new Shih Tzu puppy (It's 5 months, so a bit older than Archer now). I won't go into too many details except to say the day there caused me to reflect back on my last 2 months with Archer and feel really freakin' proud of what I have accomplished with him! He came to me a great little dog with a solidly good temperament, but, with the Shih Tzu pup, I really saw how all the little things we do make a difference for the pups. And how important it is to have a vision of what you want from the dog and how to get there.

I feel like all my time harassing people on this forum (thank you all for the help! I am sure I will need more!) and reading and researching and going to classes is really paying off. Archer was amazing and inspired the owners of the other pup to up their game. I am trying to help them.

We still have teething, adolescence, and blowing coat to get through, but I'm finally relaxing and enjoying the view in both directions from this point. I am adoring this little dog more and more every day! His potty training is going very well, and his ability to focus in distracting environments is improving tremendously as we continue with our puppy classes. I really enjoy the classes and so does he- he smiles when he is "working"!

This breed is truly an incredible companion animal. I've been thinking perhaps I would like to do some agility training with Archer, eventually, or perhaps some therapy work, as he seems to have a balanced personality between being chill and relaxed and being energetic and enjoying tricks and leaps and so on. For now we will keep focusing on loose-leash walking though. 

And- thanks again to Karen Randall for sending me "The Focused Puppy"! I agree that this is a fantastic book regardless of which direction you want to take your dog. I would really recommend it to anyone. I have 3 or 4 books out at all times and it is the one that I keep returning to and am really working with.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It's so nice to hear how well you and Archer are doing. While a good breeder and good genes are important, the new owner has SUCH a huge impact on whether a pup becomes all he cane be. It sure sounds like you guys are making huge leaps in the right direction.

... Only one problem... We haven't seen updated pictures in a while! opcorn:


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Archer is adorable - I would love to meet him sometime. 

Here's some info I found on the Internet with ideas on how to build your puppy's confidence (which you're already doing a great job of).

Confidence building is important, which means multi-sensory exposure as well as people and dog familiarization. Great outings for your Havanese includes garden centers, flower shops, hair salons, hardware stores, lumber stores, paint stores, street fairs, parking lots, sporting events and playgrounds....wherever you can safely expose them to a variety of sights, sounds and smells. Texture training is another important training opportunity for your Havanese puppy. Be creative in your early training and teach your Havanese puppy to walk, sit and lie down on as many surfaces you can think of. Cement, brick, gravel, grass, packed & loose dirt, sand, bark chips, wood floor, linoleum, ceramic tile, carpet, jute, rubber, towel, cardboard, bubble wrap and crumpled paper, wet & dry and warm & cool are just a few ideas. The more your Havanese sees and hears and does as a puppy, the better he will be able to handle new and/or unusual situations as an adult.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

*Updated photos*

Here are some pics of Archer's life the last little while. Most are iPhone pics so forgive that they're not terribly good quality!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Here's another- learning to stand with 2 feet on the box.


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Thanks for sharing. He sure is a cutie and seems to be doing quite well.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Weird, my pitapata isn't working too well... or my brain isn't. Archer was born Jan. 19, so that makes him 5 months and 2 weeks, just about.... he lost his first teeth too recently! A couple of the incisors. Gonna have to keep a close eye on his lower jaw and canines as he is a bit base narrow.

He is about 8.5 lbs or so now, so growing well. I'm not sure when he will be full weight. I'm gonna ask the breeder.

I took him to a fenced in dog park nearby for the first time yesterday. It was a good experience. He was by himself first in the small dog side, and through the fence to the large dog side he met two other well-behaved dogs that he then got to play with. The other owners thought I was a trainer because Archer was so good, and I had their dogs working for me as well (just to stop them from jumping on me for my treat bag!!) I guess that is what happens when you carry a bag of treats around with you! I have to admit it has given me some ideas for possible future career ideas... though I think most dogs are not as easy to train as this guy! Besides it is way more about training the people...

Then a few more larger dogs came in, and while Archer was very friendly toward them, it was getting a bit too chaotic so we took our leave to end on a high note. Too easy for a tiny guy to get hurt when the big dogs are running together. 

He is still the star of his puppy class. I am really enjoying it. Now the next thing is to find a groomer I like and trust. I have done a lot in getting him used to grooming now. He actually enjoys the CC wooden pin brush! I am loving the long handfuls of silky hair he has, but his face as you can see is getting pretty mop-like... so a small trim is probably in order sometime soon. But I will be sad to see his black tips go, and I still harbour a small fantasy of keeping him in long coat and showing him! I dunno, more than likely I will be keeping him in a long puppy cut, esp. when coat blowing happens.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

He's absolutely adorable, and it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with him!

Hey, I just heard you are speaking at Aquatic Experience too next fall? We can meet in person!


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## Carmenchanwong (Apr 15, 2014)

Naturelover said:


> Another quick update- Archer did great while I was away for a week. I had a friend come in throughout the day (my boyfriend works long hours), and then he got to stay for a couple days with the people who own his half brother. By all accounts he was a wonderful guest and they welcome him back any time. Which is fantastic! He greeted me happily when I went to pick him up and then went back to playing with his older half-bro. So he was none the worse for wear for me being gone, except a couple whiny nights initially, apparently. But that settled down. And his nipping has diminished significantly (good timing as he is 17 weeks now- according to Ian Dunbar he has 1 more week to get his act together on that front!) and so has the pant-leg grabbing. It still happens but way less. So the techniques you all recommend have been very effective in dealing with that and I'll keep using them.
> 
> I have been helping out my friend's parents with their new Shih Tzu puppy (It's 5 months, so a bit older than Archer now). I won't go into too many details except to say the day there caused me to reflect back on my last 2 months with Archer and feel really freakin' proud of what I have accomplished with him! He came to me a great little dog with a solidly good temperament, but, with the Shih Tzu pup, I really saw how all the little things we do make a difference for the pups. And how important it is to have a vision of what you want from the dog and how to get there.
> 
> ...


The focused Puppy ? Do you think local book store will carry this book? I would love to read it too


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Carmenchanwong said:


> The focused Puppy ? Do you think local book store will carry this book? I would love to read it too


Unfortunately, I think you have to order it on line. It's worth it, though!


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## Carmenchanwong (Apr 15, 2014)

krandall said:


> Unfortunately, I think you have to order it on line. It's worth it, though!


Thanks Karen


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

krandall said:


> He's absolutely adorable, and it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with him!
> 
> Hey, I just heard you are speaking at Aquatic Experience too next fall? We can meet in person!


Thanks Karen, yeah I feel really happy so far with everything we've accomplished. Sometimes it is put into stark relief in the puppy classes! Archer is almost the model now and is useful to distract other puppies to help them learn, while he is focused on me! Of course that isn't all the time.  Since I could not choose between the two puppy classes I tried out, I ended up doing them both because each had something different to offer.

Although I know people can make anything work, the key for me has been having enough time. I would really recommend for anyone getting a Hav pup to take a full week or two off from work, then do part time for another 4-6 weeks or so. I know that is not realistic for most people but if it can be done I think it helps tremendously to get them off on the right foot. Even if I am available all day, most days I make sure to leave him alone for 2-6 hours. He just crashes and naps.

I am still crating him when I leave, but now he is in a black wire crate that attaches to the ex pen. I think this will help so I can start leaving him in the ex pen when I am gone, and then eventually just in the house. I am also starting to give a lot more unsupervised or lightly supervised time in the house, and that has been going well.

Anyway, yes, I am supposed to be speaking at Aquatic Experience! Kind of random and thrilling to get the invite. I am sure it is going to be a blast. And how very cool that you will be there too! I can't wait! The woman who interviewed me said I was the only woman on the speaking list? I'm glad that isn't going to be true! Now I will know at least two other women there.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Thanks Karen, yeah I feel really happy so far with everything we've accomplished. Sometimes it is put into stark relief in the puppy classes! Archer is almost the model now and is useful to distract other puppies to help them learn, while he is focused on me! Of course that isn't all the time.  Since I could not choose between the two puppy classes I tried out, I ended up doing them both because each had something different to offer.
> 
> Although I know people can make anything work, the key for me has been having enough time. I would really recommend for anyone getting a Hav pup to take a full week or two off from work, then do part time for another 4-6 weeks or so. I know that is not realistic for most people but if it can be done I think it helps tremendously to get them off on the right foot. Even if I am available all day, most days I make sure to leave him alone for 2-6 hours. He just crashes and naps.
> 
> ...


Well, they asked AGA to sanction a live aquascaping contest, which is going to be pretty cool&#8230; first in North America! And I think they figured that since I was a captive audience anyway, they might as well ask me to speak.  Are you doing something on FW sting rays? I'm doing Thailand. They are having a TON of speakers, though. This is clearly NOT your average hobby convention, considering the number of people they are bringing from over seas.

They better get the website finished, though&#8230; it's still pretty sparse. The contest rules/entries are supposed to go up today.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

*Update and a couple pics*

Well summer is going well with Archer... aside from our excellent camping trip, I took him to a nearby dog park with a lake and he actually swum for a couple strokes! I didn't push it but I'm sure his feet were off the muddy bottom for at least a little. 

He will be going for his first professional grooming next week. I will definitely post some pics from that.

He is almost 7 months of age now. Some of the changes I noticed right at the 6 month mark are:

- Can jump up and down on couch with ease (He has to be given permission first)
- I can substitute play and toys for food to reward behaviours he already knows really well 
- He is losing teeth rapidly
- He can hold his bladder even when he is not confined. I don't stretch it too long but I am able to leave him in his ex-pen for a few hours at a time when I leave now. He doesn't ask to go out as soon as he feels it. He definitely seems to have improved control.
- Some new fear periods- reacting to things he didn't seem to worry much about before. Or that he has not seen before as we are expanding our world. For example, he started growling and pulling and bucking on his lead when we began a small forest walk the other day. I thought maybe there was an animal nearby so I went back and looked from his perspective to see what it was. I got down to his level and lo and behold, there was a log with bright white lichens on the end that looked like a face! He was so scared of face-log and wouldn't proceed till my boyfriend covered it with his legs. Then once the view was changed I had him approach it and I gave him some treats.
- he is much better with 'Leave It" and "Drop It" and no longer mouths/attempts to eat _everything_ he encounters
- Beginning to hump other dogs from time to time, but still responsive if they tell him off

Anyway it is all going well. We may start a puppy agility class soon. I bet he will be good at it with his start from "The Focused Puppy"!

As for neutering, I'm going to wait a bit longer to see if any of his puppy teeth will need to be taken out, and then try to co-ordinate with that. His behaviour is not annoying yet. He marks outside but never inside so far. Luckily all the canine teeth have come out fine so hopefully that will help if he has any bite problems.

As an aside... just checked my breeder's website and one of her dams just had a litter of mostly apricot coloured pups! Gah! I adore little Archer but I still have puppy fever since he is so amazing. There's no way I will be getting another dog for the foreseeable future but god they are insanely adorable... anyone who wants to oggle too, check out http://mistytrails.wix.com/puppies#!shiraz


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## Ruthiec (Jun 18, 2013)

Great photos. I love reading the regular updates. Yes, sometimes it's hard to see what spooks our pups until we get down to their level. The world looks quite different at ankle height


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Well, he isn't afraid of the rain anymore!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

He took to his new carrier pretty quickly!

(note, trying to upload these from a device and not a computer is cramping my style. There are more, but I have to wait till my machine is done updating).


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

He's still as cute as ever!!!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

So Archer is just about 12 lbs now at 9.5 months of age! Might be a little off on weight as weighed on our human scale several times but I am actually glad he is getting to be more of an armful. At first I wanted a really small dog but I'm grateful he is beefing up because I feel a bit less stressed if he is rough & tumbling with a larger dog or jumping off the couch. Plus there is more of him to love.  he is really turning into the sweetest little guy. He often comes and sits with me and places his head on my legs. He is turning into a real cuddle bug, but can still handle being left alone. So the best of both worlds.
Here he is all wet after coming in from a walk.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> So Archer is just about 12 lbs now at 9.5 months of age! Might be a little off on weight as weighed on our human scale several times but I am actually glad he is getting to be more of an armful. At first I wanted a really small dog but I'm grateful he is beefing up because I feel a bit less stressed if he is rough & tumbling with a larger dog or jumping off the couch. Plus there is more of him to love.  he is really turning into the sweetest little guy. He often comes and sits with me and places his head on my legs. He is turning into a real cuddle bug, but can still handle being left alone. So the best of both worlds.
> Here he is all wet after coming in from a walk.


It's partly who he is and partly the sensible up-bringing you've given him. Where nature and nurture come together perfectly!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

krandall said:


> It's partly who he is and partly the sensible up-bringing you've given him. Where nature and nurture come together perfectly!


Thanks! He is still changing every day. Lately he has noticed a few more things that make him growl or alarm bark. Trucks in unusual places, brightly coloured signs, people walking outside in the street. I mostly deal with this by getting him treats, creating distance, then giving food when he looks before he reacts. I definitely like the concept of changing his emotional response to triggers rather than correcting him for reacting. Just makes more sense to me. I'm wondering if it's another fear period?

Anyway he is helping out with my training mentor's outdoor obedience class, which I am kind of apprenticing in. Here is a pic of us walking by all the dogs that are in a stay ( he is Mr. Social/ distraction dog). Afterwards some of the class attendees expressed surprise to find out his age as they assumed he was much older due to his good behaviour! Of course I was thinking how much better he could be at it so we are striving for better attention/focus. But for 9 months I still think it's pretty awesome!

Ugh all the photos from my phone end up sideways. Apologies for straining your necks.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Thanks! He is still changing every day. Lately he has noticed a few more things that make him growl or alarm bark. Trucks in unusual places, brightly coloured signs, people walking outside in the street. I mostly deal with this by getting him treats, creating distance, then giving food when he looks before he reacts. I definitely like the concept of changing his emotional response to triggers rather than correcting him for reacting. Just makes more sense to me. I'm wondering if it's another fear period?
> 
> Anyway he is helping out with my training mentor's outdoor obedience class, which I am kind of apprenticing in. Here is a pic of us walking by all the dogs that are in a stay ( he is Mr. Social/ distraction dog). Afterwards some of the class attendees expressed surprise to find out his age as they assumed he was much older due to his good behaviour! Of course I was thinking how much better he could be at it so we are striving for better attention/focus. But for 9 months I still think it's pretty awesome!
> 
> Ugh all the photos from my phone end up sideways. Apologies for straining your necks.


What a good boy! I do think I remember Kodi going through a fear period about 9 months. Those were very mild with Kodi&#8230; more reluctance to go toward strangers than anything else, but out of the ordinary for a very social, people oriented dog.

Even when they are adults, you never know what's going to all of a sudden cause them to take notice. With Kodi, they tend to be very dark things that, I think, he can't visualize well. We were walking in the woods recently, and there was a very black stump close to the edge of the trail. Kodi was off leash, and he had to do several "slowly forward, quickly skitter back" approaches before he satisfied himself that it wasn't going to jump up and bite him, and he went over and sniffed it thoroughly.

Interestingly, when we were doing the temperament testing of his litter, the person who did it for me explained that this is exactly the response you want to see in puppies to an unknown "scary (but not dangerous) thing". It is fine for them to startle and back away, but you want them to re-engage, and come forward again, to check it out.

Most recently, when we re-did our kitchen and downstairs bath, we installed stacking, front-load washer and dryer. They are MUCH quieter than our old machines, but they have these big, DARK, spinning drums with something MOVING inside them. It was pretty funny seeing Kodi sneak up to the bathroom door, peek around the corner and "Brrrff!!!" at the washing machine and skitter away, just to come back and do it again. The novelty has worn off now, but it was funny while it lasted!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Time for a quick update on Archer. He is 10.5 months now. He's currently crunching away at a chicken neck (actually the first one I've given him- seems popular so far). He is still changing all the time. We are signed into a Rally Obedience class now. I wanted to do some work with him in an environment where there are other dogs around, as he tends to get way too distracted by other dogs, still. He is doing well in there but definitely the baby of the class. Most of the other dogs are 2-3 years or older. To get through that class it is all about finding high-value treats!

He is learning his obedience in many different places, and he has learned a pan retrieve- so, go get his toy and place it in a tray for a reward.  Loose-leash walking continues to be off and on- I need to pinpoint what it is that I am screwing up, as sometimes he is terrible, terrible on leash, and other times he is absolutely golden. When he has a lot of energy to burn off he is not good on leash, and once he gets some of that out of his system, he can walk perfectly beside me, happily looking in my direction and awaiting the next instruction. It is like night and day. I'm hoping this is more adolescence than some severe lack of training chops on my part.  We shall see! I am continuously learning. At what age did any of your dogs take to loose-leash walking really well and how did you do it?

I've noticed he has become a bit more sensitive about play with other dogs. He gets overwhelmed easily- maybe it's just that I am learning and seeing the signs more? But I tend to keep the play sessions with unknown dogs short and sweet and leave while it's still good, because sometimes he starts gnashing his teeth too much or growling a little, almost as if to say "Hey guys, knock it off, can't we just chill here?" I find that especially now with any dogs who are younger, e.g. 4-6 months old- could it be that he is growing up?! Anyway he still has good play sessions with dogs that are well-matched size/age and play-style wise, just not with dogs who themselves don't seem to read the cues he gives.

He has also had some recurrence of alarm barking/growling. For example, today we were walking in a new boardwalk-bog area, and there was a group of kids in rain gear. He saw them, put on the brakes, and started alarm-barking/howling at them. Odd because he actually loves children once he gets up close with them. So we got some distance, I increased the treating and the clicking for focus on me, and practiced some obedience while they were still in view. We then followed behind them to leave the bog area, and he watched them but did not react again. Same day (today) a black SUV apparently was something worth barking at? I'm being as proactive as I can- he sees this object (SUV), he sees some cause for alarm (or fear? maybe both?) and so I create distance by luring him to walking back to our starting point- just creating enough distance that he can pay attention again), then start feeding him treats and clicking as we again approach the SUV. After that he was pretty well fine. So it seems to be the same story each time this kind of behaviour has happened (I think it has happened maybe 8-10 times total with various things). Something about something startles him, then we need distance to reset and approach the object using lots of positive reinforcement. If anyone has any additional suggestions or experience with their dogs to share, I am all ears. Socialization never ends does it! His older half-brother is fairly reactive to a lot of things, which his owner and myself mainly attribute to his being raised in the country to the age of 6 months before they go him- but I wonder if there is some genetic propensity, too.

I am able to leave him alone for 6-7 hours during the day, if I need to, with no problem now. No potty issues either. I leave him in a separate room with some food puzzles and he basically naps. Evenings are another matter. They definitely get used to your schedule. I am home most evenings fussing with him, brushing, training etc, and if I do go out for the evening he is ok for 1-2 hrs tops, but any longer and he is barking the whole time and in anxiety mode.  So I need to practice leaving for shorter times more regularly, and maybe actually keep him in his crate when I leave for any longer so that he can't get into whining/pacing/worry mode, if that makes sense? We try to keep leaving and arriving very low key, but after he has barked when we are out (I know because I have a webcam to spy) he has this frantic quality to his greeting, and is panting for like half an hour after we get back. Poor dude. Other than these times, he pretty much does not bark... yet...?

Also, he met a German shepherd on one of our walks (both on leash), and they immediately started the playbow thing, and the german shepherd took his/her paw and placed it on top of him, and caused him to scream in fear/pain. I really have barely heard him do that, and it's blood-curdling. Man! These little dogs, you really have to be on top of _everything_ when you have a little dog. He was fine after, a bit scared, but to see how quickly he was almost injured just freaked me out! He actually loves big dogs though, he is/was? not afraid of dogs at all really, and not based on size anyway, so I think that is good as from what I have seen, little dogs that are afraid or nervous around big dogs get into trouble with their body language.

Hmm what else. Well I snuck him into a local dog show to see his breeder (his sister was showing!) and that was fun, though he got nervous of all the barking, and we went into the flyball building and holy smokes, I have never heard that kind of noise. His tail went between his legs right away! So, opportunity for training! We hung outside the door, me dispensing tons of treats, asking for behaviours, with the din of barking in the background, then slowly entered, quickly left, repeat, until I was able to get him practicing his rally moves in the back even with all the craziness around.

Oh AND he is blowing coat AGHH! I don't know how breeders do it, showing these dogs, I can barely keep up without professional help and he is in a puppy cut. Good news though, my boyfriend has taken a liking to combing him, and, he is actually pretty good at it- better than me because I always try to brush _too_ much. But I still need to take him in to get the pros to help as I still do not have a grooming table, which I think would help a lot.

Wow lots of updates. Oh. He also got fleas. I never had him on any flea product as many people don't use it around here and don't have problems. Well I have no idea where he got them from- and I caught it very early. Fleas are freaky beasts! They are so darn fast! So the vet gave us advantage, and one treatment killed them immediately. Nasty stuff to have to put on your dog, but, it works. So, he'll be on that for a while to ensure there are no repeat incidents. I guess I will probably use it during the summer at least, after I finish these prescribed tubes.

One of the best things of having this little guy is that now my boyfriend wakes up before me and lets him out of his crate in the other room where he sleeps. The first thing Archer does is come into the bedroom and whine to come up on the bed with me. Getting woken up by a Havanese is much better than an alarm clock or even the boyfriend! He is a good sleeping-in buddy when he is tired- he will happily curl up with me for quite a while! 

Anyone who hasn't tried it should try the Kyjen tail teaser- this toy is the best, he adores it and it is easy to play with (it's a flirt pole). Great for obedience practice too.

Photo caption: Really? Another photo? I thought you already took 20 today.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

*Archer wishes you a Happy Holiday*

Here's a photo I had done. Archer's 11 months now! The proceeds from the photos went to a local rescue group so it is feel good all around.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Great picture of a handsome boy!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Aww, he's turned into such a handsome young man!!!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

He sure is a handsome little guy…Happy Holidays!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Hi guys, check out the link below:
http://www.werthwildphotography.com/Portraits/Archer/n-dQxwH/i-KfbLnRV

I ran into this photographer at the beach the other day and he got some nice pics of Archer getting dirty and having a blast!

In other news he is doing great. He is the class clown in Rally-O and is winning hearts everywhere he goes. He is coming along nicely with his Rally-O moves!

I think he is still blowing coat too! I haven't been able to grow out his coat at all- it's all I can do to keep up with this guy especially since I constantly let him get dirty. When is the coat blowing supposed to end again?!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Archer looks great in those photos! I agree about the coat blowing. I keep waiting for Molly to be done and the matting goes on and on.......


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Great action shots of Archer. Bet he got a good soaking when he got home.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Hi guys, check out the link below:
> http://www.werthwildphotography.com/Portraits/Archer/n-dQxwH/i-KfbLnRV
> 
> I ran into this photographer at the beach the other day and he got some nice pics of Archer getting dirty and having a blast!
> ...


Oh, I LOVE the photos!!! I love to see photos of Havs "getting messy". Even with their fluffy hair, they are so NOT "fru-fru" dogs!

Glad to hear he's doing so well in Rally-O. Get someone to video tape you in class and let us see him working!!!

As far as the coat is concerned, they can go through several stages of blowing coat. In Kodi's case, each was not nearly as bad as the one before, and (except when he blew coat after being sick 2 years ago) I think he was pretty much done with it some where around 18 months. I've heard other people say 2 years. I think a lot depends on the particular coat. As you know there's a lot of variation. But I DO know their coat isn't mature until they are about 3. That's when Kodi's coat became MUCH easier to deal with. (like hardly worth talking about)

I think, for people like you and me, who are willing to let their Havs "get messy", and want them to have that experience in SPITE of their coat, it's harder. When they are the MOST in need of TONS of out-door exercise is also when their coat is the hardest to maintain.


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## timeblind (Sep 3, 2014)

Archer looks so handsome and happy running around! I'm sure not looking forward to Baker blowing his coat...


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

timeblind said:


> Archer looks so handsome and happy running around! I'm sure not looking forward to Baker blowing his coat...


All I can say is really do the work now to make him comfortable with grooming and brushing- before it is necessary and you have to do it regardless of how the dog feels about it! I really can't emphasize this enough. Archer is still not great about it, but between JB and I, and some lamb lung, we get 'er done. The groomers tell me he is wonderful, maybe because he is up on a table. I just don't have room for that in my place.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

krandall said:


> Oh, I LOVE the photos!!! I love to see photos of Havs "getting messy". Even with their fluffy hair, they are so NOT "fru-fru" dogs!
> 
> Glad to hear he's doing so well in Rally-O. Get someone to video tape you in class and let us see him working!!!


Our instructor should do videos at the end so I will definitely share if I get that! I am thinking of doing a trial in Richmond (near to Vancouver) in June as apparently there are some then. I think he might be ready to at least try in the novice by then...


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## Ionerk (Sep 30, 2012)

The same for Chili. The groomer says she is her best client, but she won't sit still for me. Although I have to say at 2-1/2 yrs. old she is finally getting better.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Our instructor should do videos at the end so I will definitely share if I get that! I am thinking of doing a trial in Richmond (near to Vancouver) in June as apparently there are some then. I think he might be ready to at least try in the novice by then...


AWESOME!!!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

*Gratuitous photos*

Hi guys, I know how much we love photos here (I'm inspired by Timeblind!), so here are a few of Archer recently. He is with his buddy Malcolm the boxer at Rally-O class. They love each other, although Archer hates if Malcolm starts tapping his paws as boxers tend to do (it's tough being 12 lbs!). The great thing about making friends at Rally-O class is the other owners are conscientious and manage their dogs well, so Archer gets to be buddies without being pawed!

Some other ones are silly sleeping poses... and then I took a screenshot of the Birthday panorama Archer's Aunt Megzzz did! She spoiled him much more than I did and he loved his custom card and presents!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Thanks for sharing. Such a handsome boy!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Awww, what a cutie!!!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Darling picture of the best buddies! Archer sure is awfully cute upside down Looks very familiar...


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

*Rally-O video link*

Hey all, Here is a video link our trainer sent of the "graduating" run in Novice Rally-O! This is after 9 classes. I took a first course then dropped in for the second half of the next one for a refresher and more practice. We also practice on our walks and I feel it has really improved leash-walking.


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Very nice work :whoo: he looks so cute and so attentive. Thanks for sharing.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Hey all, Here is a video link our trainer sent of the "graduating" run in Novice Rally-O! This is after 9 classes. I took a first course then dropped in for the second half of the next one for a refresher and more practice. We also practice on our walks and I feel it has really improved leash-walking.


Awesome work, Jen!!! He's doing fantastically!!! Were those WCR signs?


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

What a smart little guy!!! Looks like we need some training here


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

krandall said:


> Awesome work, Jen!!! He's doing fantastically!!! Were those WCR signs?


Thanks! And we're training for CARO.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Thanks! And we're training for CARO.


Oh, that's right! I forgot that you were in Canada. A couple of the signs you did are ones that are in WCR Level one, but not in AKC Novice. That's what confused me!


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Hey all,
Here are some photo updates!

The rainbow is light coming through my aquarium.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Aaaand one more update, which is... we had to shave him. :suspicious:

The matting was just getting to be too much, and after I took him out romping around a couple times, and couldn't get my bf to help with the brushing long enough... and then couldn't get an appointment at the groomer's soon enough, well, the end result is we had to cut him down, which I am bummed about, because I LOVE his look with the long puppy cut! And I managed to not have to do this so far- he is about 15 mos. I think he must have exceptionally mattable hair. Some of his hair, the black ones, seem coarser and straighter. The rest of the light coloured hair you can barely make out a single strand and it is like cotton fluff. I wonder if he just has an extra hard-to-care-for coat!

I was thinking of Rory because I know how bummed Deacon Blues was about having to shave Rory! And they look kind of similar.

Anyway, I will use this opportunity to keep desensitizing him to combing and grooming, and also to let him run around like the wild animal he was born to be! It's hard to keep a Havanese in any kind of coat if you also let them be very doggy, esp. in this wet climate I live in.

Anyway, I am bummed... but Archer seems just fine- he seems to like being petted even more now!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Archer looks just adorable in his puppy cut. I have been there many times with my first Havanese. They grow out fast and then have that puppyish look again. He probably has a double coat like Scout. To keep him mat free I need to brush and comb twice a day. Truffles rarely has a mat. Anyway, I think he looks just great with his new haircut and you can see his cute little body too


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

i am pretty sure Sheba has an extra fluffy coat…like cotton, really. She hasn't started blowing coat yet and I am dreading it! But I think the groomer did a great job with Archer, leaving the head, ears, and tail long. His pretty markings really stand out. And although I've never had Sheba shaved, I had my bichon and poodle shaved many, many times. Before you know it, their coats had grown in.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Hey all,
> Here are some photo updates!
> 
> The rainbow is light coming through my aquarium.


He is SO cute! (and I love the rainbow pictures!)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Aaaand one more update, which is... we had to shave him. :suspicious:
> 
> The matting was just getting to be too much, and after I took him out romping around a couple times, and couldn't get my bf to help with the brushing long enough... and then couldn't get an appointment at the groomer's soon enough, well, the end result is we had to cut him down, which I am bummed about, because I LOVE his look with the long puppy cut! And I managed to not have to do this so far- he is about 15 mos. I think he must have exceptionally mattable hair. Some of his hair, the black ones, seem coarser and straighter. The rest of the light coloured hair you can barely make out a single strand and it is like cotton fluff. I wonder if he just has an extra hard-to-care-for coat!
> 
> ...


Oh well! He's still adorable, and their coats DO continue to get easier as they mature. I've been told by breeders that they really don't have a mature coat until they are 3.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

He is still as cute as ever! Molly's white fur is still very cottony and easy to mat. The black fur she has is definitely a different texture and easier to handle. We are still in a puppy cut. I just bought Molly the cutest rain slicker for our rainy Spring. Maybe Archer would like one too!


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

I'm sure Archer already has some rain slickers - living in the Pacific NW. :rain:

He looks cute shaved down with his bobble head! I had to shave Emmie down when she was over a year but I haven't cut her hair since then. At 3 years old, she doesn't require daily combing which is really nice. I let her run around a lot outdoors, even when the weather's bad so I'm constantly pulling debris off of her since she's a little Swifter. I love my little tomboy who cleans up well!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

My husband call our two the dust mops


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Thanks for the kind words gang. I have also been trying Archer out on some different raw foods and he seems to like them much better than his kibble. He licks his paws a lot, especially in between the toes, and I wonder if they are getting a bit red from yeast on his skin. The vet recommends some special shampoo that is supposed to help with the yeast (I ordered it in) but I thought I would give raw food a go too since there would be less starches in it.

Anyway he is doing great overall and I am hoping to get him into a rally-O competition soon.


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## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

So Archer is 1 yr 5 months old today, and he weighs 11.8 lbs. He lost a half pound over a couple of months after the switch to raw food. I was at the vet recently and she says his body condition is good. He is definitely skinnier but she said the only way he has to grow now is out, if we let him. So I think I will try to keep him in an "athletic" condition. A lot of people worry their dog will become overweight by using food as a reward. I haven't had trouble with that so far as I take it out of his daily allotment. I also see a lot of small dogs who look like little sausages and have no visible abdomen. It seems like getting a good idea of your dog's body condition with these hairy little guys can be hard but once you know what it feels and looks like it makes sense.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Glad to hear Archer is in good physical shape.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> So Archer is 1 yr 5 months old today, and he weighs 11.8 lbs. He lost a half pound over a couple of months after the switch to raw food. I was at the vet recently and she says his body condition is good. He is definitely skinnier but she said the only way he has to grow now is out, if we let him. So I think I will try to keep him in an "athletic" condition. A lot of people worry their dog will become overweight by using food as a reward. I haven't had trouble with that so far as I take it out of his daily allotment. I also see a lot of small dogs who look like little sausages and have no visible abdomen. It seems like getting a good idea of your dog's body condition with these hairy little guys can be hard but once you know what it feels and looks like it makes sense.


I'm always feeling my guys... Even little Pixel. I want to make sure to feed her enough that she's growing well, but I also don't want her to get pudgy. Kodi put on a little weight over the winter, because the snow and cold made walks impossible. Fortunately, his little sister is trying very hard to run it back off of him. 

But I agree with you, you can use as many training treats as you want/need as long as they are high quality food and you factor them into the dog's total diet.


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