# Share your first days home stories!



## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

Hi! Would love to hear your stories of bringing your pups home and the first few days. How were your nights? How long did it take for your pups to acclimate? Just about a week left before we get our Louis! We have everything ready for him. Just missing the pup lol. We have a 3.4-4 hour drive to get him from where we are so we are definitely planning on stopping 1-2 times on the way back home with him. But would love to hear about your journey home with your pups and those first few days/nights!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

We really had a very easy time with all three of ours. They all slept through the night right away. We were concerned that Kodi (our first) might not, and my husband had not yet adjusted to the idea of dogs in the bedroom. So Kodi's crate for the first 2 years was downstairs. My son and I took turns sleeping on the couch beside him at night for the first week, but he never made a peep.

By the time the girls came around, Kodi was sleeping in or room, and Dave wouldn't have DREAMED of having the girls sleep anywhere else. They both settled right in with no problems! 

We flew two of our home from NC to MA, with long car trips on both ends, and they both did great. The third one was from RI, only about an hour and a half from home, so she was a piece of cake in comparison!


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## KristaS (Sep 26, 2020)

This is fun! I picked up Jojo and drove back 2 1/2 hours by myself. She just rode in my lap and slept the whole way. I had done much research and knew what I needed but as I wasn’t expecting a dog that DAY; I had nothing prepared for her. My husband and son went out and bought some essentials like a crate before I got home. We decided what to name her when I got home. We played a bit and started to teach her about her crate but probably rushed her a bit. We started with her in her crate in our room on floor. She wasn’t feeling that at all!!! My husband had an early zoom call the next day so I took her to the family room. I put her on the ottoman and I slept on the couch. At first she cried a bit. I put my hand up to the crate wires and she settled. She slept until 4:00 when we both needed to potty. She pottied outside and we both went right back to sleep until 7:00. The next few nights I put a chair by the bed with her crate on it. She slept until 4:00 and gave out a little bark to go out pottied and went back to sleep. Quite quickly she stopped waking at 4:00 and now I even get up and shower etc and she still doesn’t get up until 7:00. I’ve also moved the chair out again and her crate is on the floor. Much easier than getting up every two hours to nurse a baby for sure!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

krandall said:


> We really had a very easy time with all three of ours. They all slept through the night right away. We were concerned that Kodi (our first) might not, and my husband had not yet adjusted to the idea of dogs in the bedroom. So Kodi's crate for the first 2 years was downstairs. My son and I took turns sleeping on the couch beside him at night for the first week, but he never made a peep.
> 
> By the time the girls came around, Kodi was sleeping in or room, and Dave wouldn't have DREAMED of having the girls sleep anywhere else. They both settled right in with no problems!
> 
> We flew two of our home from NC to MA, with long car trips on both ends, and they both did great. The third one was from RI, only about an hour and a half from home, so she was a piece of cake in comparison!


So sweet that you and your son took turns sleeping on the couch next to Kodi!! And love that your husband came around on the pups sleeping in your room <3. Great to hear you had an easy time with all three!!! Thank you for sharing!!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

KristaS said:


> This is fun! I picked up Jojo and drove back 2 1/2 hours by myself. She just rode in my lap and slept the whole way. I had done much research and knew what I needed but as I wasn't expecting a dog that DAY; I had nothing prepared for her. My husband and son went out and bought some essentials like a crate before I got home. We decided what to name her when I got home. We played a bit and started to teach her about her crate but probably rushed her a bit. We started with her in her crate in our room on floor. She wasn't feeling that at all!!! My husband had an early zoom call the next day so I took her to the family room. I put her on the ottoman and I slept on the couch. At first she cried a bit. I put my hand up to the crate wires and she settled. She slept until 4:00 when we both needed to potty. She pottied outside and we both went right back to sleep until 7:00. The next few nights I put a chair by the bed with her crate on it. She slept until 4:00 and gave out a little bark to go out pottied and went back to sleep. Quite quickly she stopped waking at 4:00 and now I even get up and shower etc and she still doesn't get up until 7:00. I've also moved the chair out again and her crate is on the floor. Much easier than getting up every two hours to nurse a baby for sure!


Aha! I keep thinking back to when my kids were newborns and am bracing myself to wake up every three hours. I keep telling myself... at least there's no nursing involved :grin2:

Thank you for sharing! Love hearing these stories and hoping they bring back happy memories for you all as well .


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

We had a 2 1/2 hour car ride when we brought Desi home. My husband drove and I sat in the backseat with Desi. He slept most of the way. The first two nights I slept on the sofa In the den where we have his crate and he woke up around 1:00 in the morning. After that he slept from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. He occasionally makes it to 7:00 am. He has been wonderful and so happy to have him.


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## KristaS (Sep 26, 2020)

Lousmom there are things with a puppy that remind me of those precious years! But, it’s not nearly as hard!!! Not physically or emotionally! Thank goodness! At 52 I’m not nearly as up for it as I was 21 years ago! It is a lot of work and just like with a baby a schedule is a saving grace! You are going to love it!!! Pics of Lou when you have him please!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

We were able to visit Shama twice before driving her home one hour and 15 minutes. On our way home, we stopped at a rest area and were so pleased to be able to take her to potty over in the dog area. Later we realized we shouldn't have taken our sweet nine and a half week old there since she hadn't yet finished getting her shots. She didn't get sick however! As I recall, she slept in her crate and on my lap in the back seat while DH drove. No accidents.

DH and I camped in the living room while Shama slept in the dining room, first in her crate, then in her crate within her 2x6-foot ex pen. Gradually we snuck away partway through the night and eventually returned to sleeping in our bedroom. Shama never cried as she's slept in the same place every night since we brought her home. I think I only had to get up in the night to take her out a few times. It didn't take her long to sleep through the night.

Now she has a routine of sleeping in a bed in our bedroom while DH is reading in bed. After I brush my teeth, I take her out for one last time. She comes in and rubs her head back and forth on the outside bars of her ex pen, then she seems to contemplate going to bed, I walk to the other side of the counter and pretend to do something (because she won't go to bed if I'm watching), she puts herself to bed in the corner of her pen (on top of the edge of her bed, never in the middle of the bed even though that's where we find her in the morning), I close her pen, and I make sure her water bowl is full. Then we all go to sleep.

In the morning, she is rarely in a hurry to get up. Occasionally, she is in her crate within her pen when we get up. Our theory is that she goes in her crate if she has to go to to the bathroom. We think she can "hold it" better there since she would never dream of peeing in there. That doesn't happen too often.

Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to seeing photos and hearing stories!


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Lousmom you are hilarious, definitely no breastfeeding! We brought our youngest home in March 2019. We flew to get Jodie and had one stop on the way the way back. As we got off the plane my husband told me to carry her first. She was so precious with her head poking out of the baby sling. I felt like an elated ten year old, smiling at the squeals of her cuteness. Then came the potty break in the dog area. I was a little paranoid so I cleaned the floor with hand sanitizer and then rub a little on her paws before washing them in the bathroom sink. That was hard to do without Ed. We only had a 20 minute drive home from the airport so that was the easy part. 
We already had 2 other Havanese who have always slept in our room. The 15 year old sleeps on the floor on a cat bed. The 11 year old was an abused rescue (HRI) and slept on his foster parent’s bed so we did the same. We’ve just gotten to the colder nights which means finding him between the sheets in the middle of the night. For Jodie I had a padded stool, 24”x18”, next to my side of the bed with Jodie’s crate on top. She couldn’t get out so I left the lid open and whenever she whimpered I would put my hand in, pet her and talk softly and slowly. After a few nights she acclimated and only made noise to use the bathroom. After a couple weeks I put Jodie’s crate on the floor and within a few more weeks she refused to use it and insisted on sleeping under the bed directly beneath my head. We have an adjustable Tempurpedic bed so the frame is rock solid. Ed engineered extra reinforcement and blocked off everything except her section so that we could still reach her if there was an emergency. We, meaning Ed, did all the grunt work. We test it regularly to make sure it’s still solid. Jodie is frequently on the bed when I use the bathroom at night and always when we wake, usually 2 inches from our noses. We go to bed around midnight so she has learned that she can wake us up at 7:30 but 5:30 am isn’t happening. We have several routines during the day and evening and when it’s bedtime we all go upstairs, the dogs get their carrots, go to their respective sleeping spots and life is good.
Thank you for your post, it’s fun to read other stories.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

The drive was a full day for us but much easier than I thought. We tried not to feed him, which was suggested because of carsickness on such a long drive, and we almost made it. We ended up having to stop about an hour and a half from home. We planned stops ahead of time to avoid rest stops and high traffic areas, but we hadn’t planned to stop so close to home and our only choice was a rest stop or wait another 45 minutes to find a park, and it was late at night. We stayed away from the path and restrooms at the rest stop but I’m sure that makes no difference since other people would try to do the same thing  He ate ravenously and slept the rest of the way. 

The next morning my husband went on a business trip and my kids went to school. He was my first puppy and I had no idea what to do, but he was very tired from the trip so he slept for most of the day. The main thing I remember from the first week is that he was so tiny, I couldn’t tell when he peed in the grass! His “pee pose” is very similar to his “looking around” pose so when I was still figuring him out it was impossible to tell. Next puppy I’ll have the indoor potty tray ready to go immediately and completely avoid this  

Since DH was out of town, I kept the crate on the bed with the door open the first night I was on my own. The next day I familiarized him with the ex pen and that night I closed the door after he fell asleep. He did wake up and cry to go potty around 2am. Mine had to go potty in the night for a couple of weeks and extra early in the morning for a while. But I can’t complain because as an adult he can hold it for a really, really long time when we sleep in on the weekends. We crate trained in the beginning and it went well but for a few reasons we ended up using an expen long term.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lousmom said:


> Aha! I keep thinking back to when my kids were newborns and am bracing myself to wake up every three hours. I keep telling myself... at least there's no nursing involved :grin2:
> 
> Thank you for sharing! Love hearing these stories and hoping they bring back happy memories for you all as well .


LOL! My first son slept through the night for the first time at 6 weeks. I remember RUNNING into the room when I woke up at first light, SURE he must be dead! LOL! He was SUCH an easy baby. I paid BIG TIME with my second. I don't think he slept through the night until he was 6 YEARS old!!!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

We only had to drive 30 minutes home with Mia. The thing I remember is that the first thing she did when we got home was go under the kitchen table and pee...:surprise: As a first time dog owner I was wondering what I had gotten myself into and realized how clueless I was! And I was clueless...probably the worst anyone here has encountered!


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

That’s how it went for me Karen, our second son didn’t sleep through the night until he was five. He would scream hysterically for 15-20 minutes after his naps until he was 3. No one could ever tell us why. 
Sheesh Mudpuppymama take it easy on yourself, you’re certainly not clueless these days😊 I’ve had dogs for 61 years and still didn’t know how much I didn’t know when joining the forum. My neighbor is truly clueless, although I did get her to get rid of that blankety blank shock collar on her dog. You are now a valuable resource on the forum and Mia is very fortunate to have you as her Mom💜


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

JaJa said:


> That's how it went for me Karen, our second son didn't sleep through the night until he was five. He would scream hysterically for 15-20 minutes after his naps until he was 3. No one could ever tell us why.
> Sheesh Mudpuppymama take it easy on yourself, you're certainly not clueless these days&#128522; I've had dogs for 61 years and still didn't know how much I didn't know when joining the forum. My neighbor is truly clueless, although I did get her to get rid of that blankety blank shock collar on her dog. You are now a valuable resource on the forum and Mia is very fortunate to have you as her Mom&#128156;


Thank you JaJa. That is very sweet. I think it is a testimony to our dogs that they can turn out just fine in spite of our mistakes!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Thank you JaJa. That is very sweet. I think it is a testimony to our dogs that they can turn out just fine in spite of our mistakes!


That's for sure! Just like our kids! LOL!


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

krandall said:


> That's for sure! Just like our kids! LOL!


My thoughts exactly!

I always said that if my third child would have been my first child that he would have been the one and only. :grin2:


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

My kids were challenging in different ways, like most children I think. My oldest has special needs and in his early years those things required a lot of extra time. They are only a year apart, and DD is the opposite of DS in almost every way. They met their milestones together because DS had so many major surgeries during his first year. They talked at the same time, walked at the same time, but while DD was running ahead, DS was hesitant. In retrospect, I wish we would have added a Havanese to our family earlier. I can see pros and cons to a Havanese both in preschool years and early elementary years. I do think it’s more work to have a puppy with younger children, so maybe an older Havanese would have been a better fit. I think it really would have been good for our family. Sundance has helped DS take risks and given DD a friend to burn off energy with. In addition to all of the other ways he’s brought us joy!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> My kids were challenging in different ways, like most children I think. My oldest has special needs and in his early years those things required a lot of extra time. They are only a year apart, and DD is the opposite of DS in almost every way. They met their milestones together because DS had so many major surgeries during his first year. They talked at the same time, walked at the same time, but while DD was running ahead, DS was hesitant. In retrospect, I wish we would have added a Havanese to our family earlier. I can see pros and cons to a Havanese both in preschool years and early elementary years. I do think it's more work to have a puppy with younger children, so maybe an older Havanese would have been a better fit. I think it really would have been good for our family. Sundance has helped DS take risks and given DD a friend to burn off energy with. In addition to all of the other ways he's brought us joy!


I think it depends SOOO much on the family and the specific adults. I think YOU would have done GREAT with whatever dog you chose, even when your kids were little.

But I also think (and have seen, a number of times) that other people want puppies for all the wrong reasons when they have small children. I don't think it's right when breeders have flat rules like "You must have a fenced yard" or "No kids under 5" or "There MUST be someone home during the day". I think there are nuances to ALL these situations, and a GOOD breeder is going to have a long conversation with the person to see whether they have really thought things through, have a good plan, and are looking out for the best interests of the puppy as well as the family.

I hear of a situation like Shama Mama, who is obviously a WONDERFUL Havanese mama who had a hard time finding a Havanese breeder who would sell to her because she and her husband are full-time school teachers. That's wrong. It's unfair to the couple and unfair to the puppies, frankly. I can't think of a more doted on dog on the forum than Miss Shama! <3

But then I ALSO read messages from people whose feelings are hurt because they were turned down by a breeder "because they have several young children". In a case like that, we don't KNOW what the whole conversation was, or all the circumstances. ...Or even how many other people wanted that same puppies! Remember that wait-lists are not linear. A good breeder will place puppies in the best home possible for that puppy and family, even if it means she needs to skip over other people on the list) We only know what the person tells us of their side of the story on the forum.

I know breeders who have invited families with small children into their homes. They have seen how the parents interacted with their kids and how the kids interacted with the puppies, and THEN make the decision that they are not comfortable placing one of their puppies in that family. We don't necessarily hear that side of the story here. A breeder's job is NOT to provide a plaything for every family because the parents think it will be good for their kids. (and I KNOW that is not what you were suggesting, Eva Elizabeth, and I KNOW a puppy in your house would NEVER have been treated that way!) But I think some (many) puppy buyers look at breeders as supplying a "commodity". That's not the way it should work. And GOOD breeders DO need to make judgment calls on whether they think placing a puppy in a specific home is in the best interests of that puppy, as well as the family, whether the family realizes it or not.


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

Faithb said:


> We had a 2 1/2 hour car ride when we brought Desi home. My husband drove and I sat in the backseat with Desi. He slept most of the way. The first two nights I slept on the sofa In the den where we have his crate and he woke up around 1:00 in the morning. After that he slept from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. He occasionally makes it to 7:00 am. He has been wonderful and so happy to have him.


Thank you for sharing! 10 pm - 6 am sounds amazing!!! Also I love the name Desi


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

KristaS said:


> Lousmom there are things with a puppy that remind me of those precious years! But, it's not nearly as hard!!! Not physically or emotionally! Thank goodness! At 52 I'm not nearly as up for it as I was 21 years ago! It is a lot of work and just like with a baby a schedule is a saving grace! You are going to love it!!! Pics of Lou when you have him please!


Here he is


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

ShamaMama said:


> We were able to visit Shama twice before driving her home one hour and 15 minutes. On our way home, we stopped at a rest area and were so pleased to be able to take her to potty over in the dog area. Later we realized we shouldn't have taken our sweet nine and a half week old there since she hadn't yet finished getting her shots. She didn't get sick however! As I recall, she slept in her crate and on my lap in the back seat while DH drove. No accidents.
> 
> DH and I camped in the living room while Shama slept in the dining room, first in her crate, then in her crate within her 2x6-foot ex pen. Gradually we snuck away partway through the night and eventually returned to sleeping in our bedroom. Shama never cried as she's slept in the same place every night since we brought her home. I think I only had to get up in the night to take her out a few times. It didn't take her long to sleep through the night.
> 
> ...


Thank you!! She sounds like such a clever girl staying in her crate!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

JaJa said:


> Lousmom you are hilarious, definitely no breastfeeding! We brought our youngest home in March 2019. We flew to get Jodie and had one stop on the way the way back. As we got off the plane my husband told me to carry her first. She was so precious with her head poking out of the baby sling. I felt like an elated ten year old, smiling at the squeals of her cuteness. Then came the potty break in the dog area. I was a little paranoid so I cleaned the floor with hand sanitizer and then rub a little on her paws before washing them in the bathroom sink. That was hard to do without Ed. We only had a 20 minute drive home from the airport so that was the easy part.
> We already had 2 other Havanese who have always slept in our room. The 15 year old sleeps on the floor on a cat bed. The 11 year old was an abused rescue (HRI) and slept on his foster parent's bed so we did the same. We've just gotten to the colder nights which means finding him between the sheets in the middle of the night. For Jodie I had a padded stool, 24"x18", next to my side of the bed with Jodie's crate on top. She couldn't get out so I left the lid open and whenever she whimpered I would put my hand in, pet her and talk softly and slowly. After a few nights she acclimated and only made noise to use the bathroom. After a couple weeks I put Jodie's crate on the floor and within a few more weeks she refused to use it and insisted on sleeping under the bed directly beneath my head. We have an adjustable Tempurpedic bed so the frame is rock solid. Ed engineered extra reinforcement and blocked off everything except her section so that we could still reach her if there was an emergency. We, meaning Ed, did all the grunt work. We test it regularly to make sure it's still solid. Jodie is frequently on the bed when I use the bathroom at night and always when we wake, usually 2 inches from our noses. We go to bed around midnight so she has learned that she can wake us up at 7:30 but 5:30 am isn't happening. We have several routines during the day and evening and when it's bedtime we all go upstairs, the dogs get their carrots, go to their respective sleeping spots and life is good.
> Thank you for your post, it's fun to read other stories.


Thank you for sharing! Yes, it's really fun to read these!!!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> The drive was a full day for us but much easier than I thought. We tried not to feed him, which was suggested because of carsickness on such a long drive, and we almost made it. We ended up having to stop about an hour and a half from home. We planned stops ahead of time to avoid rest stops and high traffic areas, but we hadn't planned to stop so close to home and our only choice was a rest stop or wait another 45 minutes to find a park, and it was late at night. We stayed away from the path and restrooms at the rest stop but I'm sure that makes no difference since other people would try to do the same thing  He ate ravenously and slept the rest of the way.
> 
> The next morning my husband went on a business trip and my kids went to school. He was my first puppy and I had no idea what to do, but he was very tired from the trip so he slept for most of the day. The main thing I remember from the first week is that he was so tiny, I couldn't tell when he peed in the grass! His "pee pose" is very similar to his "looking around" pose so when I was still figuring him out it was impossible to tell. Next puppy I'll have the indoor potty tray ready to go immediately and completely avoid this
> 
> Since DH was out of town, I kept the crate on the bed with the door open the first night I was on my own. The next day I familiarized him with the ex pen and that night I closed the door after he fell asleep. He did wake up and cry to go potty around 2am. Mine had to go potty in the night for a couple of weeks and extra early in the morning for a while. But I can't complain because as an adult he can hold it for a really, really long time when we sleep in on the weekends. We crate trained in the beginning and it went well but for a few reasons we ended up using an expen long term.


Thank you for sharing! Your post has given me something to think about... how will I now he's peed when he's so tiny?? We plan to do a combination of indoor and outdoor potty... We plan to crate train but I envision him using the expen more later on also, but let's see what he says about that :grin2:


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

krandall said:


> LOL! My first son slept through the night for the first time at 6 weeks. I remember RUNNING into the room when I woke up at first light, SURE he must be dead! LOL! He was SUCH an easy baby. I paid BIG TIME with my second. I don't think he slept through the night until he was 6 YEARS old!!!


Ahaha! I remember this all too well. My first nursed every hour and half (!!) the first couple of weeks but she's a great sleeper now. Both my kids are actually pretty good sleepers now so in a sense we've been spoiled with sleeping decently for the last few years... hoping Louis is a good sleeper


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

mudpuppymama said:


> We only had to drive 30 minutes home with Mia. The thing I remember is that the first thing she did when we got home was go under the kitchen table and pee...:surprise: As a first time dog owner I was wondering what I had gotten myself into and realized how clueless I was! And I was clueless...probably the worst anyone here has encountered!


Aww, I'm feeling pretty clueless right now too!! So you're not alone!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Lousmom said:


> Thank you for sharing! Your post has given me something to think about... how will I now he's peed when he's so tiny?? We plan to do a combination of indoor and outdoor potty... We plan to crate train but I envision him using the expen more later on also, but let's see what he says about that :grin2:


They do grow so fast! Since we are headed into winter anyway, if you just use the indoor potty for now, he will naturally just "get" outside potty when you take him out. You CAN do both from the beginning if you want, but if you're set up with the indoor potty, you really don't need to. We didn't have our indoor potty ready to go right when I brought him home but next time I will 

They do give little cues when they're peeing, they just take a little time for us to figure out because we're getting to know them. Like sniffing around or circling. But sometimes mine would start sniffing around and then get distracted and not actually pee. There are some funny threads where people have described their Havanese potty routines.


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## KristaS (Sep 26, 2020)

Louis is such a pretty puppy! I love him!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

This afternoon, DH and I were playing a board game on the dining room table. Shama was taking a nap behind me in her pen. I turned around and got this shot. I love her little paw pads on that right rear foot (by her tail)! She's getting groomed tomorrow. (All this to say that she likes her pen.)


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Shama’s getting groomed tomorrow? The second I saw Shama’s picture I was amazed with how pretty she is already. Our 15 year sleeps in an x-pen with 3 sections against our bed and won’t sleep anywhere else. Shama is quite the sleeping beauty🌺


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Oliver scared me. He had a tougher transition, at 11 weeks where he was used to his brothers. He barely ate for two days. Roxie settled right in at 8 weeks. BUT she had this parasite thing and that was a nightmare, because they had to make sure it wasn't Parvo. We've had a ton of outbreaks here, and my vet says any puppy with diarrhea has Parvo until proven otherwise. That was scary. A cute thing was she liked to fall asleep on my pillow, and I had to ease her back into the ex pen. Interesting story is that my. 4 months old Oliver would only sleep in the bed. Roxie has decided she's ok sleeping in the ex pen about half the night. And it's really a lot easier to get her settled there as long as I don't look at her or speak, LOL!


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Om my Mellisa, we had the same experience with our Golden 30 years ago and it was quite scary. I’m glad Oliver is okay now!


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

Lousmom said:


> Thank you for sharing! Your post has given me something to think about... how will I now he's peed when he's so tiny?? We plan to do a combination of indoor and outdoor potty... We plan to crate train but I envision him using the expen more later on also, but let's see what he says about that :grin2:


The grass was as tall as Desi when I brought him home so it was almost impossible to see if he had peed. The only way to know for sure was to pick him up and look for the telltale yellow in that area.


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## KristaS (Sep 26, 2020)

Ha ha Faith! I do the same thing! Jojo is still shorter than the grass and likes to pop a squat just to get a treat!!


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

This will probably make me sound OCD but I use to take a couple squares of toilet paper and dab it on their privates. Sometimes I couldn’t tell but it worked for me most of the time. When I can’t see what JoJo is doing it’s time to cut the grass! He’s 15 and has always weighed only 9 pounds but still...


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

KristaS said:


> Louis is such a pretty puppy! I love him!


Thank you! Was a bit of a challenge uploading a picture as the original file size was too big. Unfortunately, seems the one the site accepted was teeny tiny! Hopefully will figure this out lol


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

ShamaMama said:


> This afternoon, DH and I were playing a board game on the dining room table. Shama was taking a nap behind me in her pen. I turned around and got this shot. I love her little paw pads on that right rear foot (by her tail)! She's getting groomed tomorrow. (All this to say that she likes her pen.)


That's a great looking pen!!!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

Melissa Woods said:


> Oliver scared me. He had a tougher transition, at 11 weeks where he was used to his brothers. He barely ate for two days. Roxie settled right in at 8 weeks. BUT she had this parasite thing and that was a nightmare, because they had to make sure it wasn't Parvo. We've had a ton of outbreaks here, and my vet says any puppy with diarrhea has Parvo until proven otherwise. That was scary. A cute thing was she liked to fall asleep on my pillow, and I had to ease her back into the ex pen. Interesting story is that my. 4 months old Oliver would only sleep in the bed. Roxie has decided she's ok sleeping in the ex pen about half the night. And it's really a lot easier to get her settled there as long as I don't look at her or speak, LOL!


LOL!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lousmom said:


> Thank you! Was a bit of a challenge uploading a picture as the original file size was too big. Unfortunately, seems the one the site accepted was teeny tiny! Hopefully will figure this out lol


The software the site runs on is really old and clunky, unfortunately.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

JaJa said:


> Om my Mellisa, we had the same experience with our Golden 30 years ago and it was quite scary. I'm glad Oliver is okay now!


Luckily the vet said this was relatively common. Oliver is still SENSITIVE. Heaven forbid you should get busy and unable to play. He sits on my lap during zoom meetings. Luckily he's sweet and cute and the people love him. Roxie's a bit more laid back. She trotted right in and decided she owned the place. She'll eat. anything. He tried pickiness with me, or deciding not to eat. Well, Roxie will steal his food if he delays it. He's learned this quickly!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

Guess it's time to share my first days story . We had a four hour drive home, before we started the drive we tried to let him run around on the breeder's lawn but he had no interest in relieving himself. We stopped two times and it was no dice, so he held it for more than 4 hours! He was in my lap for a bit but mostly in his carrier bag on my lap with his Snuggle Puppy. He slept for most of the ride home and I only noticed he had thrown up a teeny tiny bit when I moved his Snuggle Puppy. Once we got home, I took him straight to the yard and he took care of business right away! He was a little shy and reserved at first but is settling in so nicely. On the first night I ran him around a bit before bedtime, made sure he peed and then put him in his crate and next to our bed. He slept for 6 hours straight! He finally woke up at stirred around 5 am (which was actually 6 am but Daylight Savings had set the clocks back). I took him out to pee and back in the crate. He whined for about 30 seconds and then fell asleep for another 3 hours! Second night was more or less the same, he woke up once to pee and fell right back asleep in his crate. My kids are learning to always have a chew toy handy as he can be quite nippy but otherwise he's just a sweet little thing. We've had a couple of accidents on the floor but generally he's pretty good about using the pee pad. I did get a litter box (that I put a pee pad in) but he just goes there to hang out and not pee so we'll see how it goes with that!


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## KristaS (Sep 26, 2020)

How precious!!! I love Louis and think you are all very fortunate to have each other! You’re off to
A great start!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Lousmom said:


> He was in my lap for a bit but mostly in his carrier bag on my lap with his Snuggle Puppy. He slept for most of the ride home and I only noticed he had thrown up a teeny tiny bit when I moved his Snuggle Puppy.


I have never heard of a Snuggle Puppy. Sounds like a really cute idea! I think we'll need more pictures to know for sure ...


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Yes, definitely more pictures!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

Thank you all! Louis has been such a cutie. The nights have been really manageable - so far, he's up once and goes right back down after taking care of business. We've had a bit of a rough day today... he went to the vet for the first time and because of COVID, I wasn't allowed into the vet office, they came and got him from the car and talked to me from outside the car window (answering my questions, etc) and returned him after he got a shot and microchipped. So I don't know if that's the reason for his change in behavior today or if it's just a coincident. So far he's been fine with being in his ex-pen as needed - he would whine but eventually he would quiet down and nap or play by himself. Today he has been whining and protesting non-stop when we put him in the pen. He's starting to nearly bark and just cries and barks when he is in his pen. I don't know what's changed. After the vet we played with him and paid extra attention to him but he's so upset about going into his pen and instead of napping, he's been crying non-stop. We wait until he quiets down a bit to take him out but oddly, he doesn't even want to be outside, he keeps running right back to the door and prefers to come inside. He's definitely starting to get a bit bolder - previously he wouldn't venture beyond his pen area and now he is wandering over to other parts of the house (we are always right behind him). So this could all be that he is getting more comfortable with us or maybe he was traumatized from the vet??


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

It’s probably both. My heart goes out to you, a shot and a microchip is a lot for a new puppy. We’ve done the vet thing, waiting in the car, with all 3 dogs. One had to go to the ER but ended up being fine. It’s hard when you don’t know what is going on inside. It sounds like Louis has 2 wonderful loving parents and needs to have a little time to realize that his life is back to normal. Him getting bolder is a good sign. It may be a long night but I wouldn’t worry too much just yet. I can’t offer specific advice since having 2 other dogs helped when we brought the youngest one home. I hope the 3 of you get some rest tonight. Please let us know how things are going tomorrow🌺


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Is there anything you did in the beginning to acclimate him to the expen setup? If you did, you could back up and do some of that again. 

When you are able to supervise him closely, I would try to create situations where he can control his approach people and places like his expen on his own. Just make you’re you’re able to watch him closely to avoid potty training and puppy proofing problems. Providing those opportunities to inspect scary things without pushing was really helpful to my puppy, and he was on the more anxious side. 

If he senses you are concerned about him, he will also feel anxious, so whatever you can do to manage your own worries about him while he’s exploring will help him, too.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Lousmom said:


> Thank you all! Louis has been such a cutie. The nights have been really manageable - so far, he's up once and goes right back down after taking care of business. We've had a bit of a rough day today... he went to the vet for the first time and because of COVID, I wasn't allowed into the vet office, they came and got him from the car and talked to me from outside the car window (answering my questions, etc) and returned him after he got a shot and microchipped. So I don't know if that's the reason for his change in behavior today or if it's just a coincident. So far he's been fine with being in his ex-pen as needed - he would whine but eventually he would quiet down and nap or play by himself. Today he has been whining and protesting non-stop when we put him in the pen. He's starting to nearly bark and just cries and barks when he is in his pen. I don't know what's changed. After the vet we played with him and paid extra attention to him but he's so upset about going into his pen and instead of napping, he's been crying non-stop. We wait until he quiets down a bit to take him out but oddly, he doesn't even want to be outside, he keeps running right back to the door and prefers to come inside. He's definitely starting to get a bit bolder - previously he wouldn't venture beyond his pen area and now he is wandering over to other parts of the house (we are always right behind him). So this could all be that he is getting more comfortable with us or maybe he was traumatized from the vet??


Did he get a rabies shot? Some people report behavioral side effects in their dogs following a rabies shot. I would discuss this possibility with your vet.


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

Thank you all for the support and encouraging words! He didn't get his rabies shot, he got kennel cough. My husband and I were talking and another factor could be that they neighbor's kids came by to see Louis. They weren't rough with him at all but it may have been just too much excitement after the vet etc. I suspect he was way too over stimulated. Once the kids started to get a little too excited, I put him in his pen (inside the house, we were all outside in the backyard) for quiet time and that's when the whining/crying really started and did not stop. Even once the neighbors left and we were back in the house, he just wouldn't stop. Once he had a moment of calm, we would go in and play with him, take him outside, but the minute we put him back in, the whining would start. He didn't have a single nap from 4 pm onwards yesterday. I brought him to bed (his crate in our room) much earlier and he's usually happy to go in but even then he whined. He did calm down after a few minutes (his crate is about 4 inches from my bed) and then passed out for the night. He was obviously EXHAUSTED because I had to wake him up at 5:45 for a potty break. He went right back to sleep after and this morning he was super, super relaxed. It's still morning but so far he's back to his sweet self. We took him out again in the morning then put him in the pen while we ate breakfast, got ready and he didn't make a peep. He happily went into the crate and just napped. I took him back outside after taking the kids to school and he is definitely a lot mellower than previous days! Just so grateful that he's not so miserable today...!!


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

ShamaMama said:


> I have never heard of a Snuggle Puppy. Sounds like a really cute idea! I think we'll need more pictures to know for sure ...


The Snuggle Puppy has been amazing - I turn the little heartbeat sound on and he just snuggles right up to it and passes out. He is SO content when the heartbeat sound is on and happily goes into his crate. Highly recommend for new puppies! I had it sent to the breeder before we picked him up so I suspect having his mama's smell on it also is very comforting.


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## KristaS (Sep 26, 2020)

Lou is sooo cute! I can’t hardly stand it!!!! So happy he is settled again today!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lousmom said:


> Thank you all for the support and encouraging words! He didn't get his rabies shot, he got kennel cough. My husband and I were talking and another factor could be that they neighbor's kids came by to see Louis. They weren't rough with him at all but it may have been just too much excitement after the vet etc. I suspect he was way too over stimulated. Once the kids started to get a little too excited, I put him in his pen (inside the house, we were all outside in the backyard) for quiet time and that's when the whining/crying really started and did not stop. Even once the neighbors left and we were back in the house, he just wouldn't stop. Once he had a moment of calm, we would go in and play with him, take him outside, but the minute we put him back in, the whining would start. He didn't have a single nap from 4 pm onwards yesterday. I brought him to bed (his crate in our room) much earlier and he's usually happy to go in but even then he whined. He did calm down after a few minutes (his crate is about 4 inches from my bed) and then passed out for the night. He was obviously EXHAUSTED because I had to wake him up at 5:45 for a potty break. He went right back to sleep after and this morning he was super, super relaxed. It's still morning but so far he's back to his sweet self. We took him out again in the morning then put him in the pen while we ate breakfast, got ready and he didn't make a peep. He happily went into the crate and just napped. I took him back outside after taking the kids to school and he is definitely a lot mellower than previous days! Just so grateful that he's not so miserable today...!!


Sounds like an overtired puppy. Just like babies and toddlers, when puppies are RAELLY over-tired, it can be hard to get them to unwind enough to sleep. Glad to hear today is better! For future reference, inoculation days should PROBABLY be planned to be otherwise "quiet days".


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

That’s wonderful Lousmom, I’m so happy to hear that he’s feeling content again. The snuggle puppy is such a great idea, in the olden days my parents used a wind up clock clock wrapped in a blanket. Where did you get the snuggle puppy? Louis has a happy life ahead, his picture is adorable❣


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

I love Lou’s coloring. He is too cute for words. I am glad to hear that he is feeling better. 

Desi just finished his inoculations and is good until next year. Our vet gave him Benedryl prior to the Lepto shots to help with the soreness and possible reaction. He was a very tired puppy and slept for most of the day. Back to his playful little self the next.


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## Lousmom (Sep 2, 2020)

krandall said:


> Sounds like an overtired puppy. Just like babies and toddlers, when puppies are RAELLY over-tired, it can be hard to get them to unwind enough to sleep. Glad to hear today is better! For future reference, inoculation days should PROBABLY be planned to be otherwise "quiet days".


Yes, definitely! He went in for another shot this past Wednesday and we were sure to keep it nice and mellow for him. I think he was definitely overtired last week - this time we gave him a lot of quiet time and nap time and there was no crazy whining.


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## itsgooby (Dec 2, 2020)

It was our Gooby's first day home. As new pet parents we watched every YouTube video there is on puppies and what to do but nothing can truly prepare you, IMO.. experience alone! The car ride was smooth, he whined a bit but settled down knowing someone was by his side.

At home, we let him loose in the ex pen and I hand fed him his meal by luring him into the crate. He SCARFED it down so fast! kept licking my hand for more lol. We were definitely late based on what the breeder's feeding schedule was by about an hour, so we believe his whining stemmed from that in the last 30 mins of the ride home. He went into his crate, lined with a towel and his puppy blanket and toy inside but he was never in there for more than a minute and only because he was sniffing around for more food. I was premature in seeing how he would do if I closed the door and the whining and now BARKING REALLY started. He was let out once he stopped for a bit and we played soft tug, and a quick little recall exercise by squealing "pup pup pup" and making kissy noises to try and tire him out - which was really fun but ultimately did not stop the whining once back in the pen. Finally, I put the "Best Friends by Sheri The Original Calming Shag Fur Donut Cuddler" in his pen and whaddya know... he hopped in and took his first nap! I didn't want to introduce him to it because it is furry and I was afraid he'd just tear it apart.

We feed him freeze dried raw puppy food as recommended by the breeder. I mixed it with water to make a paste each time for hand feeding and then for his last meal I froze it in the puppy Kong. The Kong is new for him and he doesn't seem to know to use his hands to hold it down. The mixed food just drops to the bottom and he just thinks it's finished. I ordered a Lickimat which should make it easier for him. 

Everyone said to use the divider in the crate which I did. He took to the shag donut so much that I decided to put that in the crate instead and remove the divider. It fills the entire crate, making it impossible to fit the divider so I'm keeping my fingers crossed he doesn't have an accident in there tonight. I'm so grateful that he is pee pad trained and I am hoping that he will wake us if he has to pee at night.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

itsgooby said:


> We feed him freeze dried raw puppy food as recommended by the breeder. I mixed it with water to make a paste each time for hand feeding and then for his last meal I froze it in the puppy Kong. The Kong is new for him and he doesn't seem to know to use his hands to hold it down. The mixed food just drops to the bottom and he just thinks it's finished. I ordered a Lickimat which should make it easier for him.


A Lickimat? I can't get over the number of products I have NOT heard of!

Welcome home, Gooby! You sound adorable!

We need an update on Lou ...


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## itsgooby (Dec 2, 2020)

ShamaMama said:


> A Lickimat? I can't get over the number of products I have NOT heard of!


There really is!!! SOOO many varieties of a Lickimat too, there's also a bowl version that can be stuck to surfaces. Westpaw makes a bunch of interactive toys that are supposed to be very durable and safe. This puppy is high energy like.. ENDLESS!!! and he gets extremely excited to eat so I'm trying to avoid giving him his meals in a bowl. Gotta make him work off that energy a bit..

https://www.westpaw.com/dog-toys/puzzle


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

I hope you all got some sleep last night. Every dog we have owned has been hysterically happy to eat! The pictures are what we have, the blue one has suction cups but the green one stays stuck to floor without them. Do the bowls have suction cups?


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## itsgooby (Dec 2, 2020)

JaJa said:


> I hope you all got some sleep last night. Every dog we have owned has been hysterically happy to eat! The pictures are what we have, the blue one has suction cups but the green one stays stuck to floor without them. Do the bowls have suction cups?


The Lickimat Splash has a suction cup and is in a bowl shape! The ones I am getting look like yours but square shaped!


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Oooh, I don’t have a square one. I don’t “need” a square one but that’s not the point😆


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## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

Today marks two weeks since we brought our midnight boy home. He fits into our family so well it feels like he’s been here much longer. Our bond grows stronger each day along with his tiny body! 

After a beautiful drive into the mountains we met at a fire station parking lot. He was initially whining when I approached his crate but as soon I scoped him up he settled down and soon cuddled up in his Sherpa bag and began playing with the towel tag... so adorable. He snoozed the whole way home like a champ only waking briefly a couple times to look around. Once home I brought him to the backyard where he met everyone. After a brief play session and some dinner he went back to sleep in his xpen for a couple hours. He slept most of the first day and I think that came back to bite us because he was awake and somewhat inconsolable for most of the night. His crying/barking has been the biggest challenge for us bc our kids have a hard time tolerating it when we try and ignore him. He has made huge progress at this point both with barking in his pen and learning bite inhibition. 

At this point we are focusing on socializing him creatively outside the house and beginning training. Finding time for one on one training is another challenge! I think I’m going to sign up for the 6 week Bella and Baxter puppy classes so that we can have a designated time/schedule. He’s a total dreamboat and I feel BEYOND lucky to have him. He is SO goofy and entertaining, always up to something silly. He loves getting underneath anything and everything (the ottoman is his favorite) which is comical and interesting to me, I’m wondering where this instinct stems from. I’m already wanting another havanese 🙂 Although that will certainly be a few years down the road!

Other things on my mind are finding interactive toys to keep him mentally stimulated, figuring out when he’ll need his first haircut, and ordering a Dremel for his nails. The Dremel intimidates me but I’d like to master it together. I’ve been brushing and combing him everyday with the tiny toy wooden pin brush and 006 face buttercomb, both work like a dream and he doesn’t seem to mind much. 

Here’s a few recent pics, Ernie is 10 weeks old today!


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## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

itsgooby said:


> ShamaMama said:
> 
> 
> > A Lickimat? I can't get over the number of products I have NOT heard of!
> ...


Thanks for the lickamat idea!! Definitely checking these out! So fun hearing about Gooby's first day home! I hope y'all are settling into the chaos of life with a puppy. I gotta say... as time passes it just keeps getting better &#128578;


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Such cute pictures! 

He looks like he’s really enjoying the snow! We didn’t have snow for a few weeks after we brought ours home and it surprised me how in awe he was of it. The sidewalks would be clear and he would walk along next to it in the snow on the grass.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

So precious❣ Thanks for the pictures. As soon as you think you just can’t fall more in love, your heart grows and you do! It’s a joy to read your posts and feel your enthusiasm jump through the screen. One Havanese is definitely not enough!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Lousmom said:


> Thank you all! Louis has been such a cutie. The nights have been really manageable - so far, he's up once and goes right back down after taking care of business. We've had a bit of a rough day today... he went to the vet for the first time and because of COVID, I wasn't allowed into the vet office, they came and got him from the car and talked to me from outside the car window (answering my questions, etc) and returned him after he got a shot and microchipped. So I don't know if that's the reason for his change in behavior today or if it's just a coincident. So far he's been fine with being in his ex-pen as needed - he would whine but eventually he would quiet down and nap or play by himself. Today he has been whining and protesting non-stop when we put him in the pen. He's starting to nearly bark and just cries and barks when he is in his pen. I don't know what's changed. After the vet we played with him and paid extra attention to him but he's so upset about going into his pen and instead of napping, he's been crying non-stop. We wait until he quiets down a bit to take him out but oddly, *he doesn't even want to be outside, he keeps running right back to the door and prefers to come inside. He's definitely starting to get a bit bolder - previously he wouldn't venture beyond his pen area and now he is wandering over to other parts of the house (we are always right behind him).* So this could all be that he is getting more comfortable with us or maybe he was traumatized from the vet??


I doubt Louis was traumatized by the Vet. He's getting older and is becoming more demanding.

If you will confine Louis to one room with his ex-pen he will be easier to train, happier and more manageable as he gets older. In my situation I had the ex-pen in a Kitchen-Family area where the family hangs out most of the day. There were two entrances into this room. The ex-pen blocked one door way and had a door that opened up into the room and we gated off the other doorway. When someone was in the room Patti's ex-pen door was open allowing her to go in and out of the ex-pen. All her toys, food and water bowel, sleeping blanket and potty tray was in the ex-pen.

Confining the puppy to one room where you can easily watch them is important in housebreaking and training them. Patti loved her ex-pen. When we gave her a new toy or cookie to eat she would carry over to - Her Place - inside the ex-pen.

_I'm a little late on this thread and maybe other's have responded to this. _


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

ShamaMama said:


> *A Lickimat? * I can't get over the number of products I have NOT heard of!
> 
> Welcome home, Gooby! You sound adorable!
> 
> We need an update on Lou ...


LOL!! And I thought I had bought and tried everything. I had something like this that looked like a thick shag rug. You put treats on it and it was suppose to entertain the puppy for a long while. Worked for about 2 minutes.

If I'd know about Lickimat I'm sure I would have tried it. Below is a video on how to use it. >

Amazon.com: LickiMat Slow Feeder for Dogs, Boredom & Anxiety Reducer; for Food, Treats, Yogurt, or Peanut Butter. Fun Alternative to a Slow Feed Dog Bowl, 2-Pack Classic Dog Buddy & Soother, Green & Orange.: Kitchen & Dining


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

How did dogs survive in the old days before crates, expens, licky mats, Dremels, Kongs, slow feeding bowls, commercial dog food and treats, behavioralists, nutritionists, blow dryers, clippers, grooming tables, shampoo, conditioners, flea meds, heartworm meds, vaccines and Chris Christensen?


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## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

mudpuppymama said:


> How did dogs survive in the old days before crates, expens, licky mats, Dremels, Kongs, slow feeding bowls, commercial dog food and treats, behavioralists, nutritionists, blow dryers, clippers, grooming tables, shampoo, conditioners, flea meds, heartworm meds, vaccines and Chris Christensen?


Lol my thoughts exactly. And don't forget the anti-anxiety dog beds, and indoor potty trays! There's literally an endless amount of "essentials" these days. I have to pace myself and only buy a few things a week at this point!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Mama Mills said:


> Lol my thoughts exactly. And don't forget the anti-anxiety dog beds, and indoor potty trays! There's literally an endless amount of "essentials" these days. I have to pace myself and only buy a few things a week at this point!


Anti-anxiety dog bed? Yikes that is a new one for me. Boggles my mind how much "equipment" we need for a 10 pound dog. I have an interest in history, especially how people lived day to day. Not sure I would have lasted too long in the old days!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I don’t think Mia needs an anti anxiety dog bed...


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

😆 probably not. I’m wondering how I survived my pre-forum days!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

JaJa said:


> &#128518; probably not. I'm wondering how I survived my pre-forum days!


I don't know but I suspect you had a few more pennies in the bank...


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

So that’s where our retirement fund went!


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## itsgooby (Dec 2, 2020)

mudpuppymama said:


> How did dogs survive in the old days before crates, expens, licky mats, Dremels, Kongs, slow feeding bowls, commercial dog food and treats, behavioralists, nutritionists, blow dryers, clippers, grooming tables, shampoo, conditioners, flea meds, heartworm meds, vaccines and Chris Christensen?


:laugh: Sooo true!!! We spoil them rotten and they are living the dream. I hope in my next life I am born as a Havanese forum member's pup.

I had no idea I was buying a calming/orthopedic support bed, I thought it was just a super soft shag bed haha :grin2: but he loves it. If he's not in his crate he's on the shag bed staring at us.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

itsgooby said:


> I hope in my next life I am born as a Havanese forum member's pup.


:laugh2:

That's funny!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

He (We still haven't settled on a call name) slept through the night in his crate downstairs. There were some poop in the litter box this morning and he peed outside a couple of times. One little pee accident in his ex-pen yesterday. I discovered it by stepping in it of course. Fezzik/Pippin/??? gave me a little growl when I came down this morning. I think he forgot where he was. He also growls and barks at the cat. Poor Bazinga - he just wants to see and sniff.

and..... FROZEN RAW FOOD IS GROSS. I defrosted a couple patties for him. It is oozing away in my fridge. nasty. nasty. Icky bloody smell. If we continue with frozen, I am going to have to get opaque storage containers. The freeze-dried stuff isn't as bad.

I guess we should decide on a name soon. LOL


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

morriscsps said:


> and..... FROZEN RAW FOOD IS GROSS. I defrosted a couple patties for him. It is oozing away in my fridge. nasty. nasty. Icky bloody smell. If we continue with frozen, I am going to have to get opaque storage containers. The freeze-dried stuff isn't as bad.
> 
> I guess we should decide on a name soon. LOL


More than once I forgot I had already pulled it some out to defrost and did it twice. I didn't notice and one of them ended up somewhere in the back of the fridge. For too long. Really gross. I bought two glass food storage containers that are a different color from my regular food storage. I'd put new frozen food in one when I pulled the other out, and put the used one in the dishwasher right then. I always knew if it already did it because of the storage container. I'm sure most people would just notice or remember if they already did it but I'm not that person. I'll blame my fridge being too small, lol.

Frozen didn't work out for me, that's just one of the reasons. I really wish I was better at it!

I learned to hold my breath a lot when we were feeding the breeder recommended wet food for the first 6 months. I know switching it to frozen was better, but I tried really hard not to get too close to it so I can't be sure how much better. Some formulations are worse than others. I will never buy fish based freeze dried treats or patties again.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I use freeze dried raw lamb bites over Molly’s kibble now. I used the frozen for awhile and it really didn’t smell bad and definitely wasn’t bloody looking or smelling. I just didn’t want it in my freezer and refrigerator any longer. It is the Instinct brand. Maybe some types of protein smell worse than others - the lamb may be milder smelling.


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## Dexter and Reia’s mom (Feb 20, 2020)

I keep a small dorm-sized fridge in my laundry room for my raw food. Makes it much easier and never have any that gets shoved in the back...


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

morriscsps said:


> He (We still haven't settled on a call name) slept through the night in his crate downstairs. There were some poop in the litter box this morning and he peed outside a couple of times. One little pee accident in his ex-pen yesterday. I discovered it by stepping in it of course. Fezzik/Pippin/??? gave me a little growl when I came down this morning. I think he forgot where he was. He also growls and barks at the cat. Poor Bazinga - he just wants to see and sniff.
> 
> and..... FROZEN RAW FOOD IS GROSS. I defrosted a couple patties for him. It is oozing away in my fridge. nasty. nasty. Icky bloody smell. If we continue with frozen, I am going to have to get opaque storage containers. The freeze-dried stuff isn't as bad.
> 
> I guess we should decide on a name soon. LOL


Moose!!!!!
I can;t stand the smell of Shadow's dry food. I have air tight storage containers(2) and bought 3 bags. Put the third unopened bag, unopened, in a big zip lock bag. I could smell it still.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

morriscsps said:


> He (We still haven't settled on a call name) slept through the night in his crate downstairs. There were some poop in the litter box this morning and he peed outside a couple of times. One little pee accident in his ex-pen yesterday. I discovered it by stepping in it of course. Fezzik/Pippin/??? gave me a little growl when I came down this morning. I think he forgot where he was. He also growls and barks at the cat. Poor Bazinga - he just wants to see and sniff.
> 
> and..... FROZEN RAW FOOD IS GROSS. I defrosted a couple patties for him. It is oozing away in my fridge. nasty. nasty. Icky bloody smell. If we continue with frozen, I am going to have to get opaque storage containers. The freeze-dried stuff isn't as bad.
> 
> I guess we should decide on a name soon. LOL


I am curious what brand of raw food you are feeding. I make my own raw food for the dogs which has no smell and the commercial raw I feed my cat has no smell either. It does not seem that it should be smelling unless they put something in it like fish oil.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

mudpuppymama said:


> I am curious what brand of raw food you are feeding. I make my own raw food for the dogs which has no smell and the commercial raw I feed my cat has no smell either. It does not seem that it should be smelling unless they put something in it like fish oil.


Actually raw green tripe does smell if that is in it. But other than tripe or fish oil, I would not think it should smell.


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## MJB (Jun 1, 2020)

*Share first days*

We had just lost our Schnoodle to cancer, I was crying day and night so my husband suggested we drive out to see this cutie. I saw her and fell in love. On the way home she threw up on me. She entertained us with her antics and lifted our spirits. From the beginning she shared our bed. The 1st night I made a wall with pillows to keep her from falling. Well she did! I jumped out of bed in the dark and luckily I didn't step on her. To this day she snuggles up to me every night and I feel so lucky and blessed.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

What is your cuties name? Did you get her in June or before you joined the forum? For us it's that time of year when Cotton digs under the covers to get warm😋 He was a somewhat traumatized rescue when we brought him home but the best snuggle bug I've had since 1978! jodie is his best friend.


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## MJB (Jun 1, 2020)

Cotton, what a beautiful name. I love my snuggle bunny, Chérie. Chérie will be 7 years young in August,She was a life saver after our Brigitte died. I needed a little one to care for to distract me from my sorrow and she definitely did the job. She is priceless and I love her so much. She is a joy to have and I enjoy every moment with her. I have let her hair grow long, I love the way it flows when she runs. When people see her they are drawn to her and their first comment is “she’s beautiful but she must require a lot of maintenance”. Not really, I try to brush and comb through her daily. It’s the least I can do to repay her for what she has done for me.


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