# Mucho at 14 weeks - doing great!



## orestis (Aug 26, 2013)

So, an update on how Mucho is doing at 14 weeks old:

*Housetraining:* We are accident-free in our house for a few days now, and in other places too. We don't even watch him much when he is playing any more, when he wants to pee/poop he will go and stand next to the balcony door and look back at us. Generally when we put down a pee pad for him and show him where it is, he will want to go there to do his business. When visiting we do watch over him more as it's easier for him to get distracted.

He did pee on me (gross!) once where I had him on my lap while in a bar. I guess that he really couldn't hold it anymore, since when we got home he run to his pee pad and went for a really long time. That was my fault entirely for bringing him to his limits.

*Sleeping:* He has really got used to our schedules, we goes to his crate when we do the "go-to-bed" motions (turn off the lights, etc). He might get up early (6 or 7) but he will quietly chew his toys until we get up. I don't even bother to get up to get him to pee - if I do wake up at night and he's awake, I will get him out for a quick pee and then back to bed.

Sometimes I'll take an afternoon nap on the sofa, and he will curl up on the floor next to me.

He _loves_ playing with us in the morning - it's like he's saying "what took you so long to wake up, I missed you!".

*Eating:* He knows the "wait-for-it" command pretty reliably, he eats 3 times a day (kibble and canned food). He used to leave a bit of kibble on his plate but sometimes he will skip dinner (because we got home too late and he was sleepy) and then he devours everything.

*Playing:* He loves chasing his toys and us (when we play-run). He loves his nylabone (he'll need another soon). He's left the couch alone mostly, but he does chew on things, so we spray vinegar on them and then he avoids them for a day. He does the usual run like hell occasionally, he is very cute. He still bites a bit but not too much.

*Socialization:* I'm pretty sure we've hit the 100 person mark. We take him with us almost everywhere that we can, he is very cool. He didn't even flinch when we got him to some friend's band practice, with speakers and drums etc. He loves hearing the bell ring, but hasn't barked yet. He just adores people at the door (friends and delivery men and pretty much everyone). We occasionally arrange some playdates with his breeder so he gets some socialization in. One time whilst we were outside this huge, unleashed male dog approached and sniffed politely. Everything went fine, though I was ready to snatch Mucho out of the jaws should anything happen. He's also met some disabled people and sat on their laps for some quiet petting.

*Training:* I'm mostly happy with the day-to-day stuff. We have reasonable expectations from him and he's up to them. I'd like to get some proper obedience training in (tricks etc) but I just haven't found proper time to do it. I do train his "behavior" though by rewarding with toys, treats and belly rubs.

*Grooming:* We brush almost daily, monitor his nails and get his eye gunk out as often as we see it. He hasn't had a bath yet as he smells terrific and we've been advised to not bathe him until absolutely necessary.

*Car:* He rides shotgun, in a soft bed at the floor of the car. He curls up and goes to sleep, doesn't complain at all.

*Next up:* We're anxious to get all his shots in so we can go for proper walks, stop carrying him around and start to phase out the pee pad. He's also going to start some puppy classes to start some obedience training and meet more dogs. Until that I don't think there's any other milestones to reach... he's just a great puppy and on the way to become a great dog.


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## orestis (Aug 26, 2013)

Forgot to add:

*Time alone:* We leave him almost daily alone now, for 1-2 hours. I realised it's more my anxiety than his. I stopped using cameras and stuff. He hasn't destroyed anything (we proofed anything that he liked chewing), doesn't pee indoors (he has access to his pad), and we don't hear him crying when we return. We love taking him with us when it's appropriate, but it's nice to know we can go somewhere without him without too much fuss.


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## orestis (Aug 26, 2013)

Here's another image:


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Mucho is adorable. My Tyler looked exactly like that as a puppy, but has silvered now and his tan has faded. Sounds like you guys are doing awesome. Keep up the good work.


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## orestis (Aug 26, 2013)

Sandypaws, do you pictures of Tyler as a puppy and perhaps his parents? Mucho's parents are the same color as him (mother is mostly black, father is mostly tan/white), so I'm curious to perhaps see a glimpse of the future


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Unfortunately, because Tyler was born in the dark ages, 1997, digital pictures were not in. His breeder sent me photographs and, believe it or not, a VHS tape of him and his littermates. 
His mother was sable and his father was the same as him, black with tan points and white markings. As I mentioned, he has silvered over the years and the tan has almost all faded, although there is still a hint of it here and there. If you read the post on Maccabee's haircut, you will see what Tyler looks like now, although that was taken last fall. The changes their coats go through are amazing.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

My Maddie would fall in love with him but she is getting to old.


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## Ruthiec (Jun 18, 2013)

Wow, you are doing so well with all your training and socialisation. Great work.

I can't help being biased - I love Mucho because he looks just like Charlie did as a puppy. Charlie's Tan has faded to a very light cream, but his black is still very dark with almost a bronze / ginger tinge in the sunlight.


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## tra_po (Aug 14, 2013)

What a great update and he's so cute!!


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## Ruth4Havs (May 13, 2013)

What a cutie patootie Mucho is!


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## Celesthav (Mar 20, 2013)

orestis said:


> Sandypaws, do you pictures of Tyler as a puppy and perhaps his parents? Mucho's parents are the same color as him (mother is mostly black, father is mostly tan/white), so I'm curious to perhaps see a glimpse of the future


For a picture similar to Tyler, his half sister, Twinkle, go to Starborn Havanese and click on Twinkles page. The Kings have puppy to adult- through the year pictures of Twinkle. So sweet how she changes. Tyler and Twinkle are beautiful Havs.
Jeanne


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## Celesthav (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's the link. http://starbornhavanese.com/
Click on Twinkles page. Jeanne


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

*Mucho at 14 weeks...doing great*



Celesthav said:


> For a picture similar to Tyler, his half sister, Twinkle, go to Starborn Havanese and click on Twinkles page. The Kings have puppy to adult- through the year pictures of Twinkle. So sweet how she changes. Tyler and Twinkle are beautiful Havs.
> Jeanne


Tyler thanks you, Jeanne, for the compliment. We think he's pretty cute too!


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## orestis (Aug 26, 2013)

Thanks Jeanne! It'll be fun to see how Mucho's color will develop. Twinkle does look very nice, esp. at the 4 year photo.

OK, here's a thing that worries me - two times in a row, at night (around midnight), I'm still up, on the couch with my laptop, Mucho hanging around the living room, and he will go and poop in the kitchen (open-space, but out of sight from where I'm sitting). During the day he always goes outside to his pad, and also during the night he'll pee there. Just that tonight and yesterday he pooped in the kitchen (tonight he did on a rug I had there and he likes - gross!)

After doing it he'll come back to the living room an proceed as if nothing has happened. I will usually smell it (ewww) and proceed to pick up. No catching on the deed, no yelling.

I don't know what could be the issue - last night the balcony door was closed but he didn't sit there waiting as he usually does. Tonight the door was open and he was going back and forth all the time, when he decided to just walk to the kitchen and do his dirty little deed.

Is this a step back, should I start confining him in here again? Should we start playing a bit more in the kitchen so he feels like it's a living space? Should I start putting his water/food bowl there so he won't like to poop next to it?


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