# What are the odds that I accidentally adopted a Havanese?



## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

Hello everyone. I've been reading your wonderful forum for a few days now and would like your opinion on my new little family member. On my birthday we adopted a cute little guy through a Southern California rescue. He was listed as a bichon/poodle mix. Even though he was adorable, he was one of the last dogs left as they were packing up. We had come to see an older, female bichon but she was gone. Little Scrappy was just sitting there in his crate, looking around with his button eyes and trying to get his foster mom's attention. His bio was a bit off putting so maybe that's why he was still there. Apparently, he was "into everything" and a jumper.

My daughter and I took him for a walk and we were smitten. There was no way we were leaving without him. Once at home, he was very shy and timid at first but quickly bonded with my daughter and followed her everywhere, like her shadow. Besides being pretty subdued at first, his temperment was, and continues to be, wonderful. When we took him to the groomer a few days later she said she didn't think he was a bichon, and maybe he was a terripoo. We didn't really care, as he doesn't shed and we always thought he was a mix. Then a couple of weeks later we took him to the bike shop to pick up my husband's birthday present. There was a little dog there that was very much like Scrappy. I asked what kind of dog she was and it turns out she was a Havanese. 

I researched the breed and was struck by how much our Scrappy has in common with Havanese dogs. He is around 10 pounds, about the right height and is longer than he is tall. His rump is slightly higher than his shoulders. His ears are floppy and covered with hair. When he is clean and brushed his hair is quite soft, although his tail is a bit more coarse. He has a real "puppy" look to him although he is over a year old. Right now his hair is very short as he was pretty matted, and it's very curly. He has a bouncy way of walking and trotting, especially when he is pleased with himself, and he carries his tail up over his back at those times as well. 

As far as personality quirks go, he is very affectionate and must have either my daughter or myself nearby at all times. He rarely barks. He loves to play and has a lot of energy. When he fetches his toys he does a little jump and then leaps into the air and pounces on them. Mainly, he just kind of wants to do whatever you're doing. If you're sitting quietly, he'll sit quietly. If you nap, he naps. If you want to run around, he'll tear around like a maniac. 

It doesn't really matter all that much to me what breed or mix of breeds he is but I do think it would be kind of cool to know. More importantly, it might give me some insight into how best to go about training him. It seems really unlikely that if he was a Havanese or a mix he wouldn't have been snapped up given that they are so rare and so much in demand.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

He certainly is a cute little guy! Do you have any more pictures you could post?


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

He is adorable. I'm glad you were finally able to get through. Welcome to the group. Based upon your avatar photo he doesn't really look typically havanese. If anything I would say perhaps like the short haired havs (shavanese). Whatever he turns out to be though, he's obviously the perfect companion for your family and is exactly where he was meant to be.


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

*More pics*

Thanks Julie and pjewel. His hair has been clipped really short because he was very matted. I have no idea how long it will grow. His groomer seems to think it will grow quite long. Here are some more pictures. They're not the best as they're from my phone. I guess I need to find the cable for the camera so I can upload some better ones.


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## jetsetgo! (Aug 3, 2010)

Oh boy, he is cute!!! Seriously precious! I want to just reach out an snuggle him!

What a wonderful story. I'm so glad you found him and he found you. 

I wonder if he's a Havanese mix like a Havapoo - or something like that. It would explain his differences. I'm curious to hear what the more knowledgeable Hav owners have to say.

A vet can run a DNA test to give you more accurate info, if you're really curious, but don't waste your money on those at-home DNA tests. They are notoriously inaccurate.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

What an adorable little guy! While there are OCASSIONALLY Havs with coats that curly, it's not a typical Hav coat. No wonder he matted if he wasn't being groomed regularly!!!

He certainly could be a Hav mix. But he could also be a Bichon/Terrier mix. Both Havs and some terrier breeds have that color pattern. (obviously, Bichons don't, and I don't THINK poodles do either)

While there are waiting lists for good quality Havs from good breeders, unfortunately, there is also a steady flow of Havs from puppy mills, so they are not as uncommon as you might think. And puppy millers are well-known for cross breeding, either on purpose for "designer dogs", or just by accident because they aren't careful. (or don't care) We have several forum members who purchased puppy mill Havs, not knowing any better. they paid a lot of money for dogs who CLEARLY are not pure bred Havs. OTOH, they love them just as much anyway! One of these people coined the term "Half-anese" for her little guy!:biggrin1:

You will probably never know exactly what he is... the DNA testing is not great at sorting out Havs from other small breeds, as there is a lot of overlap of genetic material in these breeds. I wouldn't bother with it! I think if you wanted to CALL him a Havanese cross, no one would question you at all. The shelters just guess... why shouldn't you?:biggrin1:

One way or another, you are welcome here. As a small, non-shedding dog, he will be similar to our purebred guys in at least some ways... you may find, over time, that he is more like the other Havs than you think, or conversely, that maybe that's not what he is. Who knows? The most important thing is that he's adorable, sweet, and fitting into your family quickly and well!

We have a number of people here who have part bred Havs or not-Havs, and they are welcome members of our community too! You are to be commended for giving htis little guy a for-ever home, no matter WHAT his breeding is!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Yay! Scrappy is posting:whoo:

I agree with above, he is adorable! And yes, if mill dogs are rescued and put up for adoption, you can get a purebred, or close to (?) as they do use and abuse..many breeds and mixes 

I'm kinda like you in the sense I like to have answers and know, you may never know for sure, but if he has some hav traits, well..that's nothing but a great thing, because they are smart, loving, loyal and funny dogs.

One test is you can put a roll of toilet paper in the middle of the room and see if he is compelled to shred it into a million pieces, they *do* have a shredding gene (I wouldn't leave any important papers or documents within reach of a havanese )

http://www.havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=12572&highlight=shredding

just an example of many..ound:ound:

And while a curly coat isn't common, I have seen a few with them..

:welcome: to the forum and enjoy the ride! looks like you have a gem of a new addition to your family :biggrin1:

Kara


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

He really is as cute as a button. Seeing the second set of photos, I'm not sure. He does have some of the look in his face. I can't wait to see him as his coat starts to fill in. I think Karen said it all. Her eloquent welcome is echoed here.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

:welcome: Glad to have you here whatever your new guy is! He's a cutie and there are some Havs with curly hair although not as many. It sounds like he is fitting in well with the family, too. Scrappy seems to have a lot of the Hav traits since he seems pretty mellow and not a big barker - that is the big difference I see with Abby and our other small dogs we've had in the past. I think Scrappy and your family are all very blessed to have found each other! You're an angel for giving him such a good and caring home!


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Thanks for posting more pictures....he sure is cute,whatever he may be. I have a boy with these awesome eyebrows too! :eyebrows:


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

His face looks a lot like Rosie's. Could be! Great to have you here.

Don't look at her avatar, that was taken when she was 4 months old. The white in her face is mostly champayne now or brownish. Her legs are real curly also.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

He is a little doll!!! Welcome to the forum it will be fun to see his hair grow out. We got Yogi from a rescue and he had been left at the pound he was 7months he was listed as a Poodle mix, we thought he was a Lhasa mix. It was my vet who shows Goldens who said she had seen this breed at a dog show. I thought maybe Lowchen, I did not know much about the Havanese. I took Yogi to a well know Lowchen breeder who said "You have a fine little Havanese there". Well he grew he weights 17 pounds, more to love, changed color before our eyes and we fell in love with the breed and now have two. Of course a couple of Havanese breeders have seen him too. I still can't believe it. We would love him no matter what. Looking forward to more pictures of your boy.


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## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

:welcome: to you and Scrappy!

To me he looks like a Hav or Hav/mix. My friend has a purebred Hav and he has a curly coat, though not as tightly curled as a poodle's. There seems to be a wide range of appearances in the Havanese breed as far as size & coat type (wavy, curly, straight). 

It would not surprise me at all if Scrappy's breed was mis-ID'd by the rescue or shelter. Hopefully they give it their best guess but it's usually just that, a guess.

I like the idea of testing the paper-shredding trait. Our Pepper simply cannot resist tissues, paper towels or toilet paper. It's incredible.

Whatever he is, he sure is adorable! OMG - that face! 

Bless you and your daughter for giving him a loving home.


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## sashamom (Jan 12, 2009)

I think he looks as if he could be part Hav. As for the paper shredding test, I have a purebred Hav and she does not shred paper. Good thing too since she is a law office dog and we would certainly have a mess if she shredded paper


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

sashamom said:


> I think he looks as if he could be part Hav. As for the paper shredding test, I have a purebred Hav and she does not shred paper. Good thing too since she is a law office dog and we would certainly have a mess if she shredded paper


ound:


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

Welcome Scrappy!! Don't know about his heritage, but he sure did inherit a cuteness gene! Love his ears!

Welcome to the forum.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Welcome Scrappy! Sounds like it was meant to be! He IS a cutie. Isn't there a curly black Hav on the forum, one whose owner keeps the hair clipped short? He sort of reminds me of him - is his name Scudder? Or do I totally have the wrong dog?


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## Judy -- Toby & Jaime's mo (Apr 21, 2007)

*Could be*

I have had a total of four Havanese in my life in the past 15 plus years and two have curly coats. Jaime who is 15 was not curly till she got a haircut and it gew back curly and has been so ever since. We have two puppy mill breeding dog rescues. Both are black and white and one is curly on her body. They look a lot like yours. In the pictures, your dogs ears are long so that is throwing the overall look off a bit, so I am not sure if the face is a little narrower than what is typical. As you can see from pictures on the Forum there are a lot of different looks to Havanese as well as a huge variance in sizes (way beyond the difference in the breed standard.

At any rate, your dog is very cute and she is displaying the velcro personality of a Hav!

Here is a picture of my two black and white Havs.

May you have a long and happy life with your Hav or HavNot!

Judy -- Mom to Jaime, Dori, and Chloe


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## goiter6 (Mar 6, 2010)

Chewy was playing with a Bichon/Poodle mix named Lucy this past weekend. They looked a lot a like to me. The one difference I noticed was the tail. Lucy's tail seemed stiffer and generally held more upright than Chewy's.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Well, I think Scrappy is....adorable. My Kodi is more curly than Shelby and when he was shaved down as a pup, what hair that was left was curly.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Welcome to the group. Scrappy is adorable. You are sweet to have given him a new home and I'm glad he is fitting in so well. I will be looking forward to watching his coat grow and see if it changes in color. If he starts 'blowing coat' I will call him a Hav.


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

Thank you all so much for your kind replies and for making me feel so welcome here! I think maybe someday I'll get Scrappy a Hav buddy just so I can hang out with Hav owners (well that and the fact that they seem like such fantastic dogs)! Thanks for posting that picture Judy. Scrappy looks an awful lot like your little girl on the left, is it Dori? I love the suggestion that I just make an educated guess about what Scrappy is and be happy with that. 

Today at obedience school I saw two dogs that must have been Havs. Of course they were in the advanced class while we are beginners so we didn't get a chance to meet them. They had the long, slightly "ruffled" coats and their tails were carried up over their backs. Scrappy does carry his tail almost like that but not all the time. I tried to watch their gait a little because I know it is distinctive and it does seem like Scrappy has a similar bounciness. Oddly enough, the only Hav I had ever seen before that was the one in the bike store and she had a puppy cut and her hair was pretty curly. That's why I thought Scrappy might be one too.

In our class there is a cockapoo puppy around 6 months old. He and Scrappy also look alike but they are quite different in the way they move. Also, the cockapoo's coat is heavier and maybe a teeny bit coarser. Scrappy adores him regardless. In fact, he loves all his classmates and really enjoys himself. All things considered, I am leaning toward "guessing" that Scrappy is a poodle/Havanese mix. 

I think we are very lucky to have him because he has so many of the personality traits that make Havs such great pets. He is very loving, intelligent, and gentle. He is curious and playful. He only barks when he has a reason too, and then only for a short time. This is lucky because when I hear him bark I always check to see what is up and the other day he had a bobcat cornered in our backyard. Since the cat was about twice as big as he is and he wouldn't come to me, I had to have my husband go and step in between them armed with a broom. After that, Scrappy was happy to come to me and also recognized my DH as the alpha dog in our family. Now I keep Scrappy out of that part of the yard at dusk and in the early morning.

He did have some issues from being a rescue dog. He was very stressed when he came to us and soon developed colitis, which happily we treated quickly and is no longer an issue. I saw from his papers from the shelter that he came in with an ear infection and also eye problems, but those were both taken care of there and haven't recurred. He is NOT housebroken and it is slow going. Also, he has had zero training of any kind. He did not know what dog food was besides kibble. Treats were a whole new paradigm. He is timid around men, but is slowly warming up to my two big sons and my husband. Although he was a year old when he was found, he was not neutered but they did that at the shelter too. 

As I get to know him and speculate a bit about what his life was like before, I think maybe he was somewhat neglected but not seriously mistreated. He is a pretty spirited little guy, although not well socialized. My goal for him is to bring out the best in him. I know I have a lot to learn but will make good use of this forum! Again, thank you so much for the warm welcome.

Jackie

P.S. He is definitely a paper shredder and will go into the bathroom and take tissue right off the roll. Also, helps himself to Kleenex whenever he can.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Jackie,
You are an angel! Its heartwarming that you are helping him adjust to a loving family, vs....living in a cage. I know the proper term is crate, but, its a cage and that is just no place for a dog to spend the majority of their life there.

It sounds like he already has a pretty good temperment in place and will be trainable when he gets some of his fears worked out and on a routine there, the more of a routine you can establish, the better. It gives them security and comfort..too.

Housebreaking, well..there is a wealth of helpful threads on that here, they say that the littler breeds are a bit harder to housetrain, and i do think that's true but they want to please you and I'm sure he'll come around you are doing everything right, puppy classes, socializing, meeting his medical needs, etc..there is light at the end of the training tunnel 

And the fact that treat training is new to him...can probably be used to help the socializing and male-fear issues, I would encourage the men, big boys, boys and friends to give scrappy the best treats (maybe even some steak or chicken ) and he'll be coming around in nooo time..


> P.S. He is definitely a paper shredder and will go into the bathroom and take tissue right off the roll. Also, helps himself to Kleenex whenever he can.


The shredding gene is more common than not...I've seen quite a few havs who's coat looks curly when they have short cuts here in virginia and they grow out to 'wavy', I'd love to see more pics when his hair grows back a bit (of course, we always love pictures here!), and I'm glad you feel welcome here :biggrin1:

Kara


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## LuckyOne (Sep 3, 2009)

What an adorable pup and a great story. Sounds like everyone is a winner. Welcome to the forum and we LOVE pictures.


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## Judy -- Toby & Jaime's mo (Apr 21, 2007)

*Chloe versus Dori*

Just to clarify Chloe was on the left and Dori was on the right. That was soon after we got Chloe and she looked happy in the picture (but she was scared of the car) and Dori looked sad (and she now likes to go bye bye in the car).

Chloe has the curly coat and Dori's is gently wavy.

Judy -- Mom to Jaime, Dori, and Chloe


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

Judy -- Toby & Jaime's mo said:


> Just to clarify Chloe was on the left and Dori was on the right. That was soon after we got Chloe and she looked happy in the picture (but she was scared of the car) and Dori looked sad (and she now likes to go bye bye in the car).
> 
> Chloe has the curly coat and Dori's is gently wavy.
> 
> Judy -- Mom to Jaime, Dori, and Chloe


I've been reading about your rescue dogs and other's stories here as well. They brought tears to my eyes. I had no idea pet stores were still selling dogs in this country. We only moved here in 1996 and lived in CA and WA, where I haven't seen any dogs in pet stores besides those up for adoption from shelters and rescues. I also had no idea you could buy dogs over the internet! So sad what people will do for money. It's sickening, really.

How wonderful that you took in those two girls. What you and the other rescuers are doing is just so lovely.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

adorable...no matter what he is!!! It will be fun to see how that coat grows! his personality sounds wonderful...love the name!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Scrappy said:


> P.S. He is definitely a paper shredder and will go into the bathroom and take tissue right off the roll. Also, helps himself to Kleenex whenever he can.


OK that settles it... He's a Hav.:biggrin1:


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

I know I'm late to the game (story of my life), but WELCOME!!!!!

I'm not sure if he's a Hav or not, but it does seem like he's perfect for your family! Congrats on your wonderful new family member. I heard once that you don't really find the right dog, but rather the right dog finds you. From your story, it sounds like that definitely happened here! 

Rescues do present their own set of problems, but many of us here have experience with rescues, and I'm sure will be happy to share any experiences with you - as many as you want to hear!

I do applaud you for taking him to behavior class, getting him socialized, and working to establish some rules. All of those things will be extremely helpful both short and long term.

How long do you plan to let his hair grow out? I would be anxious to see what his coat does as it lengthens - how long it will get, whether it straightens as it grows (one of my Havs is that way - he's SUPER curly cut down, but the longer his coat gets, the more wavy/flowy it becomes).

Whatever you decide, we love pictures and stories!!!


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

*More like a Hav every day...*



kudo2u said:


> I know I'm late to the game (story of my life), but WELCOME!!!!!
> 
> I'm not sure if he's a Hav or not, but it does seem like he's perfect for your family! Congrats on your wonderful new family member. I heard once that you don't really find the right dog, but rather the right dog finds you. From your story, it sounds like that definitely happened here!
> 
> ...


His coat is becoming less curly as it grows out. Today I noticed he is more like a "Scruffy" than a Scrappy. I'll give him a good brushing and try and take some pictures later today.

As I read more and more about these dogs on the forum, I'm becoming convinced that Scrappy is a Hav or mostly Hav. He's a velcro dog, he does the RLH thing and he runs around like a lunatic after a bath. He has a bad sock and underwear habit. As he gets more comfortable here and more socialized, more endearing behaviors come out. He's even starting to warm up to strangers.


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

Here's two from this afternoon. He's still pretty curly. His eyebrows kind of make him look angry, but he's really sweet.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Scrappy said:


> Here's two from this afternoon. He's still pretty curly. His eyebrows kind of make him look angry, but he's really sweet.


I don't think his eyebrows make him look angry... they are adorable! I _LOVE_ eyebrows!!!


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

He looks so cute and happy!

BTW, I didn't mention before but Abby's tail hair is slightly coarser, too.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I love his tail and the way his color change high on his torso makes him look as if he's wearing overalls. He is too cute.


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

Where in No. Cali are you? I am in Rocklin---
I may have missed it, but how much does he weigh? I think he is adorable no matter what--


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

MopTop Havanese said:


> Where in No. Cali are you? I am in Rocklin---
> I may have missed it, but how much does he weigh? I think he is adorable no matter what--


Thanks! Hav or not I feel really blessed to have adopted this guy. We live in Saratoga which is in south Santa Clara valley (San Jose area.) Scrappy came from a shelter in Irvine though. Right now he's about 10 1/2 pounds, which means he's gained a little over a pound since we got him, but he was really skinny. Now I think he's just right.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Cute picture! I love eyebrows, as well. Both of my havs hav eyebrows. I think it gives them personality (not like they needed any more....).

Keep sending updates and new photos!


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## TAPAJ (Jun 21, 2009)

Jackie:

I know I'm chiming in a bit late, but Welcome!!! Scrappy is adorable. I LOVE his eyebrows.

Oh, regarding housebreaking, Kara's right: there's tons of great info on housebreaking on here. I'm including a link to an article that I found to be a good additional resource, especially for rescue dogs (i.e. there's no crate time in this program, and it doesn't automatically assume you have a tabula-rasa puppy). Hope it helps! http://bit.ly/biWO0x (NOTE: The link launches a PDF file.)

By the way, we're just a ways up the Peninsula from you. I hope we get to meet at a playdate some day soon.

Tracy


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## tyra310 (Mar 16, 2009)

he certainly looks like he has some Havanese in him and the personality sounds like mine. My best friend has a hav that is really curly like that and he mats very easy, so she keeps him cut real short. My havanese are extremely fast runners and the boy sometimes hops like a bunny when he is excited. He's cute as a button so you got yourself a nice little buddy there.


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## Sissygirl (Aug 8, 2007)

Scrappy sure is a cutie! Congrats on your addition to the family.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

How is Scrappy doing?? 
Kara


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

Thumper said:


> How is Scrappy doing??
> Kara


Kara, he's doing great, thanks. We've nearly got him crate trained so that will probably help with getting the house training up to 100%. More of his personality is coming out which is fun. We have a lot of construction right now at our place which has been a strain but also a great socialization opportunity. We're nearly done beginners' obedience and I think we will do a Sirius course next.

Tracy, I would definitely love to bring Scrappy to play and will soon!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Now that he's growing some hair back on his face, he's starting to look more havie. Looks like he's loving the sun. Great photo!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Wow! You have been busy, I know class, crate training and housebreaking is a job in itself!! 

I babysat my friend's 4 havsilkies this weekend and they all have short hair cuts and 2 of them have VERY curly hair when its short, very much like the picture you posted a few weeks back. Darn... I wish I would've got a picture of it. I think it can look curly short but then grow out in a wave.

Playdates are the best  Wish I was closer!!

Kara


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## Scrappy (Sep 16, 2010)

*Update*

So wow, it's been a while! We've had Scrappy for nine months and my birthday present to myself has become my daughter's best friend, constant companion and stalwart defender.

I never did get the test to find out what Scrappy is but honestly I no longer care - he's awesome whatever his pedigree (or lack of it!) He makes people smile wherever he goes and loves our family as much as we love him.

While he is a beloved member of the family, I learned as we went along that he has some serious issues. He is extremely nervous around children and absolutely hates teenagers (except my three.) This is kind of hard on the kids when they have friends over but we have learned to deal with it. I'm sure this is due to something that happened to him before he came to us. He hates any kind of play fighting, wrestling, or even if you point a finger at someone and make a noise like a gun. He can't stand loud arguments either. Luckily we are pretty quiet for such a large family, but still...

Probably in hindsight we were not the best fit for Scrappy but we had no way of knowing so we have had to adjust to each other. At first, he couldn't stand it when my daughter would practice her gymnastics tumbling or her dance in the house. The trampoline was upsetting (her on it, not him!) and the pool was (and still is) distressing, especially diving. We've tried bringing him into the pool with us but he hates it. At least now he knows where the steps are, however.

So those are some of the challenges. On the plus side, he is truly an endearing little creature. All of the grandparents have met him and adore him. They ask about him and want pictures. He is the most curious little dog, always wanting to see what you are doing and trying to understand. He tries very hard to figure out what is expected of him and to please. I have trained him not to beg at the table by using the "zen" method so he just sits and watches the floor intently, certain that food will fall (which is does, but only when he is not looking.) It is so cute.

He loves to play tug which he initiates by walking up to me with the first toy we ever bought for him, a fuzzy yellow weiner dog a little longer than he is. Then he just looks at me and waits for me to ask him "can I have it?" He won't "fetch" but he will "go get it." He won't "stay" but he will "wait." He knows "dinner's ready" and is the first one in the kitchen. He also knows "where's your girl" (meaning my daughter) and will immediately start looking around for her if you ask. I've named some of his toys so he can find his "snake" or his "birdie" etc. Also, he loves to play hide and seek with toys or with my daughter.

All in all, it's been a real joy having Scrappy in our house. I think that the main thing I've learned from adopting my first rescue is to take it really slow and not expect too much from the dog. He needed a really long time to feel secure in our house and I probably wasted a ton of money on training (courses, a dog trainer) when mostly he just needed time to adjust to our home and we needed time to get to know him. Now that he is comfortable and trusts us he is so eager to please and to learn.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble on and for the warm welcome and reassurance back in the days of my new-dog-ownership anxiety.

Cheers!

P.S. By far the most useful information I got was from the Dogstar website that Dave recommends all the time. I really need to get signed up for one of their courses since they are offered nearby.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Thanks for the update. Scrappy is adorable, and I'm glad to hear he is doing so well!!!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

It's great to read your update and so very happy that you understand creating a bond with your dog. Once you earn a level of trust you can build from there and you have! Congrats! We need updated pictures. I am so happy for you.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

We need a new pcture now.


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