Since the Cairn has been gone, however, the Havanese tends to leave her food uneaten for a great part of the day. She takes a mouthful, walk out into the hallway, drops it onto the floor, and eat the pieces one by one. She’s healthy and of good weight. I’ve found out since, that many Havanese have a similar eating quirk. Her previous need to finish her meal at one sitting was because she was intimidated by the Cairn, who would have eaten her food if she walked away from it.

I’ve found that the best schedule for feeding my Havanese is ½ cup of commercial dry dog food given twice a day; once in the morning and again at dinner time. With the Cairn gone, I leave the food at her eating station all day. She seems to like it that way. Sometimes she eats it all, and other times she leaves half a meal. I try to give her reward snacks only when she’s eaten her regular food. I don’t want her to replace the balanced nutrition with what she considers to be good tasting snacks. I always present her with fresh food mixed with a little water at each meal. If she has food left over from the morning meal, it has usually absorbed all the water and become mushy. I throw it out and replace it with fresh food mixed with a little water.

I tried different dog foods and, although I won’t recommend a specific one, settled for one of the good commercial brands that offer different food mixes for different stages in the dog’s life, as most good ones do. I had the Cairn on a weight-watching formula for older dogs, while the Havanese was started on a puppy mix and will soon be moved up to the active dog mix. The dry food, a constantly available supply of fresh clear water, and rationed snacks seems to be working to keep her in good shape.

From my experience with dogs, I’ve found that most of them become used to whatever food they are normally given and may reject different foods or eat them reluctantly, even if it’s a food that I might think was a major taste treat. My Cairn was an exception. I think she was part goat. If it was available to her and even remotely edible, she would wolf it down and never be bothered with stomach problems. The Havanese, however, might take a very small piece of cheese or a small cube of turkey and enjoy it, but when I decided to give her some chopped up turkey, broccoli, and rice after Thanksgiving dinner, she left it in the plate.

I think it’s safe to say that your Havanese is pretty much self-regulating with regards to what and how much to eat. If you keep her provided with clean fresh water and a food that she enjoys, she’ll pace herself and eat properly, setting a good example for her owners.

The biggest drawback in cleaning a Havanese dog is the coat. Grooming a Havanese dog takes a long time because the coat need to be cleaned frequently. If you don’t have the time or inclination to clean your pet dog a lot, then this dog breed is not for you. Havanese Dogs should have their coat groomed two-to-four times a week. Their coat should be brushed or combed in layers from the skin outward in order to get it really clean. During winter or in drier climates, a light oil or coat dressing can help prevent split hairs or static build up.

The coat must be free of any mats(tangled hairs) before bathing your dog. Mats can be removed by moistening the coat with oil and rubbing it with you fingers until the tangle separates. The coat should be shampooed liberally and rinsed completely before application of a coat conditioner. Pet owners can brush the coat frequently to keep it free of tangles then take their Havanese dogs to a groomer for bathing.

For many, this is the deciding factor on whether or not to get a Havanese puppy. With roughly 6-8 inches of fine silky coat, the Havanese dogs fall into the high-maintenance category. Requiring either a thorough brushing, at least every other day, or a couple of trips to the grooming salon, this is too much work for a person with a busy lifestyle to handle. Thus only the really committed people get these dogs. Additionally, pale colored dogs can get rust-stains at the corners of their eyes or the hair around their muzzles can get dirty when they eat. In addition to bathing these gos, responsible owners also have to take the time to dry their furry companions. Because of their thick coats, this can also be a lot of work and take a lot of time.

Havanese dogs need plenty of grooming which is expected because of their long flowing coat. However, to prevent immense grooming the fur can be clipped short. Left long, their fur needs to be brushed two times a week plus extra fur should be trimmed away from the pads of their feet. Of course a show dog will need more grooming but for a pet this is all that needs to be done. Exercise, such as walks or play sessions, will keep this breed happy and healthy. If you’re considering getting a Havanese dog, be sure to keep in mind just how much work one of these little dogs will be, and weigh that into your pros and cons.

If you have a Havanese puppy you should spend the first few months focusing on the basic things that every puppy should know. Make sure that your Havanese thoroughly understands his housetraining. Time devoted to training your Havanese puppy completely understand the housetraining process when he’s first learning it will prevent problems later.

Spend a great deal of time on socialization. Socialization is the key to building confidence in a dog. The time you spend letting your Havanese dog meet other puppies and people will help him become a happy, well-adjusted adult dog. Many later behavior problems, especially separation anxiety, can be traced back to a lack of proper socialization. Take your puppy to puppy obedience training classes and puppy preschool. Take him to pet supply stores which welcome puppies and dogs so he can meet other puppies and friendly people. Encourage people to pet your puppy and give him treats. Take your puppy for leashed walks in the park where he can see things and meet other people who may want to pet him. In short, the first months of a puppy’s life are a time when he is forming his impressions about the world. It’s important that he sees many things and meets many people to become a confident adult dog. Praise him and encourage him to be happy and friendly. Put him in situations that will be fun for him.

Be careful about taking your Havanese puppy to places like dog parks, especially when he’s young. Dog parks are fun for some dogs but a Havanese puppy is small and can be bowled over by larger dogs. Always make sure that your puppy plays with dogs close to his own size. When he’s older and more able to take care of himself he can have some bigger playmates.

Formal dog training for your Havanese puppy can begin with puppy kindergarten classes or puppy preschool. These classes are primarily for socialization but puppies are often taught basic things such as walking on a leash and coming when called. Beginning obedience classes will cover teaching your Havanese to sit, lie down, heel and stay. Your Havanese dog will most likely be in a class with dogs of many breeds and mixes. He may be a bit of a clown in these situations. Remember that his traditional job has been to be a companion and lapdog. He plays to people and loves attention. This means that he is likely to do what will gain him the most attention and that’s not always following the rules. Give him lots of praise and attention for learning and he is more likely to enjoy learning.

Havanese dogs are very intelligent dogs and can learn anything you are able to teach them. There is no reason that you can’t teach your puppy or dog at home. Havanese respond best to positive reinforcement — use positive training methods that focus on praising and rewarding your puppy or dog for doing what you want instead of corrections or punishments.

When training a havanese puppy at home there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep training sessions short. Dogs learn best in a couple of short sessions per day.
• Make training fun for your Havanese.
• Your attitude determines your dog’s attitude.
• Don’t train when you’re angry or frustrated.
• Be consistent in your training.

Consistency is very important in any kind of dog training. It doesn’t just mean training frequently, although that is important. Consistency means giving your dog the same message each time you ask him to do something. For instance, if you ask your dog to Sit and he does sit after a few seconds, you reward him. The next day you ask your dog to Sit and he lies down. To be consistent, you do not reward your dog. You only reward your dog for sitting when you ask for Sit. Some people would give their dog a reward because he has done something, even though it wasn’t what they asked him to do. You need to make sure you are asking for and rewarding the proper behavior. Otherwise your dog will be confused and he won’t really be learning what you are trying to teach him.

Focus on housetraining and socialization when your havanese puppy is very young. You can gradually progress to more formal obedience lessons. If you make training a havanese puppy can be a lot of fun and stay positive he should have no problem learning anything you want to teach him.

If you’re bringing home a havanese puppy it’s best to continue feeding what he’s been fed by his breeder for the first few months. Your puppy’s breeder typically has a lot of experience in raising puppies and has chosen a food that she believes is good for your Havanese puppy. After that you can do some research and consult with your breeder to choose an adult food for Havanese dogs. He may not yet be an adult but there are some issues related to skeletal growth that make it a good idea to move away from puppy foods.

Don’t forget to keep fresh, clean water available to your Hav at all times. Remember to wash your food and water bowls daily.

Havanese dogs are a longcoated breed of dog with a double coat. That means that he needs at least a light grooming every day. It doesn’t have to be a formal grooming session. You can brush him lightly while he’s lying on the sofa next to you. But do brush him daily. Otherwise his coat can become a tangled mess.

Plan on giving your Havanese dog a bath about once a month or on the rare occasion when he gets into something smelly. According to the Havanese Club of America you should start paying particular attention to your puppy’s legs around nine months when you are bathing him. It’s easy to see how they are shaped when your dog is wet in the bath. If they look bowed or irregularly shaped you should talk to your breeder or a vet about chondrodysplasia. This is a disorder that involves the growth plates and it can be seen in a dog’s crooked front legs.

You should also clean your dog’s ears weekly and brush his teeth at least weekly — doggy dentists recommend daily brushing. Don’t forget to trim your dog’s nails. You can do this with either a scissors nail trimmer, a guillotine-type trimmer, or with a small nail grinder. The important thing is to get your dog used to having his nails trimmed from an early age and to avoid hurting him. Just take a little nail off in each trimming session and give your puppy or dog lots of treats when doing each paw.

Don’t forget the flea and tick care. Flea and tick prevention are much easier now than they once were. Topical flea treatments such as Frontline and Advantage have made it very easy to apply a treatment once and not have to worry about fleas for weeks. There are also products such as Program, Capstar and others for different situations. If you do find a flea give your Hav a bath right away, wash all of his bedding, vacuum your house and dispose of the vacuum bag (which could contain fleas). Treat both your yard and your house with a good flea product.

It’s important to stay current on your Havanese dog’s vaccinations. When you first get your puppy he should have already received his first and possibly second set of shots. You should continue to follow the schedule that your breeder has laid out for him. If there is any difference of opinion between your breeder and your vet (and sometimes there is), you should ask your breeder to phone your vet and discuss the matter. There are currently a couple of different vaccination protocols for Havanese puppies. Some call for more shots and different shots, some starting giving shots earlier or go on longer. If there is a disagreement between your vet and your breeder they should work the matter out.

Your dog also needs heartworm prevention. Heartworm is now found throughout the United States and it is present year-round in many places. Heartgard, Interceptor, Revolution, Sentinel and other products provide good protection for your Havanese dog against heartworm. You can discuss with your vet which product is best for your dog.

Your vet will probably also do a fecal exam on your puppy to see if he has any worms. If he does need worming this is something that is easily taken care of.

After all of his health needs have been met (which can usually be done in just a couple of trips to the vet), your dog will be ready to take over the house. A happy, well-cared for Havanese dog will typically live 14-15 years. Take care of him, see that he gets regular vet care, feed him good food, and be his best friend and those will be wonderful, happy years for both of you.