Tips for Feeding Havanese Dogs
It doesn’t take new Havanese dog owners very long to realize that their pet has a few unusual quirks when it comes to eating. My Cairn, who passed on three months ago after being a family companion for fourteen years, would make a full cup of dry dog food disappear in a flash. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that she never bothered to chew; it disappeared so quickly. My son caller her a vacuum eater. When the Cairn was alive, my Havanese would eat her half cup of dry food at a slow steady pace, but would not leave her bowl until the food was gone.
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.
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