HOUSE TRAINING
You will have received your puppy training package before taking your puppy home, — visit Rachelle Buckle’s website about Windy Willow Pet Services and the training manual we give out with each puppy. There is additional great information about how to select your pet services.
Here is a website Crate training that might help as well.
The single most important thing to remember when trying to train a puppy is consistency and routine.Also it is extremely important to confine the puppy to a small area where the oder can be cleaned immediately. Never let your puppy run free in carpeted areas. Essentially follow this process:
• Puppy is in crate at night.
• Puppy is taken out side immediately in the morning and you stay with him. Reward him when he does his business.
• Puppy is given breakfast.
• Puppy is taken outside and rewarded when he does his business.
• Play with puppy – this can include fun training such as shown in the video above or tricks etc.
• Puppy goes into crate.
• The above steps are repeated three times a day
Never allow your puppy to roam the house without supervision. It is best to confine the puppy to the kitchen or small area where you can watch him. Remember the puppy has to be taught what is the “den” and what is not. To a small puppy the hallway outside the kitchen is not part of his den. The bedroom down the hall is definitely not his den.
FOOD
What to feed your dog, the eternal dilemma!
We feed our dogs a combination of homemade and kibble food. For kibble, our dogs are eating either Orijen or Acana. Both are made by the same company, Champion Pet Foods, here in Canada. I tend to use mostly the fish based kibble since I use a variety of pork, beef and chicken in the food I make for them. All ingredients in this kibble, according to the company’s literature, are produced here in Canada. The Orijen is higher in protein, but both can be grain free. A healthy dog has no problem with high protein as long as it is quality protein, but now that Mojo is 16 I feed the lower protein version. Both foods are rated five out of five by the Dog Food Advisor. You can read about the author of the food advisor on the site given below.
This is the grain free version of Acana
Here is the calculator to help you know how much to feed your adult dog
I allow puppies over three months to eat as much as they want for about a 10 minute time frame twice a day. Once a dog is neutered or spayed then it’s important to control the amount of food although my Havanese tend not to gain weight or eat too much.
In the evening our dogs are given home cooked meat, usually chicken breasts,thighs or whole chickens and turkey,beef, or pork cooked in a pressure cooker in order to render the bones digestible. The bones are ground up and included with the food. I keep the water and throw in veggies such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, sweet potato, and occasionally white potato and sometimes chia seeds. I sometimes throw in a can of sardines, herring or other fish, but not Tuna, or long lived fish since they may contain larger amounts of mercury. Sometimes I add rice, brown or white, quinoa, or oats.
The eggs are cooked separately, mashed then added to the mixture. Even if you can’t cook for your dogs please be sure to give them an egg yolk at least two or three times per week and my guys love kale. I keep all the water from the meat and vegetables including the fat from the chicken or turkey. but not beef or pork, because this is a good source of vitamins and nutrients as well. If there’s too much liquid then I freeze it for another time.
The eggshells are microwaved for about 2 minutes and then I grind them to a powder with the magic bullet. Egg shells are considered an excellent source of calcium. I then add wild salmon oil, a little cocconut oil, orprimrose oil which is good for their skin and coat.
After their evening meal, I brush their teeth. I clean along the gums with a Q-tip and then brush/wipe their teeth with a cotton swab or toothbrush.
I’ve tried a variety of things that are suppose to clean the teeth without brushing but so far haven’t found anything that does a great job. The single most important thing regarding food is to observe energy level, weight, coat, and general demeanor. If their stools are soft or they have gas, or they are listless, it means the food is not right for them. REMEMBER: It is extremely important to keep your dog very, very slim. My dogs have been eating like this for at least eight years and their blood work, is perfect.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Sleeping
Your puppy may have an uncomfortable first night since he is use to the sounds and smells of his littermates and the other dogs in our house. We will give you a blanket or toy with all the smells of his family to take home with you. You should feel very comfortable about putting the puppy in his crate. I find that for the first night having the crate near where I am sleeping or actually on the bed works best. If the puppy wakes up and cries, simply place your fingers through the wire which is usually enough reassurance that he will settle and fall back to sleep.
Don’t worry about putting the dog in a crate when you can not watch him, or at night, since this is where your puppy will feel the most secure and where you will know he is safe. Havanese are very athletic and inquisitive and can get into all kinds of mischief when left alone.
House Training Your Puppy
Consistency, crating, and taking your dog outside regularly, especially after every meal, are the most important elements in house training. Do not allow your puppy full access to the house for at least the first year. A healthy dog will not soil its own den but the hallway does not seem like part of his den if he spends most of his time in the kitchen. Crate your dog whenever you cannot watch him. We can discuss this more fully when you pick up your puppy. Go outside each time with your puppy and reward with a treat as soon as they go, and then have a little play session.
Grooming
Havanese are considered non-shedding, but will blow their puppy coat somewhere around twelve months of age. Anesthesia may also be a factor in hair loss. During these times there may be more hair in your brush as well as daily knots. This WILLpass but during this time please brush daily. Get your new puppy use to grooming time as well as the brush and comb by massaging him with the brush and gentle combing his hair even when he doesn’t need it.
Bathing
If there are knots in your puppy’s coat, gently pull them apart and then brush with a pin comb or slicker if absolutely necessary. You may want to put conditioner directly on the knot to make it easier to pull apart. There are also special detangling sprays you may want to use. When bathing your puppy make sure that all the shampoo is out and then rinse once more. Left over shampoo will cause extreme itchiness. Next, apply conditioner and rinse lightly. Conditioner inside the ears may cause dirt to accumulate and result in ear infections so be careful not to get the conditioner in the ears. You may want to put cotton in the ears during the bath. Be sure to blow-dry the coat completely. Even a little dampness can cause knots to form. Be sure to check the ears for excessive hair and clean if necessary. I rarely pull hair from the ears since that can cause irritation to the skin and set it up for infection. Some dogs do have extremely heavy hair in their ears and then I do pull it out or cut it. The important thing is to make sure there is no wax buildup.
Shampoo/Conditioner
When bathing your puppy, wet them thoroughly and use shampoo all over the body and lather well, but without twisting the hair. Be sure to clean the hair around the ears. Once you are sure that all the shampoo is out, rinse once more. Left over shampoo will cause extreme itchiness. RINSE thoroughly. Next, apply conditioner and rinse lightly.
Conditioner inside the ears may cause dirt to accumulate and result in ear infections so be careful not to get the conditioner in the ears. Blow dry the coat completely. Even a little dampness can cause knots to form.
Tear staining
There are many causes for tear staining, but if you allow the hair at the corners of the eye to grow out fully, the staining may stop once the hair is long enough to lay flat. When the hair is cut, it will continually grow up and into the eyes to cause more tearing. If left alone, the hair will eventually fall downward and away from the eye. You may use KY Jelly during the growth stage to keep the hair out of the eyes. Sometimes an alkaline system can cause staining so putting about 1/2 tsp of cider vinegar in or on a treat or food each day may help.
Teething is another cause of tear staining and you may find the staining stops when the dog reaches eighteen months and all their teeth have come in.
Groomers
ALL GROOMERS WILL CUT THE HAIR OUT OF THE CORNERS OF THE EYE! TELL THEM NO! If they don’t listen to you find another groomer. Ask the groomer if you can stay to watch. If they have a closed-door policy you may want to find another groomer.
Teeth
When your puppy is about five to six months of age start watching the teeth closely. Sometimes toy breeds have a tendency to retain teeth which means that the adult teeth grow beside the baby teeth rather than under them, thus they do not push the baby teeth out. Since this can cause the bite to go off or the adult tooth to rot you will need to have the puppy teeth removed. Most of the time this only happens to the canine teeth. Your vet will be able to tell. Be sure that the puppy has very hard kong type toys or bones to chew on. I like using the deer antlers, but some feel that it they are too hard and will crack the teeth.
To keep the teeth clean I give my dogs soup bones or antlers, plus a good daily brushing. Various toothpastes ae available at many pet stores. Apply toothpaste along the gums with a cotton swab and then rub the teeth and gums with the small pads that are used to remove makeup or with a brush as they get older.
Coprophagia (eating feces)
Some puppies will eat their own feces or feces from rabbits or raccoons if they have access to it. After your dog has gone to the bathroom clean up immediately. This also helps prevent parasites. There are many theories about why dogs do this, but no one knows for sure. My opinion is that it is a natural instinct to keep the den clean and, believe it or not, dogs like the smell.
Diarrhea
Some puppies will get diarrhea when changing food, water, or environment or when stressed. In cases of mild diarrhea, give them Pedialite(unflavored) and canned pure pumpkin and this should help firm up their stools. If diarrhea is severe, there may be another problem and you should take your puppy to the vet.
Separation Anxiety
It may help to leave treats and a toy in your dog’s crate each time you use it, but please remember your puppy is much safer in a crate when left alone. Even if you are home every day, make sure that you leave your puppy for at least thirty minutes or longer each day. It is essential that you do not make a fuss over your dog before leaving, and if you must speak to your dog, use a matter-of-fact tone of voice and do not fuss over your dog. When you return put the dog outside immediately and do not make a fuss over him. Make sure your dog gets regular walks and socialization both of which help create a confident dog and confident dogs are less likely to suffer from separation anxiety. You may also want to regularly put on your coat, shoes and jingle your car keys without actually leaving the house. This will prevent the dog from associating these activities with your leaving.
When to Spay or Neuter
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