Yuppy Puppy Havanese: August 2008

Monday, August 4, 2008

Continuation of "What do I eat today Game"

So, If you dont want to play this game with your Havanese..... what to do.

If the puppy, who is supposed to be eating three times a day according to his breeder, refuses a meal, simply pick up the food up at 15 or 20 minutes and put it in the fridge. Offer it to him at the next scheduled mealtime without altering it one iota. Usually be that time the puppy will actually be hungry, and you will have won. (Round one, anyway. They really want to play this game, so they will keep trying to get you to play too. You must stand firm. One slip-up and you've had it) Believe me, this is true.. currently Simon is winning at this game as I put chicken in his food.. now he wont eat unless I add to his kibble.

The reason this works with no damage to the puppy is because the breeder, who has been feeding the whole litter of puppies three times a day and instructs you to do likewise, probably suspects that each puppy is actually only eating twice a day, but doesn't know (or care, if its an experienced Havanese breeder) which ones are really eating at which meals, and it changes daily anyway. In fact, the breeder is probably immune to it because odds are, like many others, they feed their adult dogs twice a day, although each dog only eats once, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, depending on how each individual is feeling about it that day. They simply pick the dishes up after 15 or 20 minutes and try again at the next mealtime. Some breeders and owners give up and only feed their dogs once a day, but if the dog isn't hungry at that particular moment, he'll then go 48 hours without eating if you try to stay on schedule, and this bothers a lot of people too much to try it.

Ok, now I dont think you should starve your dog.... but if you keep your dog from becoming a picky eater, then you can more readily figure out if your Havanese is not eating because he is ill, and save a lot of money at the vet's trying to figure out what's wrong with a perfectly healthy finicky eater.

Is Your Havanese Shy??

Book Reviews

SHOW DOG by Josh Dean
Every weekend, for nearly fifty weeks each year, tens of thousands of Americans pack up their SUVs and minivans with crates and dryers and treats and shampoos and hairsprays and plush toys and fan out for some of the two-thousand-plus dog shows held annually across the United States. More than
two million pedigreed dogs, and exponentially more humans who handle and care for them, will take part in these events—for the most part happily—and the world that has grown up to support them is massive and vibrant, and almost impossible
to imagine unless you've seen it in person.
By spending a year alongside rising star Jack, a champion Australian shepherd, and his canine and human friends, magazine journalist Josh Dean yanks back the curtain on the dog show world, providing not just a hilarious and often
touching portrait of a colorful subculture only slightly exaggerated in the film Best in Show, but also a revealing look at our love affair with the world's most doted-upon and tinkered-with animal species, examining the colossal array of dog types and humans who love them. The book follows Jack as he matures over the course of a year, from still-improving adolescent to seasoned adult show dog. We get to know him and the people around him—his owner, his handler, his breeder—to experience what it's like to own a show dog and to train one. And we come to appreciate him for what he is, a lovable and intelligent house pet—albeit one with a highly unusual occupation.
Along the way, Dean takes a close look at the eccentric and fascinating world of breeders and dog show fanciers—exploring the history and science of purebred dog breeding and the evolution of canine perfection via dog show culture, with
that pursuit's many related peculiarities: judging, training, naming, promoting, hairstyling, kennel-owning, RV-driving, hotel-finding, treat-selecting, and more.

Unleasing the Velcro Dog
Jane Simmons-Moake is an award winning author who has lead seminars and competed on championship Agility teams internationally. She owns a top Agility training facility located in Texas.
"Unleashing the Velcro Dog" is a training guide for both novices and serious competitors. It is particularly useful to those people who need to train alone, providing detailed illustrations with her written explanations. Her methods will help th reader to find a winning strategy, develop distance skills, learn how to take advantage of the dog's maximum speed, feel the sucess of handling courses smoothly, and to master both the dependent and independent aspects of being an oustanding agility team.

Dancing with Dogs
Author Mary Ray is a 3 time winner of the Crufts Obedience Championships and one of the best freestyle dancers in the world. Together with Andrea McHugh, an author of pet care books, they have written an outstanding reference book on Freestyle Dancing. This an easy to understand book which teaches music techniques, fun routines(using both basic and advanced moves for choreography), and the use of props and costumes. Simple instructions and illustrations teach everything from initial routine design on paper to teaching tricks and dance steps to develping sequences to completing full dances with music. This book is a "must have" for both those who are interested in learning the basics of Freestyle Dance and thos accomplished dancers who want ideas for new and different routines to add to their repertoires.

Simple Simon's Birthday Bone Treats

Recipe Courtesy of Three Dog Bakery Cookbook

Description: Very simple and dogs love them!
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Temperature: 375 F
Ingredients: 2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup skim milk
Cooking Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk.
Add wet mixture to dry, and mix well.
Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/4-inch thick and cut out shapes.
Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack then store in an airtight container.
Makes 30 large bones