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.

"What Do I Want to Eat Today" Game

Below is one of my favorite Sections from the book "The Havanese"! This is the typical scenario of the new Puppy owner, trying to get their Havanese to eat...

Meal One: The new owner drives across town and buys the brand of dog food suggested by the breeder, which of course the puppy has been eating all his life - lets say a high-quality chicken and rice formula for the sake of argument. The owner brings it home, and adds whatever the breeder suggests for palatability - perhaps a spoonful of cottage cheese mixed in, and some cooked egg yolk. The puppy sniffs it and recoils as though the owner is trying to poison him. Won't touch it. The owner, concerned that their new darling will fall over from hypoglycemia or something, offers some cut-up cooked chicken, which the puppy dutifully eats before running off to play.

Meal Two: Owner adds some cut-up chicken to the kibble along with the egg and cottage cheese. Puppy eats the chicken, the cottage cheese, and the egg, and runs off to play. Convinced the kibble is the problem, owner drives back across town and buys the same brand in a new formula, this time lamb and rice.

Meal Three: Puppy loves the lamb and rick kibble, eats every last bit of it, but won't touch the cutup chicken, the egg, or the cottage cheese, all of which he now considers toxic waste. Puppy runs off to play.

Meal Four: Plain Lamb and Rice Kibble? You're Kidding, right I'd like some cottage cheese please.

Meal Five: This chicken and rice kibble isn't too bad, but you really don't expect me to eat this cottage cheesy junk, do you??

Meal six: More eggs, please. I don't eat kibble. And what happened to the cut-up chicken, did we run out??

Meal Seven: I don't have time to eat, sorry, I have to go play now. But it was nice of you to drive across town to buy this turkey and barley kibble - too bad I don't like it. Maybe I'll like it tommorrow, though.

(This entire scenario can take place over a forty-eight hour period, by the way) Playing "What do I want to Eat today" is a game the average Havanese can play indefinitely, and runs a close second to RunlikeHell, another game which seems to be firmly entrenched in the breed's genetic code.

So, If you don't want to play the "What do I want to Eat today Game", check back tommorrow for the conclusion....

Beauty Secrets of Show Dogs

I can guess what you do the second week of February - you're sitting on the couch, glued to the TV, watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Who doesn't love watching those glorious dogs strutting before the cheering crowds at Madison Square Garden like fashion models on a runway? And just like fashion models, show dogs have to stick to a strict regimen of beauty care. Learn their beauty secrets, and your petite pup can look as camera ready as any of those dogs on TV.

Secret #1: Show Dogs are Spotlessly Clean

Secret #2: Show Dogs are Faultlessly Groomed

Secret #3: Show Dogs accept Grooming with Grace

Secret #4: Show Dogs get the best products for their hair

Secret #5: Show Groomers Have the Best Equipment

Secret #6: Show Dogs know what to Wear

Secret #7: Show Dogs get a lot of exercise

Secret #8: Show Dogs Have Great Teeth

Secret #9: Show Dogs are told they are beautiful

Do Havanese Have a Sense of Humor????

Well I hope they do, otherwise they are just sadistic but I would swear one of my first Havanese (GRR!)has laughed at me. Once I was doing a project on a piece of furniture and it was drying on the table, so I kept the dogs out of the room? Well she did not like being kept out of the room (an you know she thinks she is the queen) so as soon as I opened the door she rushed into the room. Bold as brass she looked at me and walked right across my project. Then she turned to me and she was laughing – big smile on her face, then she came and kissed me.

I also cant tell you how much pleasure Grr!! gets out of trying to get Ryan in trouble. She literally laughs and snickers at him. She does things and laughs at herself.... and then turns smiles teeth and all (see picture to the left). Her daughter Magilla, certainly wins the ugliest smile award. (see left picture).

I don’t know if they have a sense of humor or just love the attention they get when they do funny things, but as I said they are clowns and they do perform all the time. When they are happy and excited they stand on their hind legs and just dance around the room for you. So many of the Havanese are always smiling.