22 replies to this topic

[Huckleberry]

Hello -
I have been wanting a Havanese for about a year (one of my two border collies - the cuddly one - passed on a year ago) and I have been hanging out for months on the website of the group of breeders near where I am (Elite Havanese). Earlier this week, one of this group's dogs (from Misty Trails) won best in breed at Westminster! I think that got me so excited that it helped me make the decision that now is the time. So yesterday I went to visit one of the breeders and there she was! Just the sweetest thing ever.

She is 9 weeks old and she is very affectionate as well as playful which is just what I was wanting - neither hyper nor shy and retiring. And her coat is so so silky! I never knew some Havanese have coats like that - it feels quite divine to stroke her. (I think I'm in love : ) I was surprised how unlike the other puppies (from a different litter), she just came right over and gave me loads of kisses and then snuggled right into my lap. After going off to explore and play for a bit, she came right back and settled
right in against my leg. We seem to be a good fit!
I will be picking her up a week Friday and meanwhile have to come up with a name and gather some supplies (e.g. a crate and an exercise pen). Needless to say, I am thrilled. What a blessing to have this wee girl come into my life. I hope it doesn't take my old collie too long to enjoy her.

It is fun to have this forum with whom to share the news.
April

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[Paco and Manny's Mom]

She is darling! Congratulations! Can hardly wait for her homecoming and more pictures and stories!

Edited by Paco and Manny's Mom, 18 February 2012 - 10:32 PM.

[Lilly]

Congratulations! How happy you must be! Continue to please keep us posted and don't forget to keep giving us pictures.

[Suzi]

Congratulations what a sweetie pie. I love Black and Tan Havanese. You are going to have so much fun with her.

[Leeann]

Welcome to HT and congratulations on your new little girl, we look forward to hearing about her homecoming.

[Amanda]

April,
Congrats! She is a cutie! As it has been a week today I brought a puppy home, remove everything you don't want chewed! Have toys in every single room of the house (important to avoid fingers and pants being chewed) and a towel near the water bowl (my puppy thinks this is funny to slam). And the most important thing your camera charged. The moments are priceless!

[Poornima]

Welcome to HT and congratulations on your new pup! Look forward to hearing stories and seeing pictures of your furbaby.

[truedat]

Welcome to HT, April! Your new puppy is adorable - I love the coloring! Can't wait to see more pics and hear all about her homecoming

[Huckleberry]

Thank you all so much for your warm welcome! I stayed up late last night reading posts on crates and potty training and such - and realized how much I didn't ask Gail (the breeder - Seantiago Havanese). What I find really odd is that I have had puppies before (the last being 14 years ago) and I don't remember potty training being much of an issue at all. Now all sorts of questions are coming up! Perhaps I'll switch over to the "Puppy Playpen" forum and ask a question or two there. I am delighted to have found Havanesetalk - the friendliness and generous sharing are heartwarming!
April

[Christy]

Hi April! Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new puppy choice! It sounds like the little one chose you. Ilove that feel of the puppy coat too. Did you get a chance to meet the parents and feel their coats? When they are around 10 months (approx) they will blow coat and the adult type coat will gradually come in. It could change a bit then and will certainly become thicker. For now, get a plan for potty training going and enjoy shopping!

[Bobby's Mommy]

Your new girl is GORGEOUS! I am brand spanking new to the breed and a new hav person (as in owned totally by my little guy), and what floors me is how diverse all these Havanese are! One color combination is prettier than the next. Having owned Maltese over the years, your choices are white, white, and white. I will have SUCH a hard time next time I let a Havanese choose me as to which one to go with.

[Bobby's Mommy]

Christy, on 19 February 2012 - 11:18 AM, said:

Hi April! Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new puppy choice! It sounds like the little one chose you. Ilove that feel of the puppy coat too. Did you get a chance to meet the parents and feel their coats? When they are around 10 months (approx) they will blow coat and the adult type coat will gradually come in. It could change a bit then and will certainly become thicker. For now, get a plan for potty training going and enjoy shopping!

This is new news to me as well. Bobby's coat is exceptionally soft right now, though on his rear end it's a bit fuzzier (my Maltese is like that -- I call it afro butt as it's much more kinky and wiry than the rest of him). Might he lose the soft hair?

[Christy]

The coat will thicken and sometimes change textures and also color. Havanese are notorious for color changes. Here is a fun site http://www.havanesecolors.com/ to see all about color changes and coat changes. Just click on the photo to enter and at the bottoms of the pages are links to the many galleries.

[Bobby's Mommy]

Interesting!! I know that Bob's mom is multi-colored (I don't know the term -- I'll go to the link you provided and see if I can find it), and the breeders said that she would change color every spring. His dad is a chocolate and white. It'll be interesting to see what Bobby does. Though he's pretty much a coffee brown in most areas where he is brown, his head has a lot of copper in it, too.

[Marj R.C.]

April, welcome to a fellow Canadian Havanese lover! I'm so happy for you. It's such an exciting time, getting a new puppy. You'll have tons of doubts and questions, but dont' worry. You and your sweet girl will survive the first few weeks and months! lol Please feel free to ask any question at all and we'll do our best to help. I can't wait to hear more about it all once you have her at home with you!

[Huckleberry]

Yes, it is all an adventure! What a wonderfully warm, welcoming group this is! Today I met for the first time a woman who lives within walking distance and who has a 4 mo. old Havanese! He is just lovely (chocolate). It was grand to connect with her. And then I went to a friend's who passed on to me a Sherpa carrier and a vari-kennel. I'll clean them well with a bleach solution. They are both large rather than the medium I had in mind, and I think I will buy a medium kennel for the bedroom but can use a second one downstairs. Now I have to order a 30" exercise pen. Seems the 30" are hard to find.
Christy, her coat did feel quite different from the pups from a different litter, but it will be interesting to see how it develops. And no I did not meet mom or dad. Dad is at a different breeder's, and I don't know where my brain was that I didn't ask to see mom!!!! I actually wrote her this evening and asked for a picture of mom and if I can see her when I pick up my sweetie. I had found that colour site before (amazing what you can find while you are twiddling your thumbs waiting to be able to get a puppy!). It is fascinating. As for potty training... I think I should perhaps shift to the puppy playpen forum for that issue!
Marj, it is nice to connect here with a Canadian. One thing I find is with shopping online, so many sites are American and don't ship to Canada or charge the earth to do so. I did discover petonly.ca which was a find.
And speaking of "finds", I need to find a name!!! Am developing a short list. And always open to suggestions!

Thank you again for the warm welcome!
April

[Ans]

A warm welcome from the Netherlands!
Your havanese is sooo cute!

[Marj R.C.]

April, did the litter have a theme name? What are some of the registered names in that litter? Some of that can help inspire us to think up a name for your puppy. Do you, yourself, like certain themes, songs, foods, drinks, fashion...? Location can help too, as well as hobbies of yours. Picking a name is fun!

I got a little twinge when I read the dam wasn't around. It's a little odd, but there must be a good explanation for that. yes, you'll at least want to see pictures and the mom in person when you go back to get your puppy.

I have found that though Pet Edge in the U.S. has great deals, they charge too much at customs to get the stuff in. Ren's Depot in Ontario is very comparable to Pet Edge though.

[Mom2Izzo]

Welcome to HT, April and congrats on your new girl. She's a cutie!

[Huckleberry]

Marj, I emailed Gail (breeder) about mom and she explained that she is one of the dogs in their breeding program who lives with someone else. I know that they do this as on the group website (there are four breeders who are part of Elite Havanese) there are several dogs they have down as "lives with Dianne" or "lives with Dave". Part of the contract in these cases, is that the bitch will come to stay with the breeder for a couple of months one or more times for breeding. They are very strong on all the dogs being in-home, in-family dogs. I will meet the dad, Elvis, when I go again. My girl's mom went back home when her litter was 8 weeks. I know Gail is a reputable breeder. Actually she has the sire of the dog who just won best in breed at Westminster.
Thank you for the name suggestions. They will stimulate more ideas. I get to choose the registered name which will be Seantiago.... The first name I came up with is EmmyLou. It really does suit her (and her father is Elvis ). It makes me smile and I imagine standing at the front door and calling "EmmyLooooouuuu!" and that makes me laugh out loud. The problem with that name is, the Havanese I met yesterday who lives nearby and will become friends is named Lou. So I think EmmyLou won't work. Then there is Gracie (Seantiago Full of Grace) and what is maybe my current favourite is Lucy... Seantiago Lucia. Mia is another one on the list. It is rather a fun process. Simultaneously my daughter is struggling to come up with a boy's name for her baby due in June! (I still think it is a girl.)
Amanda, I am wondering how your puppy is doing. I have been looking around at puppy-proofing. It will need to be longer term than I have done in the past couple of years for my grandson's visits. It looks like you have four (!) now. Wow.
April