Havanese Puppy Care and Products

Are you ready for a puppy project?

Before committing to a new puppy, please read below and consider what is enTAILed.

You may have already raised a puppy and some of the suggestions and information below will not be news to you. Just like child rearing, there are as many approaches to puppy care as there are puppy owners. If you are new to puppy raising, these guidelines will help. Taking on another life is rewarding; but can be overwhelming. I am with you every step of the way for the life of the puppy.

I highly recommend signing up for the Puppy Culture/Madcap University online course, With Open Arms and a Level Head. Madcap University has many Free Resources to digest. Tap into the Madcap Radio Podcasts, where you can hear lots of info on food, health, and raising happy, healthy pups.   

Puppy Area: You will need to create a safe place for puppy to rest, eat, and potty in your home. I use 8 panels of IRIS PENS that snap together easily and form a square. I reinforce the sides of the Iris pens with broom handles zip-tied to the sides. (There are all sorts of ex-pen choices available. Pick one that is 18”-24” high.)

This pen should be placed on a piece of linoleum (which you can buy at the hardware store as a remnant). On top of the linoleum I put 2’ square foam puzzle pieces that you can find at the Dollar Store, Five Below, or Lowes. On top of that I add washable pee pads. Populate the puppy area with a crate, water, 3 pee trays, dog bed covered by a washable pad, and enrichment toys. I like to use hanging water bottles because puppies step in the water bowls. 

The first few days: Puppy will be lonely for his litter mates. I will send a toy and a blanket that the litter slept on home with the puppy. I recommend buying a Snuggle Puppy-Heart Beat toy for rest time and night time. Placing the puppy in their crate on chairs beside your bed, at eye level, and arms length from you for the first few nights can help your puppy feel safe. Slowly move the crate away from your bed over several nights to accustom the puppy to sleeping alone. Now our dogs sleep on dog beds in our bedroom, but as puppies I set up another smaller puppy pen area in our bedroom with a crate and pee trays. Some dog owners crate their dogs at night. If you choose to do this, make the crate small for the puppy by placing a box or partition in the crate.

***HAVING THE PUPPY ON THE BED is a BAD idea until they are 18 months old. A jump from that height will harm them!! Yes really! Don’t expect puppies to use stairs either. They will take the short cut and jump, harming themselves.

Crates: Your puppy will be crate trained and it’s a good idea to use the crate in the Puppy Area as a place of rest. I use a MidWest wire crate, 24” x 17” x 19”. You can also use a plastic kennel like a Sport Pet Crate, 26” x 20” x 18.” You’ll need crate pads too. When puppy is small, use a divider or a small box to make the interior of the crate small. If the crate is too big; puppy might use the back of the crate as a potty area. I cut a piece of cardboard and zip tied it into my wire crate to make the space cozier. If you use a wire crate, you can toss a towel over it so it feels like a cozy den. Buying a larger crate with a divider at the beginning has worked for us, instead of buying a small crate that the dog will outgrow.

You will also need a crate for the car. I use bungee cords to secure the crate in the middle seat.

Harness: I like the Voyager Dog Harness. It can be frustrating to find a harness that fits. Our first Havi weighted 5 lbs at 10 weeks, our second weighted 3 1/2 lbs at 10 weeks. Obviously we needed a different harness for the smaller pup. Be prepared to try several brands. My dogs don’t wear a collar in the house. When you take them out, even just for a ride in the car, please do put a collar or harness with a dog tag on them in case of emergency.

Food: For healthy gut biomes, I recommend choosing from the large variety of Raw Food Puppy blends for the first 6 months. Many options are available: BJ’s, Darwins, Northwest Naturals, Instinct, Steve’s, Primal, etc. These food brands are frozen, so you’ll need to find a pet store that has them in stock. Puppies usually eat ¼ - 1/3 Cups three times a day. Leave the meal on the floor or in the crate for 20 minutes, then put it away if it is uneaten. By the time puppy goes home with you they will have a healthy and diverse gut biome which you can preserve with quality foods.

Our dogs eat from plates - which seems to help keep their mustaches clean. Plate or bowl? Either one.

Snood- keeps puppy ears out of the food. I like the cotton snoods, and also use them for covering ears while drying my dog after a bath.

Water: Our dogs like to drink from hanging bottles of water (e.g., bottles that hang from the sides of their crate.) There is also a bowl of water on the floor – please clean and freshen the water each day. We use glass hanging bottles. They are a bit hard to find, but better for the dogs. Hanging water bottles are handy in the puppy pen area versus bowls of water which will be stepped in and spilled, over and over and over.

Treats: Himalayan Yak Chews are #1 on the list of chews. They are easily digestible, last a long time, and don’t contain any nasty additives. You can also buy USA sourced deer or elk antlers that are cut in half. It may sound like your dog is ruining teeth, but it is okay to let them chew.

Training treats: Young puppies love cheese or any meat that is cut into tiny cubes. Whatever you use for treats, consider the additives and stick with as few ingredients on the back of the package. Most treats from the store contain all sorts of unnecessary things that aren’t great for your puppy’s tiny body.

NO RAWHIDE…. This is made with toxic chemicals!!!!

Treats: Apple, Chicken, Bananas, Blueberries, Cucumber, Carrots, Broccoli

Teething: Treats can be any of the foods above frozen, or a dampened washcloth that is frozen.

Rest:  Please, 1 hour of play to 2 or more hours of rest! Puppies must rest to grow properly. The Puppy area can be in a busy part of the house, but just let them alone for their rest time. Give them toys, water, and open crates in the Puppy Area; they will settle down and rest. It’s good for puppies to learn that you are not always available to them. Tired and over excited puppies get into trouble and a time out is usually most helpful.

Dog beds outside the puppy area are also useful.

Baby gates:  You may need a gate or two to section off parts of the house. I like the gates that have a door built into the product. Our first Havanese walked right through the baby gate bars on the first day we had her at home! We cut some cardboard, and zip tied it onto the gate so that didn’t happen again. No space is too small for a puppy to squeeze through. When the puppy is out of the puppy pen area, it’s best to keep them confined in one space in your home. This will help with potty training. Introduce one new space at a time as potty training progresses.

Outside areas:   Decks – if the space beneath any fencing is more than ONE INCH a puppy can squeeze under and fall off the deck. REALLY! TAKE HEED. Use Ex-pens on a deck for safety until puppy is larger.

Same issue for fencing. You may think you have a safe fenced area, but ONE INCH is all a puppy needs to escape and potentially be hit by a car, harmed, or lost. Figure out a way to cover the gap. I bought coated wire flower bed edging and flipped it upside down. I put the curved side near the ground and the tines went through our fencing and twisted sideways on the vertical boards. This was a pain in the neck to install, but it was inexpensive and worked well. Exercise pens against the fencing will work as well.

You will need a pooper scooper.

Keep your puppy safe outside. Only have puppy in a fenced area. Be aware of predators such as hawks, owls, coyotes, urban foxes, etc.  Please stay outside with your puppy while they are playing. We stood over our puppies for months while they played outside and we watched hawks fly above. Attach a long paracord to the harness when puppy is outside in your yard. If by chance they decide to eat something they shouldn’t and you need to catch them, you can step on the cord to reel them in. Our puppies thought it was quite funny to have zoomies in the evening when we wanted to go to bed. That paracord on the harness saved us 20 minutes of 2 tired puppy parents trying to entice puppy inside.  

Out for a walk: Of course, the puppy must be on a harness outside your fenced area. Young puppies should only be walked a very short distance. Little legs with loose joints don’t need long walks. In a hot area, touch the pavement with the back of your hand to assess whether it is safe to take your dog out for a walk. In cold areas, limit time outside unless you use booties. Follow your vet’s vaccination guidelines for taking your puppy out during the first 6 months. (Our vet recommended that our second puppy be kept inside our yard until 6 months and a second Parvo shot because of a large Parvo Virus outbreak in our area.)

Safety in the house:   Puppies could lick the electrical outlets; I use outlet covers just like you would use for a toddler.

Walk around and look at electrical cords on the ground? Do you need to remove them or cover them? Puppies WILL chew on them. You may have to have the cords up off the floor for a while.

I use Bitter Apple spray to keep puppy from chewing on chairs and woodwork. This works but must be reapplied frequently.

Have plenty of toys and chews at hand to redirect the puppy from chomping on things, including you.

Make it easy on yourself, put away shoes, throw rugs, and other human items that puppies may choose to chew or pee on. It’s just not worth the worry to have your Persian rug out on the ground when your puppy is little. (I’m still waiting to unfurl my Persian rug.)

Close off or gate off most of the house at first, introducing areas one at a time as potty-training progresses. It’s overwhelming for a little puppy to have access to a big house.

Learn the ‘Puppy Shuffle’, meaning move your feet carefully.

Watch closing doors behind you if puppy is following you.

Emergency contacts: We have had an emergency need so I can attest to feeling panicked over a weekend when our vet was closed. And, of course, something always happens on the weekend, at night. Have an emergency vet picked and added in your phone contacts. Have the Poison Hotline number available- listed below. Find out if your Vet Practice has a Vet on call after hours. Do it before you need it.

The Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661). - You have to pay for information, but it’s cheaper than a trip to the vet.

IMPORTANT……

Puppy’s bones are loosely held in place by ligaments and tendons until they are 18 months old. An x-ray of a young puppy is quite extraordinary in that it doesn’t seem like they should be able to stand! The bones are barely held in place.

THE safest place for puppy is ON THE FLOOR. - Not on the bed, not on the couch, not on a chair. A puppy that jumps off a higher position can easily damage patellas or hips. You don’t want that for your new baby. It can be expensive for you and could mean a painful surgery for the puppy or limping for life. If the puppy can’t jump up on an area, it is too high for them.

It takes about 18 months for Havanese growth plates to fully form. So put on your yoga pants and sit on the floor with your puppy.

Safety and play with humans: Don’t play with the puppy with your hands in their mouths. Puppy will bite you and you will teach them that hands are toys. Not good.

Puppies will jump and bite. Calmly and kindly redirect with a toy. If you are nipped, you can emit a high pitched yelp and get up from the floor. This behavior mimics a puppy’s litter mate who had enough of the biting. If the biting progresses to the ‘I’m crazed phase’, a little time out in the safe puppy area is called for. Gently remove puppy without scolding and place them in the puppy area to rest. Just like small children, puppies get overtired. Anticipating the puppy’s need to rest BEFORE they are over tired is helpful. It’s not the puppies ‘fault’ if they get over tired and bitey. Be kind but firm.

Puppies need to have curiosity time on the ground to explore and play. Put out a new item for puppy to investigate each day. This can be a kitchen pot lid, a box, or any new toy. Also, trying to pick up a puppy and ‘teach’ them to snuggle with you will be frustrating for you and for the puppy. What a joy it is to observe puppy play and wait for puppy to crawl in your lap by choice. And as mentioned before, the safest spot for puppy is on the floor.

You will learn the ‘puppy shuffle’ as you move around the house. As soon as you pick up a foot, there will be a little puppy under it.  Count on this happening. They are little stealthy guys.

Puppy necks are fragile so play tug of war while holding the toy low and parallel to the floor. Be gentle.

Holding and carrying puppy: Place your hand on the breast bone with pinky finger on the outside of one foot and thumb on the other outside of the opposite foot. I carry my adult dog this way still. It gives you control and helps you contain the Havanese Leap - potentially harming the puppy as they jump from your arms.

Play with other dogs: Supervise play with other dogs. Our older dog was too rough with our puppy for several months. We needed to monitor their play. Once the dogs do start safely playing together when puppy is older, it will look rough and sound like a herd of velociraptors. Dogs from outside the house should be vetted before being allowed to play with puppy, and of course, no play until puppy is fully vaccinated. You’ll want to find a dog of the same size that is a bit older, calm, and very friendly for a playmate for your little puppy.

Socializing puppy: There are books written about this subject! Optimally you want your dog to be a good citizen. Exposing puppy to different types of human looks, like beards, hats, canes, tall, short, elderly, and children will help socialize them. Don’t force a puppy to be held or touched by someone else! When you are out and meet someone interested in your puppy, give them a treat to offer underhand. Children move differently than adults and can scare a puppy. Direct children how to approach your puppy with a slow underhand offering.

Before vaccination is complete, you can take puppy out on excursions as long as they are kept off the ground or floor. We bought a puppy stroller with a zippered top for trips to Lowes etc. After puppy is fully vaccinated, taking them out on excursions is helpful. Puppy Kindergarten, Beginning Obedience, and Classes in Conformation or Rally are great ways to socialize puppy and lots of fun for you too. 

Dog Parks? Taking your puppy to a dog park can be trouble. This is really a recipe for disaster. You just don’t know what type of dog is at the park.  Are they vaccinated? Are they friendly or aggressive? Do they have a disease they can spread through feces or urine? Do they have fleas they’d love to share? Are they going to show dominance over your dog? Is the grass at the dog park treated for fleas and ticks, or sprayed with chemicals to keep down the weeds? The list goes on. Unless you personally know every owner and dog in a dog park, I’d skip it for the safety of your puppy.

Truly one bad experience with an aggressive dog can change your puppy’s behavior toward dogs for life.

Vaccination Protocol: Puppies are checked by my vet, receive their first vaccine, and are given a Microchip for identification before you pick them up. You will receive the microchip # to have in your records and give to the vet.

The reason for Dr. Jean Dodds’ Vaccination protocol, below, is that a Havanese immune system can be easily overwhelmed with too many vaccines, and too many given at one time. Vets, although well meaning, tend to push a lot of vaccination, especially at chain veterinary clinics. Read up on what issues may be in your area and be prepared to firmly decline vaccines. The bottom line is only one vaccine at a time. If you need two, return in a week for the next one.

Don’t let the vet office push Leptospirosis, Flu, Lyme, Covid, or rattlesnake vaccines on your puppy. Use your judgement about additional vaccines, taking into account where you live. We do give Lepto vaccine to our girls.

Never double up on vaccinations to save time. Try and leave at least 1 week between vaccines for your puppy’s immune system to recover before returning for the next vaccine.

FLEA and TICK meds as well as HEART WORM are necessities. Buy your Heart Worm meds from the vet.

Dr. Jean Dodds Vaccine Protocol:

8 - 9 weeks -             DHPP (Distemper + Parvo) This vaccine I do before puppy is released

                                   Merck Nobivac (Intervet Progard) Puppy DPV

14 - 15 weeks -         Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV

18 weeks - Parvo only

20 weeks -     Rabies - Mercury-free

                        Give rabies 3 – 4 weeks apart from other vaccines.

1 year –         Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV

Rabies booster – 3 year. Mercury-free. Give several weeks apart from Distemper/Parvo.

If you are taking your puppy to a groomer, Bordetella vaccine will probably be required. Some states require rabies vaccines earlier than 6 months, but our vet allowed us to wait. Perform Vaccine Titers for Distemper and Parvo every three years. (A Titer is a blood test that ascertains the level of immunity.) Ask the vet for immunizations to be given separately. This will mean several trips to the vet but will keep your puppy’s immune system from being overloaded.  

We have wild animals in or near our yard so we did accept Leptospirosis vaccinations for our dogs. Bunnies, Squirrels, Deer, Fox, Mice- all can carry Lepto. If you feel that your yard is safe from these intruders, skip the Lepto vaccination. At the very least, space it out a week apart from the vaccinations.

Veterinary Services:  If you don’t already have a vet, I recommend interviewing several and bringing up the Jean Dodds vaccine protocol with the doctor. Ask about the number of vets in the practice and if it’s difficult to get a same day appointment. Check online reviews. Ask about after hours help. Spread out the vaccines and don’t overload the puppy with shots all at once.

Ask about the recommended mercury-free vaccines; these may have to be ordered by your vet.

You are your puppy’s advocate: at the vet, on a walk, with other humans, with other dogs. Speak up.

House Training:  Your puppy WILL pee and poo where you don’t want them to. Don’t expect your puppy to be house trained for months and months and maybe more months. Small dogs can’t always feel when they need to ‘go’. Take puppy outside after a nap, after eating, after 10 minutes of play. Treat and profusely praise after puppy goes. Mark the behavior verbally with words like ‘go potty’. Establish a potty area outside where you take your puppy every time. Do not shame them if they make a mistake; if you do, they will decide to hide their potty from you, like behind the couch or in the spare bedroom or on your wall to wall carpet. If possible, pick-up area rugs and make your life easier until puppy is trained. And of course, closing off most of the house when the puppy is young and using a puppy pen will assist with training. Introduce new spaces a few at a time.

We use pee pads in the house and on the back patio for nasty weather. One of our Havanese will use the pee pad, the other will not. You can continue to use the pee trays as well.

In the Car: The safest place for a puppy is in the middle seat inside a crate. We use bungee cords and adjustable straps to secure the crate. Never ride with the puppy loose. Remember to have your puppy wear his ID collar when you are out and about. Before you pick up your puppy, we will have taken them on several car rides. We use an old towel to shield the puppy from the sun if need be. You will need a small crate secured in your car to pick up your puppy.  

Grooming:  Instead of a chore, grooming can be a bonding experience. You can make a grooming space in your home by placing a 2’ x 3’ area mat on top of your washer or counter. I have a grooming table set in a corner. They are inexpensive and my little Amazon table has lasted for quite a while, despite being dragged all over Texas to dog shows. Start your grooming sessions with play and treats on the space. Only stay on the grooming spot for a short time, adding minutes slowly. Let puppy investigate your grooming tools. Start with an easy brushing for seconds at a time.

Combing out mats daily is a must as puppy gets older. Mats multiply fast and can become unmanageable. Brushes are for finishing the job, your combs are the work horses. It is most helpful to teach the puppy to lie on their side for combing. Comb all the way to the skin. When you find a mat, turn the comb perpendicular to the skin and slide one tine onto just a tiny bit of the mat with the front of the comb to break up the mat a little at a time. Hold the hair close to the skin on the other side of the mat, so that you can mitigate the pulling.

Just forget buying any tools at a chain pet store. It will fall apart and won’t really be appropriate for your new Havanese. Resign yourself to the fact that your brush will come from CVS and your dog’s brush will come from Germany. You can order most of these things on Amazon, or at a groomer’s supply house. 

Greyhound Combs in two sizes - each comb has two different sizes of teeth.

7 ½ for cleaning face and tiny mats. 

10 inch for the body.

Andis makes acceptable combs. My choice is Chris Christianson.

Pin Brush: Chris Christensen Dog Brush, 27 mm Oval Pin Brush, Original Series, Groom Like a Professional, Stainless Steel Pins, Lightweight Beech Wood Body, Ground and Polished Tips – Amazon or the Chris Christianson website.  It’s the polished tips that are important.

Slicker Brush: Millers Forge. I use this for finishing the coat. It really isn’t necessary for a dog in a puppy cut. Also called Doggy Man Slicker Brush.

Squirt Bottle with water and conditioner mixed -Combing out your puppy each day will get them use to having their coat cared for by a groomer(or you). Always spritz a mixture of water and conditioner on the coat before brushing. Brushing a dry coat will tear the hair.

Cleaning the eyes:  Dogs need a help with cleaning the ‘stuff’ out of the corners of their eyes. I use Vets Preferred Eye Cleaner for Dogs on a makeup pad in the morning, along with the small greyhound comb to clear the area under the eyes of debris. Daily care is also helpful for moving the hair off the eyeball, since dogs don’t have opposable thumbs to do this themselves.

Tear Staining? Well, that’s a tough one. I’ve tried distilled water as their drinking water, feeding blueberries, Eye Envy products, vodka mixed with water – nothing really seems to help. On a young puppy just let it go and drink the vodka yourself.

Bathing:  Your puppy will be acclimated to bathing by me, BUT that is not to say they will like it at all. Puppies are real squirmy, so an extra pair of hands is helpful for the whole process. You must comb out the hair before bathing, otherwise, you will have a matted mess. 

I use plastic bins that fit in the kitchen sink, one for the bath portion and the other for rinsing. Set everything up before you begin, including the drying space. (Hair Dryer, Towels, Washcloths, Brush, Combs) I use a quality baby shampoo for the head and face like HELLO BELLO. Some dogs won’t close their eyes when you bathe them, so you really need to use a baby shampoo on the head and face.

Wet one washcloth and squeeze on the Baby Shampoo BEFORE you put puppy in the bath. Set it aside. Fill the bins with about 1” of warmish water. Squeeze the shampoo into one and conditioner into the other. Mix before putting puppy into the water. Proceed by placing puppy in shampoo side, wetting the puppy and washing the face first, taking care to hold the ears down and protect the ear canals while soaping and rinsing. Then clean off the paws and potty area. Rinse and place in conditioner bin. Massage in conditioner. Rinse, wrap your puppy in a towel, and hang out for a few minutes.

Really young puppies can air dry. When you do dry, use a hair dryer set on low temp and low speed. I like to use a little snood over the ears while I’m drying. You will get the hang of it and so will puppy. I will work with the puppies with the dryer on a grooming table so they will be accustomed to this process before you take them home, but this is a process and it could take a while.

You can give a puppy a simple bum and potty area wash without a full bath when you notice they are dirty.

As puppy grows, you can begin to space out the baths until you are at 1 to 2 week intervals.

Shampoo choices: Havanese coats vary so you may have to try several products to find the appropriate one for your puppy. You want to keep a clean, well-conditioned coat. The following suggestions are for dogs with short coats.

Hello Bello for face and head.

Best Shot Ultra Wash Shampoo and Best Shot Ultra Plenish. Best Shot is mixed with water, so a 16 oz bottle goes a very long way.

Earth Balance Oatmeal and Almond Shampoo and Conditioner

Chris Christianson Fair Advantage Shampoo and Conditioner in one.

IGroom Shampoo for Drop coat dogs and separate leave-in conditioner - I use these products on my show dog. They are expensive, but suit her coat. 

Toenails: Cat clippers are my favorite tool for puppies. As your dog grows, you can switch to Guillotine Dog nail clippers which are excellent. Millers Forge and Resco make these tools. Some people use Dremel tools with a diamond head, but I caught my dog’s hair in my Dremel tool and that was the last time I used it. 

Clip nails after bathing when the hair is wet and easy to move out of the way, and the nails have been softened in bath water. You can see where to clip on white nails; black nails are a mystery. I clip just a bit off, about as much as I took off the white nails – and don’t forget the dew claws above the inside of the front paws.  I have help holding my older Havanese for nail clipping. My younger dog tolerates it. Stand behind the dog and carefully lift the paw as you move the hair away. It’s not worth it to force a puppy to have ALL the nails clipped at once. My puppies will come to you having had their paws touched and nails clipped as part of their socialization, but just like with bathing, they may not like it at all. Be patient. If things get a bit crazy, just clip one paw and go back to it later. Crawling in the puppy pen while pups are exhausted and sleeping and trimmed nails works. Don’t let the nails go more than a week. If you don’t clip them the quick will grow longer and longer until the nails are uncomfortable for the dog.

If you cut into the quick of a nail, it will bleed just like a human nail. I bought a tiny container of styptic powder and have yet to use it. Use good judgement, clip less off, and clip more often. - Just remember to clip! Nails left too long too often will start to grow out the quick and cause problems walking.

Paw Pad Care: I use small rechargeable Andis clippers for in between the paw pads. It’s important to keep the pad area clean and as free of hair as possible.

Taking puppy to groomer. You’ll need a Bordetella vaccine!

You won’t need take puppy to the groomer until about 9 months of age. I suggest carefully picking a groomer through recommendations from friends and neighbors. I have seen so many pictures of ‘groomed’ Havanese that are butch cut almost to the skin with cropped ears and cut back tail. Not a pretty sight.  Once you find a groomer, take the puppy into the shop and let them meet the groomer, sniff around, get a treat, and stand on their table. Then leave. For the actual appointment take in a picture of a Havanese in a puppy cut that you like. When you do take in your puppy, know that most groomers will crate the dog until they get around to them. For our first Havanese, I found a groomer that took one dog at a time, which is much nicer for the dog. Ask that the tail and ears be left alone. You can trim the muzzle, but it’s nice to have the Havanese mustache, and once you trim it, it will have to be trimmed always. Also ask for the longest blade guard they can use, providing a longish puppy cut, usually 1 ½”.

(If you are interested in grooming yourself, I can help you gather the tools you need to care for your dog. It’s not that hard and if you make a mistake, the hair grows out and you try again.)

Teeth- Buy a soft human baby toothbrush. The finger cots are too big for a puppy’s mouth. I use Vribac CET Enzymatic Toothpaste several times a week. I also use coconut oil on the toothbrush. Hold the chin hair or moustache and gently brush the teeth. Neither of my dogs ‘like’ toothbrushing, but in the long run it will save them having to undergo multiple sessions of anesthesia for a teeth cleaning and/or tooth removal over their life span, if you stay up on their plaque formation and gum health. I found a Vet that will scale the teeth without anesthesia, and that is working well for us right now. Eventually I’ll have to have the full cleaning - It’s expensive.

Ears: Drop-eared breeds need to have their ears checked frequently. You can raise the ear leather and check for excess ear wax or hair build up.  The hair inside the canal should be removed. It doesn’t hurt the dog, just grab and remove. I use a cosmetic pad with pH-notix to clean the ear once a week. You can ask the vet or groomer to remove ear hair if you don’t want to do it yourself.

Check for a smell when you clean the ears; ear infections can come on quickly and need to be addressed right away by the Vet.

Teething: At about 16 weeks puppy will begin losing baby teeth and adult teeth will be pushing through the gums. Puppies will chew and chew and chew while teething. Store healthy foods in the freezer to offer, like carrot sticks or apple slices.

The small size Kong toys filled with a bit of yogurt or peanut butter and frozen work well. (Make sure your peanut butter contains only nuts and salt. Xylitol is toxic for dogs and can be an additive in cheap PB. Sugar is unnecessary.) Keep the freezer stocked with items to offer so puppy doesn’t chew on your leather chair, woodwork, or favorite shoes.

In small dogs, puppy teeth aren’t always pushed out by the incoming adult teeth, and puppies can require the help of a veterinary dentist to pull puppy teeth so that adult teeth come in correctly. Watch for this and don’t let the situation get out of hand.

Training classes:  We would certainly hope that you would take your new puppy to training classes. All puppies should have certain skills that will help them stay safe. While the puppies are with us, we will start them on leash training and other life skills. But, these will have to be built upon with training classes. Please check out the teachers before enrolling. We want puppy to have a pleasant experience in class.

* We have had a lot of fun in our obedience classes. Our breeding girl is in Conformation class regularly and Rally classes. Our Red girl is trained as a therapy dog. There are all sorts of fun things to do with your dog and a whole community of lovely people to get to know and hang out with.

Look for classes that use only positive reinforcement, for training and for correction. Young puppies are surprisingly fast learners and there really is no need to ‘correct’ them with our negative actions.  Redirection is the best way to move puppy away from poor behavior. In particular, young puppies under 6 months old can be scarred for life by a scary event. Be your puppies advocate and protector.