Author: Jacqueline Carney

Big Weekend for the Puppies

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We had lots of new experiences this past weekend. Friday night we all got baths. What a hoot. If it wasn’t just me giving them I would have had photos. They did really well and smell so much better!

Saturday we learned all about the vacuum cleaner. They weren’t terrified but they were definitely aware that a very long snake was cleaning up around their x-pen. I videoed that one. I’m going to vacuum in the area again today and gauge their reactions. I can almost bet they will be more curious and less frightened.
Makes for a much easier transitioning.

We also had a visit from one of our adopting families who, conveniently, lives a block away!
Puppies were on the loose in my puppy room which is working out great this time around…open x-pens at both ends and in front of all the electrical outlets. I have a hardwood floor which helps with cleanup.
The puppies did really well in the poop department…always used the two pads I have in the room. We need a little more practice, though, in the pee department. Next week we will come out individually so I can gently monitor their disposal habits!

So much fun at six weeks.

Next week we get our first vet visit, shots and micro-chips.

Following week is the BAER hearing test. You can read about that earlier in this blog with photos from my last litter.

Time Usually Flies But….

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…this is ridiculous. The puppies are already 4 1/2 weeks old! That’s what holidays full of family, friends and Havanese will do to you!  They are growing…no surprise there. And this is the stage where their little personalities begin to surface. We have Rudolph, the independent one. Then there’s Dancer, who I thought was a cry baby until I realized he was just bored…probably the brightest one in the bunch the way he explores new toys. Angel is a little on the quiet side…so far, that is. And, Chilli is a rolly-poly  love muffin!

Fun!

Anyway this begins a difficult weak as I wean the puppies from their mother. They have been eating canned puppy food and goat’s milk for about ten days now but neither they nor their mother want to give up the nursing. I had to take Phoebe to be with me last night because she wakes up in the wee hours of the morning keening for her babies. A few more days and this will pass and they can romp and play together until they drop from exhaustion.

Just a few photos to update you.

Havanese Pups Getting So-o-o-o-o Big

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Because Phoebe had six puppies instead of eight, they are all much larger and stronger. Already they are sleeping for long periods…twenty minutes or so…between nursing. The smallest puppy in the litter was bigger than the largest one in the last.

I am calling them my Happy Holidays Litter and will select names along this theme. So far I like Carney’s Bells are Jingling, Carney’s Jolly Holly and Carney’s Joy to the World. If you have any suggestions let me know.

An Open Letter to Puppy Buyers

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Good morning,

The Havanese are a wonderful breed. They shed minimally and have no dander, which makes them ideal companions for people with allergies. They are terrific around children, love to play and love to cuddle. They are playful and fun to watch. They like to walk but their energy levels do not require it. A healthy Havanese will live for fourteen to sixteen years. 
Some of you have asked two very important questions and they are related. What about your pricing and what about Havanese health issues? I hope you will take a minute to read my lengthy but important explanation.
Because Havanese have become so popular they have attracted the attention of many kinds of breeders and, consequently, there is a very wide range of prices for Havanese puppies…$700 to $3000. The difference?
At the lower end of the scale are the breeders (many call the puppy mills) who breed a dog repeatedly until she literally drops. They do not test for genetic disorders and they typically breed many varieties of dogs. The puppies are raised in crates with little (if any) socialization with people and especially children. Their bedding is rarely changed so they are living in their own waste. Typically these breeders release their puppies at six weeks or younger because it cuts the breeders overhead by 25%! And typically they will ship their puppies as airfreight cargo to anyplace in the country (at your expense, of course).
What you usually get is a puppy that is adorable but may have any number of health issues, is not necessarily friendly (contrary to the Havanese’ natural personality), that is extremely difficult to potty train and who may be registered but not with AKC (the time-proven standard in canine registries). Because they have left their siblings at an early age they will not have learned to get along with other dogs.
At the higher end of the scale are breeders who are interested in producing puppies that will do well in the show ring. They will have gone though all the health and genetic testing. The optimum standard for genetic testing is the dog’s CHIC number. Assigned by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), this verifies that the dog has had its eyes tested, its hearing tested, and its skeletal structure tested for dysplasia. Because the dogs need to be close to two years old to have their bones accurately tested, this number will not be assigned to younger dogs–but the sire and dam should have them.
What you want to do, in any case, is visit the breeding facility where the puppies are raised. Meet at least one of the parents. Talk to the breeders. Play with the adults…they are the ones have lived there a long time. Are they friendly, happy, playful and sweet?
Pricewise, I fall in the middle. My puppies are $1900. They have all the health testing. The sire and dam have their CHIC numbers. They sleep in crates at night (which facilitates potty training) but they play freely in our indoor puppy room (off my kitchen and family rooms) all day long. Their bedding is changed many times a day and at four weeks they start to potty outdoors (yes even in the winter). 
They play with my adult children and with our neighborhood little ones many times a week. They go for walks in our downtown city park. I do not release my puppies until they are eight weeks old. I will not ship my puppies as airfreight cargo. They can go to their new home on an airplane but only under the seat of their new human. They come to their new homes with their first shots, de-wormed, a microchip identification number. They will be paper-trained which greatly simplifies the potty training process. You simply put the paper near the door they will be using to potty and the transition takes less than a week. 
I know this is a long, drawn out explanation but it is important people understand what they are getting. You are more than welcome to stop by and meet our Havanese family. The people who have already committed for a puppy are looking forward to visiting many times to get to know their puppy before it leaves here. That, again, is your choice. 
If you are interested in stopping by, please let me know. If you have any other questions you can reach me at 248-701-8187.
And be sure to check out my website and blog … addresses below. Thanks so much for your inquiry.
Jacqui Carney
http://havanesehaven.blogspot.com
https://www.carneyshaven.com