Grooming Tips

Puppy Pedicures

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This clipper is by Safety 1st but there are a bunch on the market.

Here you can see the two ‘headlights’ positioned on either side of the clipper.

Clipper in the ‘on’ position.

I trim my puppys’ nails about once a week. Like everything else about them, their nails grow very quickly. They can present painful nursing sessions for their moms nipple area so I try to keep them as short as possible.

The other benefit of trimming their nails this often is that they get accustomed to the process. Ideally I don’t trim too close but if I do, I always have a jar of styptic powder nearby to dab on the offended toe with a q-tip.

Just FYI, this is the nail clipper I use. My daughter used it when my grandson Lucas was a baby. It is perfect until puppies are about 4 months old or so.

 

Update on Georgie (now Brutus)

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Hi Jacqui, hope you received my little video of Brutus. (It’s at the bottom of this post!)
I accidently touched the send button before I typed in the message. Just wanted to let you know how much he loves the blanket you sent home with him. My husband jokes that we should have called him Linus.

Michelle writes:
Brutus (Georgie) likes to be close to me, I was sitting at the table reading and he squeezed his little head between my foot and the bar on the chair and took a little nap.

On Sept. 9 Michelle wrote:
Brutus was not very happy when I blocked him from the big rocks. Thank you for letting me know about the dangers of jumping when they are pups. I was going to ask the vet tomorrow when we go for our first visit with his new vet. I don’t know why I didn’t thinly to ask you if it could harm him.

 With the photo below she wrote:  It was definitely meant for us to have the biggest and not the smallest puppy from the liter. This was snapped just before we had a discussion on why little boy can not touch my puppy unless the are sitting on the floor with Aunt Shell next to them.

Two very happy smiles. These are the shots that warm my heart. 
When Brutus is not napping on the vent (which we closed off so he won’t get sick from air blowing directly on him) he enjoys napping on his place mat.
 

Tools of the Trade

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Since many of you will be getting your puppies soon, these are some of the things I use to keep my babies nicely groomed. You certainly don’t need every one. Just wanted to show you what’s out there that works for a Havanese coat. In a day or so I will post some photos of puppy cuts on Havanese that I like. Some groomers haven’t a clue and your Havanese may wind up looking like a drowned rat!

 

 
For my puppies I use “Fresh ‘n’ Clean Tearless formula. For shampoo on my adult dogs I have, at the advice of my Florida handler Ginger Raber, been using Tresemme’ Naturals…shampoo and conditioner. As a spray on detangler after rinsing out the conditioner  I use Ice on Ice (that I do not rinse out). I buy it online in the concentrate that I mix into a spray bottle. Then, if your puppy tends to get tear stains you can use Four Paws Crystal Eye or Petco’s Tear Stain Remover. I put a small amount on a cotton ball to rub into the stain then rinse with water.

 

Steel combs. Don’t spare the cost here. If they are not steel they will corrode and catch on your Havanese’s coat. The fine one in the middle is a flea comb…not so much for fleas on our babies but great for their faces. Carefully, you can use it to brush out the eye goop that tends to gather from their tear ducts. The other two combs are for the coats. Good for getting out mats…you pull the mat apart with one finger and use the comb to edge out the tangles.
Nail trimmers. An infant’s nail scissors on the left which is perfect for little puppies. Then I graduate to the adult human trimmer on the bottom because I can see what I’m trimming. Finally, when their nails get full-size you’ll want a dog nail-trimmer. There are some nice ergonomic ones out there now.

 

Pin brushes are great for stimulating the skin and brushing out the top coat.

 

Slicker brushes will get out the fine undercoat. It is easier if you can part the coat and brush from the skin out. These are great because they don’t pull out much of the wonderful top coat.

BUT you have to be very careful you don’t scratch your pups skin with these brushes.

 

These are people bands…find them in the children’s hair departments of CVS, Target, Meijer, etc. They don’t pull out a lot of hair when you take them out. Actually, the ones in the middle I just cut out.

 

This is a new slicker brush I bought because of the curved head. Should make it easier on the dogs.
I posted this because these are on sale this week at Meijers. Two for one. Perfect size for our Havanese with a squeaker tail which they love.

 

A List of Puppy Supplies

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Equipment for Your Havanese Puppy
The first few days with a puppy are very special ones. Make sure the course is as smooth as possible. Here are a few things you may want to have on hand.
1. Carrier (to bring your puppy home)
                  If you plan to travel on an airplane with your Havanese it is wise to purchase a sturdy carrier that is airline approved and will fit under the seat of your airplane. Get a size that will be large enough for your puppy when he is full grown. Plan to spend about $30-50.
2. Harness and leash
                  Because a Havanese puppy is so small, I don’t recommend collars. The size harness you will want will be extra small (up to 4 pound pup) or small (4-8 pound pup).
3.  Crate.
                  I recommend the open wire crates with a removable floor (for cleaning) and a divider that will create a smaller space for sleeping until the pup is completely housebroken. A crate appropriate for a 15 pound dog is more than sufficient. Any larger gives the pup too much space inside.
4. Exercise Pen (X-pen)
                  The 8 panel, 30” tall, pen is fine. Some come with gates, some do not. Plan to spend about $40.
5. Food bowls.
                  Ceramic or stainless steel are best. Puppies will chew plastic ones. Smaller is good (5” max) as the older pup’s ears will likely land outside the bowl (and the food).
6. Food
                  Your puppy has been eating Organix Puppy Food (Whole Foods) and Wellness Super Mix Just for Puppy (most pet stores). They are used to three meals a day…about ¼ cup per meal. As adults I feed my dogs Fromm dog food. It is not as available but I buy it online and they deliver right to my door!
7. Toys
                  Puppies love toys! Lots of toys keep their interest away from furniture, cords and shoes! Tough rubber toys for teething are good, especially the small “Kong” toys you can stuff with yogurt and freeze. Squeaky toys are good too. Just don’t spend a lot on these squeaky toys as they pup will likely dismember it in a few weeks!
8. Piddle Pads
                  Your puppy is trained to use a piddle pad. I use the pale blue, plastic backed ones with 4 layers of newspaper on top. This seems to reduce the shredding motivation. As the pup matures you can eliminate the newspaper.
9. Piddle Pad Frame
                  You will also need the plastic piddle pad frame to hold the pads in place. I was lucky enough to find the adhesive backed pads at one point, which eliminated the need for the frame. I have not been able to find them lately though.If you plan to keep your piddle pad as a permanent place for pottying you can buy them online a lot cheaper…100 for $50.
10. Nail Clippers and Brush
                  Your puppy is used to having his nails trimmed. I do this to reduce their angst down the road. You can use a human nail clipper for now…the kind that clip from the side are good. Later you will need a regular dog nail trimmer. The mini slicker brush work best for general grooming. Again, he is used to this and it is a good idea to continue to brush him 2-3 times a week just for a few minutes so he is happier getting groomed as an adult.
11. 5-6” long Nylabones. Do not use rawhide chews for puppies and always supervise your puppy when he is chewing any kind of bones.
12. Natures Miracle spray. There are all kinds of sizes as well as special formulas for hardwood floors, laundry, etc. The best produce I’ve found for removing odors and stains.
13. Bathing supplies should include shampoo, conditioner and detangler. For the first two, I actually use Tresemee’ brand that you can find in most grocery and drug stores. For the detangler I use Christensen’s Ice on Ice Detangler which can be purchased online.