Volhard Puppy Personality/Aptitude Testing

Yesterday my friend/dog-sitter extraordinaire came over the help me conduct our Puppy Personality Assessments. You need someone the puppies do not know in order to get an accurate read. If you are interested in the test itself, how it is conducted and what the results mean, you can find it in this blog at: http://www.havanesehaven.blogspot.com/2012/08/volhard-puppy-personality-profile.html.

Each puppy is tested separately. The only difference this time is that I eliminated a few tests. The ones we performed were for:
1. Sociability
2. Following
3. Acceptance of Restraint
4. Acceptance of Dominance
5. Elevation Test
6. Retrieving
7. Sound Sensitivity and
8. Sight Sensitivity

I should also mention that this test was originally created to test dogs for the military. The Leader Dogs people also use a version of it to select their puppies. Much of the results do not apply to Havanese. For instance, some of the possible reactions by the puppies are biting, growling, etc. Havanese just don’t have these reactions in their make-up! They are lovers….not fighters!
Still, we glean some insight into each puppy when we conduct the test. So here we gol

Annie
Annie scored many 3’s which means she is pretty outgoing, friendly and flexible. She did score low on the Elevation test (a 2) as she struggled, stiffened and cried loudly. Then, she accepted restraint (being held on her back for 30 seconds) without any protest and watched Lori the whole time. And as for Sociability and Following, Annie did not come or follow readily mainly because she was too busy exploring! I don’t think it had anything to do with being anti-social.


Alvin
Alvin scored mostly 5’s which likely means he quite submissive and perhaps needing in the self-confidence department. He did come readily to Lori when she called him, so he is very responsive to people. And he had no problem accepting dominance. When restrained he was relaxed and looked about the room, then making eye contact with Lori. And, along with Arthur, he was slightly more upset about the loud bangs on the pasta pot than the others. He will do best, then, in a structured, patient home with a predictable schedule.

Abby

Abby, like Annie, was not at all interested in coming to Lori but preferred to check out her unfamiliar surroundings. She did, however, follow Lori readily as she walked away. When restrained on her back she did not struggle but she did not make eye contact either…a very submissive gesture. All in all, though, Abby will be quite friendly and will adjust well with regular training and attention.

Arthur
Arthur was another puppy that liked to explore rather than make new friends. He didn’t even have much interest in following Lori. He accepted restraint well, had no issues with being held elevated and was pretty nonchalant about the retrieving and sight sensitivity.The loud banging on the pasta pot did bother him more than it did the others as he hid for cover under a stool! (My bad on an earlier report that this did not bother Arthur. I had my notes mixed up!)

Alfi

Alfi came to Lori right away but didn’t follow her. Instead she checked out other parts of the room.
She was one of the pups who did not like being restrained at all…a sign of a slightly more dominant personality. Funny since she has the most placid appearance! On the other hand, the elevation test did not rile her at all. And, she was one of the puppies who went after the balled up paper in a playful gesture. Then she walked away from it.

Ariel
Ariel did not come to Lori for a while and did not follow her either. Actually we think she mostly wanted to nap! She had no trouble with the restraint exercise. Nor did she make any eye contact. She loved being petted during the Dominance exercise and was totally relaxed for the Elevation test. She should be reliable with children, will be easily controlled and may be a bit less outgoing than some of the others but still gentle and affectionate.

Albert
Albert, with the exception of Retrieving and Sound Sensitivity, scored all 3’s. Pretty even keeled.He will likely be outgoing, friendly and respond well to structure. He will adapt well and should be easy to train.

Aloha 
Aloha is our explorer extraordinaire. I think she’d explore her way to Alaska if offered the chance! But, when Lori walked away Aloha followed her readily. During the Dominance exercise she licked Lori’s t-shirt and when Lori tossed the paper ball Aloha just licked Lori’s shoes! Aloha, however, did not like the elevation test one bit. She struggled and cried which makes me think she doesn’t like to be out of her comfort zone.

I should add to this assessment that all these puppies did warm up to Lori quickly…some just not right out of the chute! It is no surprise that they cared little about restraint, dominance or elevation. It’s in their nature to be calm under most circumstances. That they don’t readily retrieve the balled up paper was not a surprise either. They aren’t retrievers! However, they will retrieve a ball if you make a game of it with them and play it consistently while they are still puppies. They love a good game!

With the exception of Arthur and Alvin, none of the puppies seemed to bothered by the loud pot banging sound. Alvin was slightly more disturbed and Arthur cringed and actually tried to hide but the others simply noted the sound and where it came from then went about their business of sniffing.

All these puppies are well within the range of well-adjusted, confident and adaptable puppies. There is not a mediocre one in the bunch! It is so much fun to watch their little personalities develop. If you have any further questions about any of them, please drop me a note.

First Day for Mush and Pedicures

Here they are. You can’t even see their dish. It does, however, give a great view of their coloring. So, from 1 o’clock and going around the clock, we have: Arthur, Ariel, Abby, Aloha, Alfi, Albert, Annie and Alvin.

Puppies had their first non-Maxi meal today. I waited a week longer than I usually do because Maxi seems to be keeping her weight on and my breeder friends believe it gives the puppies a better start. But, were they ever ready for mushy kibble today! They just scarfed it down. I hadn’t even warmed it up or mixed it with goat’s milk.

They also got their first pedicure. Their tiny nails are so sharp, I just know it’s painful for Maxi when they nurse. I’m sure she will be very grateful. I’ll give them a weekly pedicure now so that by the time they go to their new homes they will be very accustomed to the weird feeling procedure.

Finally, they all got a dose of Nemex-2, which is for routine de-worming. They’ll all have a fecal exam when they visit the vet in 2 weeks to confirm that they are clean. Fortunately

Havanese Puppy Photo Updates

Our little Havanese puppies are really playing together now. This is the beginning of their socialization…a very important phase and so much fun to watch.

I hope I have the names straight, though! They are 4 weeks old now and about to start on real dog food. They all need pedicures and will be moving soon into their “Big Puppy” pen!

Abby

Albert & Abby

Albert and Abby

Albert, Abby & Ariel

Albert, Abby, Ariel & Arthur

Aloha & Alvin

Arthur & Alfi

Arthur & Alfi Again

Arthur & Alvin

Arthur & Alvin

Arthur & Alvin

Arthur & Alvin

Ariel & Anni

Ariel & Anni Again

Ariel, Aloha and Alvin

Ariel

What A Beautiful World It Is!

Nearly all the puppies’ eyes are open now. A pretty translusent blue….like a Northern lake just after a spring rain. While they can’t distinguish much besides shadows at this point it must give them a whole new perspective and certainly more reason to explore their whelping box.

They still spend all their time with Maxi. Don’t seem to be nursing quite as much but still gaining beautifully. The first three weeks are the easiest for the breeder as the mother does all the cleanup! In another week or so they will begin eating mush in between meals with mom. That’s when the real work begins.

Still I love this stage because they are beginning to stand on their wobbly legs and make lots of protest yips. Such a sweet sound.

My daughter Jenny stopped by this morning to help me take some photos. Here they are with new weights.

Maxi wasn’t so sure about all this so we had to reassure her we’d take good care of her babies while they were out of the whelping box! This is Puppy 1

Puppy 1 again. Black and white with one spot on her side that you can see below. She now weighs 13 7/8 ounces

Puppy 2 is also black and white. His eyes are wide open and he’s developing some more silver on his face. Sweet markings! He weighs 12 1/8 ounces. You can see his markings below.

Puppy 3 is very sweet. Eyes almost wide open. She is getting more black on her nose and some brown cheeks and eyebrows. Weighs 11 7/8 ounces.

This is our little Irish Pied boy. Lots of black markings. Weighs 13 1/2 ounces.

Puppy #5 is our smallest one but still very healthy and strong. I expect her eyes to begin to open tomorrow. She is a soft sable and white girl that now weighs 9 3/8 ounces.

Puppy #6 is a sable and white with a beautiful face and four distinct spots on her back. Her eyes are almost open wide and she weighs 12 5/8 ounces. You can see more of her markings below.

Puppy seven has his eyes open. He’s black and white with two large patches on his back. He weighs 12 1/4 ounces. You can see his sweet face below.

And puppy #8 seems to be getting more white on her face. I love the white tip on her right ear! She is sable and white and has a patch on her back as well. She weighs 10 1/2 ounces.

Nine days old!

Pups are gaining by leaps and bounds! Their noses are beginning to blacken and they are pretty mobile though they don’t quite get up on their wobbly legs yet. Here are some photos. No names yet and some are not the greatest pix but I’ll bring out my good camera for the next ones. I’m giving you their coloring and weights as well though it has little bearing on their final size, I’ve learned.

Puppy #1 is a female. Weighs 11 3/4 ounces. She has a small black spot on her side that you can see better in the group photo below.

Puppy #2 is a black and white male. Weighs 10 1/4 ounces

Puppy #3 is a black and white female. Weighs 11.5 ounces.

Puppy #4 is a male Irish Pied. He weighs 11 ounces.

Puppy #5 is a tan and white female. She’s 7.5 ounces but strong as ever!

Puppy #6 is a female with sable and white coloring. She weighs 10 5/8 ounces.

Puppy #7 is a male, black and white. He weighs 10 ounces

Puppy #8 is a female with sable/white coloring. She weighs 8 7/8 ounces.

Yes, they are all in here, nursing to their heart’s content. You can see the spot here on the middle one, Puppy #1.