puppies Archives - Page 16 of 25 - Carneys Havanese Haven

Already nostalgiac

September 1, 2012 by Jacqueline Carney Leave a Comment

Okay, only three puppies have left and already I got tears in my eyes looking at this video I took when they were less than two weeks old. Thought you’d enjoy it too!

Wonder if anyone can tell who’s who?

Phoebe’s Pups Personality Profiles

August 31, 2012 by Jacqueline Carney 1 Comment

Just a quick announcement that Phoebe’s pups assessments are up on my website. It has been very busy with two families picking up pups today and one tomorrow so I will try to get some more posts after the holiday.

You can see the personality profiles of Phoebe’s pups at: https://www.carneyshaven.com/CarneysKennel/Puppy_Blog!/Puppy_Blog!.html

Tools of the Trade

August 21, 2012 by Jacqueline Carney 4 Comments

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.

Oh The People You’ll Meet…

August 20, 2012 by Jacqueline Carney 2 Comments

Took 3 of the “kids” to the Farmer’s Market yesterday. They learned how to walk with a harness and leash. They will also benefit hugely from this exposure. It is a real confidence booster because everyone LOVES them! We will be doing this exercise with all the puppies. Of course, we never made it to any produce stands! The puppies were real show stoppers.

One of the first persons we encountered could not get enough of Jefferson.

“I want to take him home!”

And then she met Georgie.

Puppy kisses.

Jefferson climbing into her purse!

Jefferson and Sparky were a hit with this woman as well.

Jefferson meeting another dog.

Georgie is not so sure about this Golden

But he got his bravery on.

Then there were more dogs.

And even more.

Someone taking Sparky’s picture. Note the two dogs in the foreground.

Sparky learning to negotiate a curb. That’s my daughter Jenny encouraging him.

And…he made it!

Here he is getting lots of praise for his bravery.

Jefferson chilling out in the grass. Below is a video of the day.

Volhard Puppy Personality Profile

August 17, 2012 by Jacqueline Carney 6 Comments

Okay, This is a long post but some of you may be interested in what goes into evaluating the personalities of each puppy. What follows is a modification of the Volhard Puppy Personality Profile. I have just posted my evaluations of each of Maxi’s puppies based on their test results which were performed by me and my friend Lori who is a longtime dog walker and sitter. The pups don’t know her which makes the test a bit more authentic.

The profiles are posted on my website at https://www.carneyshaven.com. Go to the “Puppy Blog” section and click on your favorite puppy for details. I hope to add photos to each puppy’s page in the next couple weeks.

A couple things to remember. This test is for all breeds including such German shepherds, Basenjis and other typically protective/ agressive breeds. Several of the criteria, then, have little to do with our sweet, friendly and happy-happy Havanese! Also, no dog falls crisply into any single category. Like people, they have a variation of the theme which makes them unique. Finally, this is an extremely interpretive and subjective test. If you have any questions about the results for a particular puppy please don’t hesitate to drop me a note.

Again I fully intended to take pictures of some of these tests but guess what? No pix! Maybe next time I’ll be more together. We’ll be testing Phoebe’s litter in about ten days.

Volhard Puppy Profile

Performed on the 45th Day of Age
by Jacqueline Carney, Carneys Havanese Haven

Puppy ________________________________________________ Sex: ________

Litter: ____________________________________________________ Date: ____________

PART I: PUPPY APTITUDE TEST

Test #1…SOCIAL ATTRACTION:
Purpose: To determine degree of social attraction, confidence or dependence.

Procedure:Place puppy in test area. From a few feet away the tester coaxes the pup to her/him by clapping hands

gently and kneeling down. Tester must coax in a direction away from the point

where it entered the testing area.

If the puppy… It’s score is:

-Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands. 1 point

-Came readily, tail up, pawed, licked at hands. 2 points

-Came readily, tail up. 3 points

-Came readily, tail down 4 points

-Came hesitantly, tail down. 5 points

-Didn’t come at all. 6 points

Test #2…FOLLOWING:
Purpose: Degree of following attraction. Not following indicates independence.

Procedure:Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk away.

Score:

-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot, bit at feet. 1

-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot. 2

-Followed readily, tail up 3

-Followed readily, tail down. 4

-Followed hesitantly, tail down. 5

-No follow or went away. 6

Test #3…RESTRAINT:
Purpose: To determine degree of dominant or submissive tendency.

How it accepts stress when socially/ physically dominated.

Procedure:Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30 seconds.

Score:

-Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit. 1

-Struggled fiercely, flailed. 2

-Settled, struggled, settled with some eye contact. 3

-Struggled then settled. 4

-No struggle. 5

-No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact. 6

Test #4…SOCIAL DOMINANCE:
Purpose: To determine degree of acceptance of social dominance. Pup may try to dominate by

jumping and nipping or is independent and walks away.

Procedure: Let pup standup and gently stroke him from the head to back while
you crouch beside him. Continue stroking until a recognizable behavior is established.

Score:

-Jumped, pawed, bit, growled. 1

-Jumped, pawed. 2

-Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick face. 3

-Squirmed, licked at hands. 4

-Rolled over, licked at hands. 5

-Went away and stayed away. 6

Test #5…ELEVATION DOMINANCE:
Purpose: To determine degree of accepting dominance while in position of no control.

Procedure:Bend over and cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, palms up and elevate it just off the ground. Hold it there for 30 seconds.

Score:

-Struggled fiercely, bit, growled. 1

-Struggled fiercely. 2

-No struggle, relaxed 3

-Struggled, settled, licked 4

-No struggle, licked at hands. 5

-No struggle, froze. 6

PART II: OBEDIENCE APTITUDE TESTS

Test #6…RETRIEVING:
Purpose: To determine degree of willingness to work with a human.

High correlation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs.

Procedure:Crouch beside pup and attract his attention with crumpled up paper ball. When the pup shows interest and is watching, toss the object 4-6 feet in front of pup.

Score:

-Chases object, picks up object and runs away. 1

-Chases object, stands over object, does not return 2

-Chases object and returns with object to tester. 3

-Chases object and returns without object to tester. 4

-Starts to chase object, loses interest. 5

-Does not chase object. 6

Test #7…TOUCH SENSITIVITY:
Purpose: To determine degree of sensitivity to touch.

Procedure: Take puppy’s webbing of one front foot and press between

*finger and thumb lightly then more firmly till you get a response, while you count slowly to 10. Stop as soon as puppy pulls away, or shows discomfort.*Do NOT use fingernail. Important note from Wendy Volhard regarding the Touch Sensitivity test – Do not use your fingernail when performing this test. Press between the finger and thumb lightly then more firmly until you get response.

Score:

-8-10 counts before response. 1

-6-7 counts before response. 2

-5-6 counts before response. 3

-2-4 counts before response. 4

-1-2 counts before response. 5

Test #8…SOUND SENSITIVITY:
Procedure:Place pup in the center of area, tester or assistant makes a sharp

noise a few feet from the puppy. A large metal spoon struck sharply on a metal pan twice works well.

Purpose:To determine degree of sensitivity to sound. (Also can be a rudimentary test for deafness.)

Score:

-Listens, locates sound, walks toward it barking 1

Listens, locates sound, barks 2

Listens, locates sound, shows curiosity and walks toward it. 3

Listens, locates sound 4

Cringes, backs off , hides 5

Ignores sound, shows no curiosity 6

Test #9…SIGHT SENSITIVITY:

Procedure: Place pup in center of room. Tie a string around a large towel and jerk it across the floor a few feet away from puppy.

Purpose: To determine degree of intelligent response to strange object.

Score:

-Looks, attacks and bites 1

-Looks, attacks and barks 2

-Looks curiously, attempts to investigate. 3

-Looks, barks, tail tucked 4

-Runs away, hides 5

Interpreting the Scores

Mostly 1’s A puppy that consistently scores a 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive puppy who can easily be provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist human leadership, thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard or police dog.
Mostly 2’s This pup is dominant and self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however he readily accepts human leadership that is firm, consistent and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for a tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become a fine working or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know what they are doing.
Mostly 3’s This pup is outgoing and friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of environment, provided he is handled correctly. May be too much dog for a family with small children or an elderly couple who are sedentary.
Mostly 4’s A pup that scores a majority of 4’s is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train, reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high-quality family pet. He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3’s, but his demeanor is gentle and affectionate.
Mostly 5’s This is a pup who is extremely submissive and lacking in self-confidence. He bonds very closely with his owner and requires regular companionship and encouragement to bring him out of himself. If handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not overly demanding, such as an elderly couple.
Mostly 6’s A puppy that scores 6 consistently is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship. In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way; however there are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong attachments to their owner.