The Tips Have Moved in Their Entirety

Click here http://talemakerhavanese.com/ and you will see our new site. I have updated the blogs - All About Our Dogs and Talemaker Puppy Life. From now on everything will all be on a complete web site, including the daily blogs.

The tips themselves will be found on the new web site in one of the top menus. We will be leaving this place up for 6 months to allow you to find us but we won't be updating anything here. You'll have to look for new tips there at http://www.talemakerhavanese.com/ and we promise not to disappoint.

We also did a Havanese video - a videographer we are not but hopefully it will give you tips to help you with your Havanese. We will be adding new ones as we find the time.

We hope you join us and enjoy how we were able to spread out a bit.

Havanese Cotton Coat Care

Shoshi is our heart dog but she not only has a cottony coat but a thick, dense coat. It makes coat care difficult.

But I have learned a few things over the number of years of attempting to keep her knot free. I admit, I was at first frustrated, even shed a few tears but she did me the biggest favour. I soon learned that if I perfected my techniques on her, then the rest would be easy.

Unfortunately, no one had any real tips on Havanese coat care of the cotton type but cotton coats in the Havanese do exist. Thankfully none of my other dogs have her coat but if they did, I now know I could care for them.

I think I tried all the products, tools and much time in a state of frustration.

Here are some of the things I tried.

1. I cut her coat short. It helped but still knotted - just shorter coat to unknot. I didn't like the look on her.

2. I used thinning shears to cut away from the skin and into the knot to break up the mats making it easier and it thinned out her coat.

3. I pulled the mats apart and either used my hands or a corner of a comb to break up the knot.

4. I tried every grooming spray out there.

5. I thinned out her coat. That actually did help but didn't last. As soon as the new hair came in, I had knots near the skin. arrgh.

6. I used a slicker. Yes, that works too but you fry the hair making it a frizzy, broken mess. But a good quality slicker can help you break up a knot if done right. I am not a fan of slickers except on rare occasions on feet as feet get cut and therefore the ends aren't broken to an extreme.

So, what does work?

Well, technique does get perfected the longer you keep at it and I can take a mat apart rather fast but Shoshi rarely has knots. Did her hair suddenly get better or did I perfect my skill or did I find a magic product? It's a little of both.

I do brush and comb all layers of Shoshi's hair most days. Some think they are combing all layers but they are just getting the top layer. I did notice that even missing a day that I am rarely finding a knot.

I did learn that a clean coat knots less. What is a clean coat? When it starts knotting, I know it is time. Usually that is 7 to 10 days for Shoshi.

I also cut the hair under the arms and on the tummy to minimize grooming. Even a tummy cut a half of a inch is better than long coat and you don't see it. This can even be done on show dogs.

I also learned that a coated cuticle if done evenly knots less. Too much product and you get knots. So, how do you distribute a grooming spray evenly?

I bathe my dogs with 2 shampoos. It sounds a bit excessive but my first is a brightener and the second is a reconstruction or nutrient filled shampoo. Then I use a good quality conditioner and the key is to distribute evenly. If you do not have a Bathing Beauty like I do, you use a hair colouring bottle/mixing bottle. You put your conditioner in it and you shake and distribute and gently pull the conditioner from the roots to the ends. Lift up all layers and make sure every part gets coated. If you do it right, by the time you finish the entire body, you can start rinsing the section you first started adding conditioner to. Rinse thoroughly.

Are you done? NO

Now you need to add a finish to the coat - a grooming spray watered down half and half or less. You have to play to see what works for each coat. I use Show Sheen or Summerwinds Fine-l-Shine or Laser Lites Silk. If I use Show Sheen, which is the cheapest of the bunch, I put in a half of a cup of Show Sheen to 2 cups of water. I distribute it with my Bathing Beauty but you can use the mixing bottle method. I lightly rinse, if at all. Or you can spray it section by section (a bit more tedious) and then comb it through without rinsing while in the sink. The affect you are seeking is a coated cuticle.

When you spray it through you use less product but get less coverage and less of an affect. That's the idea of mixing it with water as you tend to saturate more without the buildup.

Okay but that gets the coat wetter and increases drying time. You still pat them down so not really.

Do you still use grooming spray while drying? I brush and comb the coat till it is dry. If it isn't smooth and silky when dry, I add some spray and lightly dry it in. If your coat is not silky to the feel when dry, you didn't use enough grooming spray in the mix. You still have the opportunity to spray section by section, parting the hair, spraying and using a brush similar to a Mason Pearson to distribute evenly. This takes more time as you have to part and spray and brush but it does work and it will save you from getting knots.

I use grooming spray daily and still her coat lasts about 10 days. It feels to die for and it really doesn't knot.

Sure daily combing and brushing thoroughly stops that but with a cotton coat, usually it's not enough and it wasn't for Shoshi. She knotted to touch and don't talk to me about that once in a lifetime blowing coat stage. I cried through that!

If you do not want to use the mixing bottle method, get the coat mostly dry, and use the part, spray and brush method. But I warn you, Show Sheen can be slippery on floors and you best watch out. People have been known to fall straight on their ahems. That is why I prefer the 'in sink' method. That slippery feel is what coats that cuticle keeping it slippery enough to not stick together.

If I use Show Sheen at bath time, I do not use it again all week. I use another grooming spray. Too much Show Sheen will create knots and give a heavy, gummy feel. Use it strictly at bath time and use any other daily grooming spray. I have my faves but that will eliminate the buildup, increasing the time between baths.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions.

Havanese Grooming Tips

This is a video put on by Pure Paws. One of my fave shampoo lines next to Isle of Dogs.

I do not agree with everything he does especially on a show dog one shouldn't snip around the eyes but watch and gain some idea how to get that wonderful coat.

Yes, I wash twice too. I do not trim around the eyes as it can create more issues with leakage and I don't like the look.

I also like having the dogs looking more smooth for the finishing nor will I tease the hair but instead will use All Systems invisible hold instead in a way not to give it hat hair.

I also won't hair spray - as Havanese are supposed to feel natural and that hairspray, although I own it and tried to use it - well it doesn't feel natural in the least. Teasing also breaks the hair and head and tail hair seems to grow SLOWLY. Still this gives you an idea of the rest and I do all the steps too but I use a bathing beauty to evenly distribute the shampoo and conditioner. I also have a few other tricks that work for me.



If you are interested in a book that will help you explore grooming further, check out Nose to Tail. It's an excellent book but use the info to glean ideas and make them your own. You will eventually figure out what works for you, hopefully not after making all the mistakes I did. :-) When I started out, no one was willing to help me learn so it was trial and error and boy what a learning curve that was. Plus no book existed to offer you grooming tips for the Havanese.

If you have any questions, just ask.

Better Quality Equals Less Mess

To get your dawg the healthiest he can be, consider feeding him a high quality natural dog food that is typically found at a specialty pet store.

Because these foods have less preservatives and fillers, your pet will excrete less waste. That makes clean-up quicker and easier. Your canine will enjoy a healthier, more nutritious diet and you have less mess to deal with!

To find out where your food rates, check these reviews out.

Here are some signs your dog is thriving on well-balanced, nutritious dog food:

1. A shiny coat and healthy skin If your dog has a dull, dry and brittle coat with flaking skin, diet could be to blame. Stress can also be a factor. Look for omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in dog food. Your pet needs these essential fats. Flaky skin could be a sign of a zinc deficiency, a problem with home-cooked diets. Consider adding a bit of wild salmon oil.

2. If your dawg poops more than twice a day, that’s an indication your dawgs food might not contain enough protein in forms it can use.

3. A resilient immune system Vitamin E and antioxidants will help your dog stave off illness, building its immune system. Research has found that a diet rich in antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, improves immune system responses. This is particularly important as your dog ages, since a dog’s ability to fight illnesses weakens as it grows older.

4. Calcium and vitamin D make for strong bones in your dawg, just as they do for you. Dawg owners who simply feed their dawg meat, rather than a well-balanced food, run the risk of their pet suffering soft bones, resulting in fractures, experts say. A well-balanced dawg food will include all such essential nutrients.

5. Your dog’s teeth should be strong and white, with healthy, pink gums covering the roots. If you notice a reddening of the gums, a buildup of tartar on the teeth or bad breath, it can indicate dental problems. Some dry foods and dog treats are designed to slow the progress of dental disease, so look for products that specifically mention dental care or tartar-fighting properties. You should be brushing daily or using a product that helps reduce tartar.

6. Great figures aren’t just for movie stars. Your dog should maintain good muscle tone. Obese dogs have lost the tucked up appearance just after the ribcage, when viewed from the side. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs but not see them. If your dog is eating a lot but looks too thin, you’re probably not feeding a high-quality dog food.

7. A well-balanced, complete dog food will include protein, calcium, amino acids, fatty acids, potassium and sodium to promote heart health.

Start looking at that label.

Grooming Conditioning

It's important to condition your dawg to grooming. It can be as simple as sitting watching TV and brushing a section at a time. Make it a fun experience but don't let your dawg control the experience.

The first time you groom him you may have to hold him firmly in place and go one section at a time. Look in his ears, open his mouth, play around with his toes and tummy. Get him used to the experience.

Training: Why Bother?

Training Builds Confidence

If a dog is using growling, snapping or even biting the air or contact, your dawg most likely lacks confidence. He needs to be confident enough to know you can and will handle any unforeseen circumstances.

A dog that is trained is welcomed in many environments. This allows you greater freedom for both of you.

Education is key but instead of spending all your time fixing what is wrong, be sure to set your dawg up to achieve. It's simply not fair to correct a dawg unless he's learned what is right. Balance is key. In example do not leave food out on the table unless you are willing to train him to 'leave it.' The answer is to educate him in what you expect and reward, reward and reward when he does. Always try to end a training session with a positive that he can reach and leave something he didn't achieve till the next day to try it again.

If a dawg keeps doing something, it means he finds it rewarding in some way.

Don't make lessons harder till easier stages are mastered. It is usually easier to do training in steps.

Why train? Your dawg is what you put into it. You can have an amazing dawg. It just takes time and reinforcement and what you get with training is a well behaved dawg that everyone loves.

It's worth the effort...believe me!

Building Trust

If you want your dawg to behave appropriately, you must define what is appropriate not your dawg.

That sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo but it isn't.

Think of it this way. You like your dawg to jump up on you. Then suddenly you put a dress on with nylons and that cutie pie jumps on you and rips your nylons. It's your last pair of nylons and you have an important interview.

Suddenly it's not so cute any longer.

To be fair, your dawg can't distinguish between your grungy pants and your nylons. You are still you and you allowed it YESTERDAY.

You need to teach your dawg to jump up on invitation not when he decides to. This way when Aunt Myrtle comes over and she isn't crazy about dawgs, yours will act appropriately.

Rules, Boundaries and Limitations...

Be consistent always. Protect your dawg from unsafe situations. Do not coddle or you will reinforce their fears. But instead be there to redirect. Build his confidence from slow conditioning. It works..really!

Give him the tools to help him deal with the world. You will be glad you did!
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We are filling you in with tips daily till we have puppy news with preggie dawgs and then we will go back to making this the maternity area of information.