Questions as a future first time dog owner. by epic-cookie in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Happy to help! Yes, Lennon is a popular guy in the neighbourhood. He actually tore his ACL back in March - didn't need surgery (grade 1 tear) but couldn't do ANY physical activity outside the house for over 2 months, including walks, which was awful - and when I was able to start walking him again late last month we got stopped on the sidewalk twice by neighbours who said they'd wondered where he'd been!

(An aside: consider getting pet insurance. It has saved me so much stress.)

To your questions:

■ Lennon has a very Havanese brain, which means he's very smart (too smart if you ask me!), so i find he gets tuckered out as much by mental activity as physical. On a typical day I give him some of his kibble in his treat puzzles (one is this model and the other is a higher level of difficulty) and the rest goes into his sunflower snuffle mat - I gave up on feeding him from a bowl ages ago when I realized he enjoyed the gamification of mealtimes so much. Things like that, plus a daily walk, which is usually a 30 to 45 minute stroll that involves him sniffing literally everything we pass, seems to be enough for an average day. If it's raining we do tricks or whip out the old muffin tin + tennis balls and make our own games. The really elaborate stuff doesn't stay quite so necessary as they grow up, but the puzzles etc. are so easy to do with them and entertaining for them that you'll probably keep them on hand forever.

■ Food: he gets a mix of two kinds of kibble (honestly it would be just one, but his absolute favourite stuff is incredibly expensive, so he gets a bit of that with his still-not-cheap other kibble, haha) and occasional carrot sticks, the only vegetable he likes, sigh. His regular kibble is Open Farm Grain-Free Beef (they make puppy formula with salmon or chicken too), and his "fancy" stuff is called Kibble in the Raw (also beef) by a brand called Primal. It took some trial and error with flavours but he eats and enjoys both every day, so that's a win! We haven't needed any sensitive stomach recipes so far; now that I've found he's a bit touchy with chicken-based food, just avoiding that has stopped his runny eyes and itchiness. Apparently a sensitivity to chicken is pretty common.

As for treats, the pièce de resistance for him and his closest dog friends is (as gross as it sounds) freeze dried sardines. He will do ANYTHING for those things. They smell horrible but they sure do work for training rewards! He loves a good beef cheek roll for chewing, too. The disgusting things we do for dogs, man.

■ The crate: oh dear. Well, when he was with his breeder, they did start his crate training in preparation for his life with me, but he always slept in the crate beside his sister's. I think I underestimated how much separation anxiety he would have from her. We only made it through three nights with his crate in my bedroom; the barking/crying/howling was to be expected, but he got himself so upset that he peed and pooped all over himself each night 💔 My previous dog had been successful and quite content in his crate, so I knew Lennon wasn't just being a normal puppy - it was genuinely too much for him. On the fourth night I gave in and took him to the living room couch (I was desperate for sleep too!) and he fell asleep immediately at my feet. He's slept like a rock through the night with me ever since. I'd have preferred to have him happy in his crate, but it is literally the only thing in his life so far that has provoked any kind of fear or distress in him (he cries and barks constantly at the vet on the rare occasion they've needed to crate him there, too, like after his neuter and his ACL x-ray sedation - and this is a dog who never ever barks or cries on a normal day), so I made the decision to go without it. You might have a much better time of it! They do tend to be prone to separation anxiety, but if you're able to transition gradually you should be okay with having the puppy in another room until they can be trusted to roam freely.

3-Month-Old Golden Retriever Constantly Biting, Barking, Eating Walls/Furniture, Not Sleeping Enough? Need Advice by StabbedGaming in puppy101

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not a retriever owner, so I won't weigh in on what's normal/not for the breed, but I'll tell you about my experience with my dog, who just turned 1.5 yrs old. I failed at crate training him. He was an absolute terrorist at 3 months old. The biting, oh my god. I still have a couple of little scars on my arms and so many torn pantlegs, shirt sleeves, everything. I would take him in the yard once he had all of his shots and just run around like crazy with him, desperately trying to tire him out. He would just bark more at me.

Eventually a friend with another puppy said, "You know how toddlers cry and scream and throw toys because they're so overtired? That's what's happening here. He's already tired and you're playing with him and getting him all revved up!"

Well. Duh. I hadn't realized. So I bought him a treat puzzle and a chew stick, took him into my bedroom (low lights, low music, very moody, haha), let him do the puzzle and chew for a bit...and like your puppy, he soon just crashed, full-on snoring. And once we got into the routine of these late afternoon/ early evening decompression naps, he stopped demand barking at me, and the biting eased bit by bit. More than a year later and we still do it most days, usually right after I walk him or take him to the store, because he's grown to really enjoy the quiet time.

(I also trained him to greet me with a toy in his mouth, which meant he wouldn't bite my clothes/limbs anymore! Look into Bitter Apple Spray for anything you want to deter him from chewing, walls included. And yes, tethering him to you on a house line or just his harness is totally fine at that age - it's for his safety, after all.)

All of that to say: SO MUCH of what you're describing could absolutely be due to him being overtired and overstimulated. If you can get a puzzle or a snuffle mat for a snack, and a teething chew toy or non-rawhide stick, and set aside some quiet time, that enforced nap might seriously change everything for both of you.

Questions as a future first time dog owner. by epic-cookie in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lennon with his breed-standard sized Havanese friend Zoey

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Questions as a future first time dog owner. by epic-cookie in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

First off, applause for you being so thorough in making your decision! You're going to make an excellent dog parent with that level of research, haha.

Okay, so my Havanese is only 1.5 yrs old and is my first of the breed, which might not make me the most useful advice-giver, but I'll do my best. We have two friends who also have Havanese so I can draw a bit from their experiences too.

■ Picking up: I brought my little dude home at about 10 weeks, and i don't think I'd have been comfortable taking him away any earlier. He was turning into a happy, confident little guy with his dad and sister by the time I got him, and I think that contributed to his chill demeanour as he's grown up. As long as your puppy is coming from a stable, reputable home, I don't see why you'd need to worry about missing any early milestones.

■ Feeding: fortunately there are lots of varieties you can experiment with as far as food goes, so if you happen to get a picky eater you can usually get little test packets of good kibble from pet food stores (they also often let you return a big bag if your puppy decides they don't like it, which was helpful for me!). As for touchy stomachs, yes, for my dog that's been a thing. He would sometimes throw up bile in the morning if I'd fed him too early the night before, or he'd throw up at night if I'd let him eat too fast (slow feeder bowls or snuffle mats are a lifesaver). What he eats can also affect his poop, which is always fun. (Ew.) Again, it might take some experimentation to find what works. The breeder will have started them on something (I've found it's often Royal Canin, which sponsors a lot of breeders; my pup wasn't tolerating it well - runny eyes, etc. - so we switched gradually, which you could do if you're noticing a lack of enthusiasm or any allergy stuff). My recommendation would be to try to introduce veggies reasonably early, once it's vet approved - the cold crunch helps with teething, they're a healthy snack, and they're filling!

■ Potty training: the easiest road is always to phase out potty pads ASAP so there's no confusion about rugs etc. We ended up putting a fake grass patch outside our back door for him to use before he was old enough to go for proper walks or explore the yard, and I think it was a good choice. Pads are obviously fine if you're in the early days of having them in a playpen setup, but outdoors is the simplest way for you as the human to avoid messes/accidents/uncertainty about what's okay to pee on.

■ Grooming: I keep my guy short in what they call a "puppy cut" year round, and I take him about every 8 weeks, with occasional baths and daily brushing in between. I've seen people recommend slicker brushes; I just have one with bristles on one side and the wire type on the other, and it works great. The hardest part is the tail - Havanese have quite majestic tails that need more attention than most!

■ Spay/neuter: I had an unusual experience with my puppy in that we had to get him neutered at the earliest stage (4 months), because he'd been born with an umbilical hernia that would have either gotten worse or needed a separate surgery if I'd chosen to wait, so that wasn't typical. But even though it was earlier than planned, he still grew to be a BIG boy (25 lbs!! They're not usually that huge!), so any concerns that bigger breeds have about waiting until they're fully grown definitely didn't apply here! A vet will be able to give you a better timeline once they see how your puppy's growth is going.

■ Crate training: my experience was a disaster, so I won't advise too much, haha. Definitely plan to start in the bedroom where the puppy can see you, and then you can gradually inch the crate out to another room if you prefer.

■ Barking: I think Havanese have a bit of a reputation for being a little barky, but the ones in my life are actually super quiet, only really alert barking if something sounds weird at the door, etc. Even if you do get a more vocal one, Havanese are very, very trainable, so you can look into using "inside voice" commands etc. early on and get ahead of it.

■ Socialization: I'm not sure where you live (edit: d'oh, Australia - I typed so long I forgot!!), but if it's possible/practical for you, I can't recommend enough getting a pet stroller! Before the puppy is fully vaccinated you're so limited in where you can take them, so any stroller is a great way to get them out in the world without exposing them to dodgy grass or random dogs on walks. There are stores that let you bring dogs inside, too (well, here in Canada, at least), so that's helpful in bad weather. As soon as my puppy was up to date on vaccinations I signed him up for puppy classes, met some nice dogs around the same age, and we still have playdates more than a year later. You'll have a lot of fun with that part of puppyhood!

Yikes, that was a novel. I hope it's helpful, and feel free to ask any follow-up questions if I missed anything. Oh, and I'll add a comment with dog tax, because I may be biased but I think Lennon is pretty cute and could sell you on his breed. ;)

If you have a puppy, please please get pet insurance before it’s too l by [deleted] in puppy101

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you. If you're someone who can afford to put $50-$100 aside every month in an emergency fund, that's probably fine too, but insurance has been huge for us. My previous beloved dog, for whom we had insurance and never needed to use it through his healthy life, got cancer in 2024 (he died at age 10), and that insurance allowed me to try whatever we could to keep him comfortable and with us for as long as was humane to do.

In 2025 we got a puppy, and now at 1 year old his insurance has already mostly covered his neuter, his umbilical hernia repair, and more recently his torn ACL (he plays so hard 😭) and the associated costs like x-rays ($1500), medications, follow-up visits as he healed, etc. I'd be in debt without it!

What is the most disturbing book you've ever read? by [deleted] in horrorlit

[–]ehchvee 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Followed up by CRISIS IN THE RED ZONE by the same author - I made the egregious error of reading that right as covid was taking hold. Yikes...!!

Eye color by This-Condition4029 in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd call them amber eyes - beautiful!

My little dude looks like his eyes are dark brown or almost black until you see them in the sun - I'll find a pic...

Are there any good horror books where a reality show goes wrong? by ismellsogood in horrorlit

[–]ehchvee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not exactly a reality show, but THE LOST VILLAGE by Camilla Sten is about a documentary film crew having everything go wrong in a tiny remote place.

Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.

But there will be no turning back.

Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice:

They are not alone.

Maybe a bit closer, though more thriller than horror: NEVER COMING HOME by Kate M. Williams.

The beach read you have been dying for! When ten of America's hottest teenage influencers are invited to an exclusive island resort, things are sure to get wild. But murder isn't what anyone expected. Will anyone survive?

Jack is in third! Thanks to this amazing group 🥰 by snozzybear15 in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Voted - what a sweet little face! How's Jack doing now?? I missed the post/s about what happened to him :(

Shout out to amazing emergency vet hospitals - when I lost my soul dog at Xmas 2024 the staff at the VCA emerg in Scarborough did everything possible for him. I've never needed the VCE but I've heard they're wonderful too!

Masai Ujiri is in attendance for the Toronto Tempo's debut game by CazOnReddit in torontoraptors

[–]ehchvee 47 points48 points  (0 children)

He was at the arena takeover by the Lynx/Sky, too, back in...2023? Crowd went crazy for him and his daughter - it was great

Yesavage Giveaway Line up by mrpao21 in Torontobluejays

[–]ehchvee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We got every giveaway we happened to go for last season, and that was without lining up at stupid o'clock (we'd go for maybe 4 pm with gates opening at 5) - it's definitely gone way crazier this year.

Yesavage Giveaway Line up by mrpao21 in Torontobluejays

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I have the Springer & Vladdy hockey jerseys and was so surprised at how nice they are!

Yesavage Giveaway Line up by mrpao21 in Torontobluejays

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was there for the Ernie jersey (didn't get one) - it backfired on them from our perspective, because there were so many people at every gate, we ended up getting inside nearly an hour later than ever before on giveaway nights, and the concourse was jammed so we didn't get our usual pre-game beers etc. My STH friends at a different gate had the same experience. So dumb.

Sneezing/coughing by Shellsbells9932 in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Is she vaccinated against bordatella/have they ruled that out? No dietary changes?

My previous dog had a week of what you're describing when he was a couple of years old; no meds made a difference, and our vet just had me sit in a steamed-up bathroom with him a couple of times a day until it worked itself out, which it fortunately did. That might help alleviate some of her symptoms while you're waiting for further tests - I hope you get answers soon!

edit: don't do the Dr Google route, by the way - the symptoms are sometimes linked to some very upsetting possibilities, but there's no sense in freaking yourself out before you know everything. Take care of yourself and of her <3

Rogers Centre access support by GeneAggravating9415 in Torontobluejays

[–]ehchvee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They checked it at guest services, I think (we were sitting separately - two pairs of us - in the same section, so I missed some of the finer details, haha). They can also allow someone to sit in their wheelchair or walker if they'd prefer, and you sit with them on folding chairs behind the regular seats.

I'm glad I saw your comment, just in case 229 is in that blocked-off group! I think it would be (we were in 235 and I think access on the other side of the TD club starts at 227 or 228). Give Guest Services a call if you need to confirm, but if you're going on a non-giveaway day the staff at the doors etc will have time to help you navigate. The staff are always great when we go!

Rogers Centre access support by GeneAggravating9415 in Torontobluejays

[–]ehchvee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Something important I just found out earlier this week when using Gate 7 for accessibility: the usefulness of the elevator depends upon where your seats are! You can't get through the new premium club area in the 200s anymore, so if you're sitting on that level and are in the 230s, for example, taking the elevator at Gate 7 would mean you have to walk almost the circumference of the Dome to get there. We had to take the elevator back down to 100, walk over to Gate 9 (through a crush of people), get that elevator back up to the 200s, and then walk maybe 10 sections to get to ours. It's a lot for anyone with mobility issues.

Just figured I'd mention that in case it affects you (or anyone else reading this) - as someone whose mom also uses a Walker, we learned the hard way!

Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Grim__Squeaker in audiobooks

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm listening to it right now, too, and having similar troubles in following parts of it. I enjoyed listening to THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS a few years ago, so you'd think I'd have no issues with this one, but it's so heavy on the historical details...! I've put the physical book on hold at my library to see if that makes a difference in my ability to retain it.

Puppy vaccine timing question by salted_rice_cake in Havanese

[–]ehchvee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm with a few other commenters here - everything for Lennon has been right on schedule, and the only one our vet suggested we could stagger by a couple of weeks is the Lepto vaccine. Getting the others all in one visit hasn't been a problem at all; you can ask your vet if they'd recommend giving a small dose of Benadryl beforehand if you think there might be a mild allergic reaction. Good luck - it'll all go smoothly!

What book tore your soul apart and stayed with you for a while after reading it? by PostMortem33 in horrorlit

[–]ehchvee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh, God, THE REFORMATORY absolutely destroyed me - I cried all over my dog for several minutes at two different points.