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June/July new owners

20K views 181 replies 19 participants last post by  swaye 
#1 ·
There are several of us that got our Hav's in June & July. All are about 10 - 14 weeks old now. I'm sure we're all going thru the same experiences, so let's share.

Kallie is 13 weeks. She's 5 lb 6 oz now. Has had her 2nd set of shots. She's quite a lively little girl. And I can tell when she hasn't gotten enough sleep throughout the day, she gets crazy & starts getting into things, testing us. I put her to bed & she goes right to sleep. Just like a toddler that needs a nap, gets cranky. Potty training is going pretty well. But I can tell she has more accidents on the weekends. I guess we're not quite as structured on weekends. Plus we had out-of-town company this weekend & she was completely off her schedule. Our company loved her, and she loved them. Greeted them with tail wagging every morning. Loved doing her RLH with them. She's on Wellness dry food (1/4 cup - 3 meals), with just a tad of canned (less than 1/2 tsp) mixed in. Sleeps from 9:00 PM til 4:30 AM when DH gets up. Today, Sunday, she actually slept til 6:15 AM. I was soooooooo happy! She's doing great with Sit and Down. She loves to play "Find It" where I hide a small piece of treat in the room & she has to find it. She searches til she finds the treat. Our biggest issue to date is the potty training. And I know she's still very young, but I take her outside so often I KNOW I have to be losing weight!

So what are you updates?
 
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#33 · (Edited)
Rhonda, just from my experience, if the ear has an odor, sounds like she needs meds to treat. I would call the vet's office & explain the situation. I don't think I'd want to wait til next week to get it checked. Could be a huge issue by then. But I certainly understand the not wanting to take her to the vet any more than necessary. They're just like little kids - they don't get sick when it's convenient!!

I think since she's has 2 rounds of shots she should be pretty well protected. I'm sure others can address this also. If you don't get responses from your post on this thread, then I'd suggest you start another one under general to get more reads to your question.

Glad to have you aboard. We got Kallie on June 22, so we're at the same age. A word of advise about the picky eating - don't fret over it. If she gets hungry she'll eat. I went down that path with a Maltese, worried myself over her, tried several kinds of food, bribed her with chicken broth, etc. Until my vet said cut out all treats and just give her the dry food (a good quality food). Took her a few days, but that's what she ate for the rest of her life with no more pickiness! Ice cubes for treats and meds stuffed into green beans raw from a can. Maintained her weigh within a 2 oz variance for 6 yrs. Imagine it being a child that can have candy or veggies. Which do you think they would prefer?

Don't forget to post pictures of Sammi Jo!!!
 
#34 ·
Thanks for info on Sammi

Thank you for your reply. I think I will take her in tomorrow. I can't stand the thought of the little girl being uncomfortable. Like I said this is the first floppy ear I have had in a long time! I think you may be right on the treats! I guess I just needed to hear it to make it click! We have been potty training so she has been getting freeze dried chicken liver snack which I am sure is better than her food! She is on Blue Basic by Blue Buffalo. The breeder had her on Eukanuba but I slowly changed that. That food produced some stinky poo! And it didn't help that she was a poop eater at first (only if it happens in the crate or the house- not outside). I think she was just trying to clean up her mess! Now that potty training is going great we haven't had an issue.

Thanks again!!!! Kallie is precious! Sammi is black with tan points. I hope to get a picture of her posted soon!
 
#35 ·
Welcome Sammi and Rhonda. Its a great forum here with lots of good info and friendly people!:)
I don't think hand feeding is bad. It was one of the suggestions when I was finding that Ted was getting way too chewey on his humans! I start by hand feeding him a few kibble then he eats the rest on his own.
I hope Sammis ear is ok. :welcome:
 
#36 ·
Sammi update

Thanks for recommending I go as soon as possible. Yeast! Not a lot but still I know yeast infections can turn ugly. They couldn't detect it by looking at it and thought her ears looked fine but did the cytology and found it was yeast. She is on Otomax for 5 days.

I know that yeast in ears can be signs of a food allergy. She was scratching when I first got her and I switched her from chicken based diet to turkey and potato. We are still in the process of switching so I hope it gets better.

Anyone have experience with food allergies? I read that chicken can be a problem so that is why I went with the turkey. Not a lot of options out there for puppy food.

Thanks!!!
 
#37 ·
Thanks for recommending I go as soon as possible. Yeast! Not a lot but still I know yeast infections can turn ugly. They couldn't detect it by looking at it and thought her ears looked fine but did the cytology and found it was yeast. She is on Otomax for 5 days.

I know that yeast in ears can be signs of a food allergy. She was scratching when I first got her and I switched her from chicken based diet to turkey and potato. We are still in the process of switching so I hope it gets better.

Anyone have experience with food allergies? I read that chicken can be a problem so that is why I went with the turkey. Not a lot of options out there for puppy food.

Thanks!!!
I am keeping Ted grain free/corn free and beef free. So far so good. I saw the food allergies on the forum so I figured I would eliminate the culprits before rather than after plus my grandsons have gluten issues so I figured I would keep it Gluten free for them too, so they can handle the food.
 
#39 ·
So I think I might have figured out the frenzy and biting thing! I have been monitoring his out to pee/poop time and noticed the last couple of nights that when he gets that way (biting my arms, pulling on my shirt, etc) he has to go out! Talk about feeling stupid for not understanding what he's trying to tell me LOL So when he starts acting out, I bring him outside and nine times out of ten he has to potty. :brick:
 
#41 ·
So I have taught Ted to "leave it" and "quiet" and he has calmed right down. He really doesn't ankle bite so much as pull at my pants and wait for the command so he can have a treat. (Smartypants) I think he realizes that hubby and I are ahead of him in the pack and respects the pecking order now! He is really enjoying going for walks instead of hanging around the yard now too.
Ted also prefers to hang with me on the couch in the evening instead of his pen. I put him in when I am going to bed now.
The house is much quieter now than a few days ago.
Tomorrow my grandsons are coming over for a sleepover, so all hell will break loose again!:)
 
#43 ·
So how are all of you doing at the 6 month mark. Ted seems to have lost his ability to "come" He just wants to be chased. He has also had a few accidents in my room on the rug too in the past 2 days. I am hoping this is a teen thing or teething as I have now found 2 teeth on the carpet. He still needs his kibble softened with water to eat it too.
 
#44 · (Edited)
Nina just turned 6 months old and 6 lbs. I just found out she is chewing the corners of the base boards. Lot of loose teeth! I buy chewing toys all the time and make sure she gets lots of excericse so she doesn't get bored. She also likes to be chased and also do the chasing. She is used to her weekly baths now but definitely not thrilled about them. The blowdryer is even further down the list but we keep using it so as winter comes we can dry her. She growls and gets very possesive of her Duck jerky. I am not too thrilled about it and am nervous that she will bite one of us. Normally she is a sweetie but the jerky brings out the beast in her. Anyone with tips on how to make her a little less possesive? She is in her crate or supervised in the house else she will also pee in the house. She prefers rugs over the hard wood floors. Yuck!
 
#45 ·
Ted doesn't like the blow dryer but is getting used to the sound of it. I bring him in my bathroom while I blow dry my hair and a lot of the time, now, he just lies there while I do it where before he used to run as fast as he could out of the room. For the jerky part you should probably start hand feeding Nina and put your hand in her dish or take the jerky from her while she has it. When she doesn't growl tell her what good girl she is and give her back her jerky. Do it often and she will learn that you have the control over her food. As for the bathroom, Ted has about 4 signs that he gives me to go. When he has had a couple of accidents lately it was me that missed his signs. Nina probably did something first to tell you but you didnt realize. I do that and pay for it soon after!:)
 
#46 ·
Nina and her duck jerky.

:)
For the jerky part you should probably start hand feeding Nina and put your hand in her dish or take the jerky from her while she has it. When she doesn't growl tell her what good girl she is and give her back her jerky. Do it often and she will learn that you have the control over her food.:)
Well I have DH working with her and the jerky. Nina looks too much like she is possessed and scares the woozers out of me. Nothing like my sweet Nina. This 6 pounder has me whooped when it comes to the jerky.:behindsofa:
 
#47 ·
Thanks for reviving this thread. Nice to get update on all of our 1/2 yr olds! Kallie's 10.2 lbs now. Doesn't mind her daily grooming (of course she'd rather be doing her RLH). She's also in the bathroom with me each morning & watches me like she's taking lessons on applying makeup & doing her hair! While blow-drying my hair, she stand up so I can "do Kallie", aiming the dryer at her. So cute. Potty training has been a challenge to say the least! Yesterday was perfect. Today, who knows. Our house is large & family room is on lower level. I've always taken her out the patio door from the family room. So if we're on main floor, it's difficult for her to give me definite signal. She barks, but she also barks if she wants to play. The same bark. She never pees in the house, but the poopy thing is hit or miss. I know she has too much free-roam of the house, so I've really been blocking her down to smaller areas & that's helping. We still have major potty parties when she goes outside. But I'm REALLY worried about winter & outside pottying.Now wishing I'd stuck w/peepads! She has lots of her "big girl teeth" now. She's lost 1 of the long needle canine teeth. Can't wait til the other 3 fall out! My gosh those things are sharp. We've finally had success with the carsickness issue. Short rides (about 2 miles) with NO DROOLING in the past couple of weeks. :whoo: This is a major hurdle for us. Sleeps w/us every night, never had an accident in bed. She knows when it's bedtime & I get "the look" if I'm not ready when she is. At 6 months, I can say that she's been the best addition to our lives. DH & I adore her!
 
#49 ·
Its great to see everyones challenges (not that I'm glad we have them). As I looked at Ted and his newest challenges I just needed to hear from the other 6 monthers that I wasn't doing an awful job. Seems like the past 3 weeks Ted took 2 Giant steps backwards. Trying to decide if I should get a few private lessons or go back to basic obedience! He seems so "off" ight now, I'm wondering if I should get the teeting part over first.
 
#52 ·
Lise, we go thru the same thing with Kallie. Week 1 = great. Week 2 = acting like she's 12 wks old again. Week 3 = best she's ever been. Back & forth. I think it's just the teen rebellion thing. Some days she looks at me like she's never been taught anything! Those are not good days in our house. And I'm guessing the teething hurts & they act up because they don't understand what's going on. Just like a toddler!
 
#53 · (Edited)
Quincy turned six months old on 10/18 and is now about 14 pounds and I think he's approximately 11 inches tall. But he doesn't stay still long enough for me to get a real accurate measurement so that's a quick eyeball reading because he thinks the measuring tape is something to play with. He could very well be 10 or 10.5 inches. Our breeder told me last night that his sister (who she kept) is 9.5 pounds and 9.25 tall, so he's definitely the bigger of the two LOL. He's still only getting 1/4 cup of food, three times a day (mixed with about 1/2 TBS of Wellness Puppy) for a little moisture so he's not fat by any means. He gets tons of exercise so he's burning it all off, he's just muscular ;)

Q is still shy around other dogs, but we are working on that by taking him to puppy play groups and he's still going to his training classes. Like all havs, he is brilliant and learns really quickly. We learned in class that if he starts pulling on leash, to stop and wait for him to stop too, then to start again with him walking by my side. Well, my dude will pull the same thing on me. If I get ahead of him while we're walking, he will stop behind me and make me stop and wait for him LOL.

He has been great about no accidents in the house and will tell me when he has to go out by either coming to get me (whining at me or nosing my leg) or by ringing the bells. He now thinks that the crate in our bedroom is made to sleep on top of (it's got the plastic top - Pet Gear) and not inside of. I believe he thinks it's an extension of the bed since it's at the foot of the bed.
Since he started climbing out of his ex-pen a few weeks ago, we took that down and he now has the run of the house (except for certain rooms that we block off or close the door to) and he has been very good. We come home and find him sleeping on the loveseat in the living room or on our bed. We do leave the TV on for him and several lights so he's not wandering around in a quiet and dark house.
He has been losing teeth and I have found several around the house. His breath is really stinky so I hope he's done with it soon LOL. I am thinking about taking him for a vet visit just to have them check to make sure his teeth are coming in okay.
I have just started noticing that I am getting more fur in the brush when I groom him (I am trying to brush him twice a day to get ready for the dreaded blowing coat phase). I bought a really nice CC wood pin brush and he actually doesn't mind when I brush him with that.

We have had some ups and downs with the adolescent thing too, but I think it's just the age. Q can be very stubborn and many times I have had to turn my back or walk away from him to get him to do what I'm asking (especially the come thing). If he sees me walking away or going inside, he will usually run to catch up with me so he doesn't get left behind ;) We are lucky to have a fenced back yard.
So that's my update on Quincy! Glad to see updates from all the others who got their havs around the same time :)
 
#54 ·
Quincy sounds like he is doing really well. You sound so much more comfortable about everything with him since you got the new trainer. I think a good trainer makes a world of difference. I guess Q is about double Teds size.Again wishing Ted had a fenced yard to excercise in. Geting pretty yucky out for those 5 walks a day! I have let Ted stay out of his pen twice now when we have been gone for less than half an hour. So far so good although I close all the doors to the bathrooms and bedrooms and the laundry room. Not sure when I will give up his pen, although in the way, its great for when I'm in the office and for sleeping and for when we are out extended periods of time.
My trainer is coming for a private session on the 17th to see how Ted and I are at home. Should be interesting!
 
#60 ·
You know, I really do feel much better about things since we switched to the new trainer. When I saw the name Ian Dunbar on her recommended reading list, I knew we were on the right track :)
You can read her blog here http://blog.timesunion.com/dogtraining/
She is so very patient and kind that it's like night and day from the other person we started with. After class each week, she emails out the information she discussed in class the night before so that we can work on stuff at home. You know how distracting it can be when you're working with your dog and also trying to listen to what the trainer is saying, right? This is great because if I miss something, I know it will be in the handout she sends. It's nice for hubby too because he can't make it to class because of work.
Good luck with the private session!
 
#56 ·
Hi! Can I join in? Oscar was born May 8, and will be 6 months on November 8th. He has been with us for a week and a half now, and what a ride it's been! He had peed in the house for the first few days, but he doesn't do that anymore. He still poops in the house sometimes though- I think because he goes out in the fenced in backyard, he gets so distracted (he loves to play with sticks and leaves) and then when we bring him in, he will have an accident :( We are working on it but that's our biggest thing right now. He learned how to go down the stairs by him self yesterday (but it's really funny, since he doesn't know how to do the last stair, so he just jumps from the second step from the bottom). He is still sleeping in his crate (through the night!) and I even had to wake him up this morning when I got up for work! He is in puppy classes (the second one was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy), but he is sitting and going into his crate well. We are working on down (which he does on the leash, but not off). Also, I found a tooth in his ex-pen on Monday. He sounds like he is pretty much on track with all of your little ones which is really nice to hear :)
 
#58 ·
We're not an exclusive club - we welcome all. There were several of us that got our Hav's around the same time. It's nice to compare notes & see that none of us are really nuts. But we help each other out with different approaches to similar problems.

I think I'll declare it Love Your Hav Day!
 
#59 ·
This was his first class- it was last Monday which was the 2nd day we had him. We have him on a tight schedule when we are home, but the pooping in the house is the worst of it. I have even tried taking him out on a leash with no success. Hopefully he will "get it." His newest place to go is by the door to the garage (when he is downstairs), or upstairs in the hallway. we do try to keep him in the pen, but we don't want him confined to it 100% of the time we are home. He is just so fast- like in the middle of a RLH, all of a sudden quiet! Or I get up to go to the bathroom- and so does he. I think I will talk to the trainer about it too.
 
#61 ·
You haven't learned the signs for poo yet. If your puppy poos by the door its because he was hoping to get out the door to do it. He must have given you some crazy sign that you didn't realize meant "I have to go" Most dogs including Havs need to excercise to get the poop flowing thus the poop after RLH. It takes a good walk to get them to poop. They really go about the same amount of times each day. Ted goes poop twice on our first walk of the morning when we wake up. The second one is about an hour after lunch which would be the elimination of breakfast. Middle afternoon is just a pee. Ted then goes for a walk around 6 and goes for the last poop of the day. I bring Ted out again around 10:30-11 pm. Sometimes he poos but usually only a pee. I think thats why it take 2 poos to eliminate first thing in the morning. It has been in there for a long time! Ted either rings the bells at the door that we hung for him or he looks at me and barks til I get up or, if I still haven't paid attention he nips at the outside of my knee!
Puppies like to be confined to a smaller place. Too much room makes them nervous. Close off a couple rooms that you are in if you dont want to use pen.
 
#62 ·
Lise thank for all the info. I am gleaning a lot out of it.

Anyone keep their puppy on the leash to potty and go outside only?

Nina has no potty pads and we have been taking her outside. DH bought grass sods and put in her private poo lawn in a sepperate area in the yard. She came at 5 months, now 6 months, and was not trained.

I wonder if it takes longer to train her since she came as an untrained older puppy, 5 months or just because she is a smaller breed. My experience has been with very large dogs, German Sheperd, Golden Retriever and Sharpei, all also came as older puppies.
 
#64 ·
Kallie has started this new poo thing this week. We take her out (on leash as normal) she pees, then spends quite some time sniffing for rabbits. After plenty of time, we come back in & a couple of minutes later she poos. This is driving me crazy! It would be one thing if we had missed her signal, but to take her out, then come back in & poo is unacceptable! Not sure how to correct this.
 
#65 ·
Sparkle did you see the post by Lise?

Lise Quote-Most dogs including Havs need to excercise to get the poop flowing thus the poop after RLH. It takes a good walk to get them to poop.

I was thinking that was true for Nina. Not sure if that factors in with Kallie. No fun on the poo inside. Crossing my fingers that won't happen. Nina has had runny stools twice but made it outside. We did have to cope with a hairy poopy rear and end up giving her a bottom bath. Gross!!!
 
#66 ·
I did see Lise's post. Trust me, it's not lack of exercise. She did this in the morning, after DH had taken her out, she peed & did her RLH in the back yard, no poo. Came in, an hr later after more play, I get the signal barking that means I need to potty. Normally it's 1 potty in the morning. I take her back out she pees, still no poo. Then come inside & poops. She gets distracted sooooo easy. She can be right there ready and a neighborhood dog barks a mile away & no more potty for her. Miss Nosey.
 
#74 ·
This is the same thing with us. I am getting better at recognizing the signs... and always take him out after a training or play session. He pees outside no problem, plays more outside, sniffs around, goes to the door to go back inside and after a few minutes of relaxing in his pen, he just poops. The other day I fed him after, and he pooped WHILE EATING. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen (I was watching the whole time). We are still working on it, maybe it's just a phase?
 
#68 ·
Ted gets really distracted too. A person or car will do it for him. Now even the geese up in the sky and I have lost his attention completely! Ted has rarely ever had a poo accident in the house. Its always pee accidents when they happen. I'm sure no expert on potty training, just hoping that they get 99% soon:pound:
 
#69 ·
I'm a little worried about Quincy this morning. He threw up very early and I'm not quite sure why. He seems to be okay now, but I was a little scared this morning. I wonder if it's from swallowing his teeth? His breath is REALLY stinky! Yesterday he only pooped once (which is highly irregular). I'm going to keep a close eye on him today. He's going to the vet tomorrow because I want them to check and make sure all his teeth are coming in/going out like they're supposed to.
 
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