Going Home, Coming
Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 5:38PM 
Frannie just came. She the one in the back and Daisy and Simba leaves anytime.
Yes, Simba was shaved down again and he has a stylin' sweater to keep him warm.
Mom has 3 young kids and its just plain easier, I imagine.
Frannie is a go, go, go dog and she came in here playing with Jeannie and just about anyone who would and now she is exhausted.
We have had many, many play sessions. Many, many sweeps of the floor as my floors keep getting covered with dirt and leaves and cedar droppings.
More rain is destined to come and it ios hard to stay clean in this but we try.
Everyone got groomed first thing including the Jeannie. Whether they were playing or sitting on the chairs watching they had a grand time. Something about that soft wind that is warm but overcast is just right for them outside. We are taking advantage of it, are you?
Reader Comments (14)
Yes, this is great weather for the dogs for sure! Laci has remembered her fun on the pool cover and has been out there racing around and letting go of a lot of energy. She has many squirrel, chipmunk and as well, large birds to chase and is having a wonderful time this fall. We're all looking forward to experienceing the 1st snowfall w/ Laci. Our other dogs LOVED the snow and it didn't diminish as the years went by. The 1st was always fun for them and for us to watch. Can hardly wait!!! :-)
Tre has had a great day! First obedience class where he played with a 10 month old Newfoundland puppy ( gotta bring camera!)
) then home to play with a 10 week old malamute x collie(Eli)He had a blast ! Cali is healing nicely and Kiz watched Tre and Eli play but decided not to partake. To much roughhousing for her.
Gerda - that's great! I love that exposure and yeah where is that camera. :-)
Deb: The dogs usually love the snow. It's the snowballs that we sometimes don't love when we get that heavy, wet snow. The powder snow - no issues. You can buy a full body winter coat as some do. I have a ton. I should sell mine. :-) I just rinse the tummies off , brush and dry. Hoping we have a lot of snow this year.
May take the pups out seeing we have that warm wind outside. They did so wonderful in the kitchen that I imagine they will enjoy the outside. We shall see. Our yard is filled with drop leaves and as fast as we pick up they drop. It's a joke to see our floors when people come in. We vacuum so much that all AI can think of is at least the pups are getting conditioned to the vacuum cleaner.
Darlah - I hear this is going to be a long cold winter, but time will tell. The wet snow used to hang in balls from my 2 Bichons but never seemed to cause matting issues. Laci's hair is finer and I seem to be brushing her several times a day and it's not a good thing if I miss even one day, so the snow may be an issue for us. I just bought Laci a winter reversible coat, but it has velcro straps around neck and tummy. Maybe I should return it as the under belly would be the most exposed so full body makes sense. Can't say I've seen one??? I've been looking at the boots that are labelled "disposable" and look like mini balloons. Anyone have any comments or suggestions on good booties for these dogs?
Debi: Not sure why you have to brush her several times a day. I would have to see it to know unless it was cut different lengths? As long as you are thorough it actually should last a day or two unless it is getting damp etc.
Do a search on dog snowsuits. I have several and you are welcomed to one - high quality Poochtini jacket with legs etc.
With snowballs all I do is rinse them off and dry the coat. If it is minimal, I just brush them off. If they are bad, with all mine I rinse the whole bunch, brush and dry the 1st one. Usually by the time I am at the last it's already dry. :-) As long as your house is warm if you take a shammy to the belly area and brush and comb, you can let it air dry then comb it after it is dry. I do not find it introduces knots unless you allow wet to sit and you don't comb it out. It is the moisture and the rubbing that introduces mats. To avoid all this, shave the tummy area, put on a coat and you will have an easy time of it even if we have a ton of that wet heavy snow. I just don't believe we will get it - cause I want it.
PS: the rubber booties - your dog will either deal or she won't. Some will, some won't but there is some conditioning. I know Cooper wears them without issue. My dogs hate them and they are too time consuming for me to put on every time I want to go out as we go out 6 to 8 times a day minimal. The only way you will know is to try them and persevere. If not, use bag balm on pads, cut hair between pads and I find the snow keeps their feet clean but not dry. :-) I like easy. I remember putting coats on everyone one year and then not feeling like I wanted to go as I was too tuckered out. So I use nothing or slip on sweaters when it is cold.
Darlah: Thx for the info. As you know Laci had a trim some time ago that I wasn't too happy w/. It appeared she was cut w/ thinning shears all over, but after discussing it at length, the groomer insists she cut her w/ scissors and then used shears sporadically to soften some edges. However, it seems she's matting since that one time trim? No doubt, this will not happen again, but I haven't wanted her cut down to eliminate these thin ends. She's due for another bath and blow dry next wk. I now take a form I've typed up reminding groomer of what never to cut and areas that I'd like cleaned up. Sometimes I think it's so hectic at reception that some things "may not be heard."
Re Booties: I will "try" using them when street walking to avoid salt and dirt. We've used the balm you speak of (on our others) to prevent the pads from cracking and it helps too.
Now off to search those snowsuits! :-)
Hi Debi
My guys only wear booties and 'snowsuits' when we start to hit the -30 mark otherwise they seem to tolerate it quite well. I do use the muttluks product Pawstick to protect their feet from ice and snow buildup in the pads, as Darlah says, keeping the feet trimmed helps alot for that . We use the Muttluks booties too.. here's the link to the website for the snowsuits and the booties
http://www.muttluks.com/products.php?cat=3&subcat=11
Thx Gerda! Much appreciated - will check that out. Laci seems to tolerate this cooler weather, but I've been wondering about this coming winter. She ADORES the hot weather and will lay on HOT patio stones. And like her eldest sister, searches out sunny spots inside as well to lay down. Maybe she'll fool me and enjoy both hot and frigid weather! :-)
We just came back from a rather blustry walk and much to my delight came across larges piles of leaves that resembled Laci's colouring so I rushed back to get my camera and it's dead! Now aint that a kick in the pants. LOL Hoping the leaves are still there tomorrow.
I only got one bootie on Scruffs to try it......he tore it off within seconds.
Wonder why Laci is matting so much? I cut Scruffs poorly but I can still go without brushing for a day and he will not have too many knots. Not that that's advisable at all, but honestly, I just don't always get to it. He has been more knotted with the damp weather though.
Darlah, with your advice, I'm finding the grooming better. I also think I wasn't using the grooming spray properly, too dry or too wet are both a problem. And with better positioning, I do better grooming.
Hi Debi - as Darlah mentioned, we use the Pawz rubber booties with Cooper and he doesn't mind them. The first time we put them on he didn't like them but he got used to them. In colder weather, we have also used the Muttluks booties (same as Gerda). Those are just a tad harder to put on but they work well if the dog is conditioned to wearing them. But as Darlah said, dogs either like booties or they don't. It was important for us to get Cooper used to them while we lived in Mississauga as no doubt he will need them now that we live in Huntsville :-)
Lori: Congrats - it all comes together!
Hi Anne! Cooper sounds like a real doll! Laci is a very easy going girl and may not give me too hard a time w/ the booties. I think they're worth a try. In winter so many things can work it's way into the paws/pads, not to mention the salt drying them out and causing cracking. We've used the balm but I prefer total protection. Time will tell if Laci and I have to compromise w/ each other. :-)
I do think Laci's coat is matting easily due to that darn cut. I asked for a trim, but in actuality, it was a cut. She swam several times a day during summer (before cut) and we didn't have this issue. Time will soon tell. As an added observation - these dogs do have differing coat textures. Laci's is not as silky as some, so I think hers presents w/ more challenges, which in time we will learn to manage more effectively. :-)
Debi:
It is true that Havanese all have different types of coats but she does not have a cotton coat and be thankful for that. With the proper technique, cut and tools it should not be a 3 time a day job. A havanese coat even the most difficult should be good to go once a day or less. But there is a learning curve.
Our Shoshi has a cotton coat. I can keep Shoshi knot free but it took me time to learn. I can brush her once a week and have minimal knots and I did that when I got sick a couple of times but I do coat the coat, I do have a proper cut and I am VERY, VERY thorough. I use a fine tooth comb to find knots and I don't yank them out when I find them. It was tedious at first but with practice you get fast.
A cotton coat sticks straight out as if they put a paw in a light socket much like a bichon. You can control it by coating it.
Using a slicker etc as you would on a bichon creates mats. Uneven coats create mats. Ripping out knots can create mats. Moisture can create mats. Not being thorough can create mats. (I was never thorough when I first started but believed I was) Products, technique and cut can play a part and it is all a learning process. Some of us learn by making mistakes. Others learn by example or listening. It's just human nature, I suppose.
I thinned out Shoshi's hair twice as it looked so wonderful when first done and 2 weeks into it the nightmare began. I did it twice as I thought maybe my method was wrong. Actually, I was wrong but I had to do it to myself to 'get' that. After that fiasco I started listening and watching experts and believing that I didn't know best and I actually learned.
Unfortunately there are many groomers that have experience in x breed but not necessarily in Havanese. So, their learning ends up being your headache. They make mistakes. Some on purpose, others not. Some will force you to come more frequently and others will create more work for you when you start getting growth.
Sometimes it is easier just shaving a dog down and starting anew than contending with more work due to a bad haircut.
What happens when you shave a dog down? Some grow fast, others slow. Head hair always grows slower than anything else. That includes the top knot, ears and beard. You can lose tipping and tipping never comes back. Sables have tipping. Abigail's ears have never been cut - ever.
Good news bad haircuts grow out but if you find yourself grooming 3 times a day, do yourself a favour - just close your eyes, get a shave down like Simba and start anew. The time you will save, the lack of grooming - well it will make both of you happy and the best part is HAIR grows. If the dog is happy and you end up being happy as you are not grooming 3 times a day - well its worth it even if you don't like the shaved look. I actually don't mind Simba in one and thery have an active lifestyle so it suits them, I bet. Best news is it grows and it will come back in great shape. If we could all get haircuts and fast forward a few months we may all be happy. Just a thought...