Friday, August 29, 2014

The Results Are In

My daughter, Jenny, was wonderful in helping me with the Personality Assessments for Maxi's puppies. As usual, we used a modification of the Volhard Personality Test for this.

Luna scored mostly 6's. She is very affectionate, loves to cuddle, is quiet yet playful. She would love to be someone's shadow, will need a regular routine and frequent assurance to build her confidence. Better with a home of adults though she will enjoy the company of chldren if they don't overwhelm. She will be abut 11-12 pounds.

Padfoot mostly 4's. Quite independent and rambunctious, he will be good with children or other dogs in the family. He is going to be a big boy, between 14 and 16 pounds. 

Seamus scored mostly 2's. He's confident and outgoing. Loves to play and will accept human leadership well especially with consistent training. Will be between. 12-13 pounds.

Like Seamus, Minerva scored mostly 2's and, also like Seamus, she did cringe at the pot banging. Actually Seamus and Minerva scored identically though, personal observations indicate that  Seamus is a bit more outgoing.  She will also weigh between. 12 and 13 pounds.

Harry scored a lot like Luna with the exception of the Restraint Test where he scored a 3, struggling at first then settling down. Like Luna he is a playful pup and will be his owner's shadow. To keep his confidence at its best, they both will need a structured and predictible lifestyle. Harry will likely be on the small side for a boy...more like 12 pounds or so.

Hermione scored mostly 3's and 4's. She is outgoing and friendly, should train easily and be good with children. She has a slight independence streak but should train easily and will welcome strangers as well as children. Hermoine will likely be a bigger girl. Maybe 13-14 pounds.

In comparing the pups and their responses to each "test" we found the following:

Social Attraction: Harry and Luna were not that interested in greeting my daughter. The other four came to her readily.

As for Following, again Harry and Luna were the reluctant ones while the others were more interested.

The Restraint Test indicates dominance. Luna was extremely relaxed while Minerva and Seamus struggled to get free. The other three struggled a bit then settled down.

The Dominance Test found Seamus as the most resistant as he jumped and pawed at the tester. Luna, on the other hand, was quiet as a mouse. The other four cuddled and tried to lick the tester's hand.

All the pups scored 4 on the Elevation Test. None of them cared a whit about being suspended midair. Pretty laid back kids!

And, for the Sight Sensitivity Test (to measure intelligent responses to a strange object), all but Padfoot checked it out curiously. He, on the other hand, was more interested in checking out the rest of the kitchen!

Finally, with the exception of Padfoot none of the pups liked the loud sound.

In terms of the assessments themselves, here is a rundown of that the numbers mean. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL THIS IS SUBJECTIVE, BY NO MEANS EXACT AND IS TOTALLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS THE PUPPY MATURES. THESE ARE GUIDELINES ONLY!


Interpreting the Scores
  • Mostly 1’s: A puppy that consistently scores 1 in the temperament section is dominant and will attempt to resist human leadership. He may require an experienced trainer for obedience.
  • Mostly 2’s: This pup is dominant and self-assured; 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 train consistently.
  • 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 slightly 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. His demeanor is often gentle and affectionate.
  • Mostly 5’s This is a pup that is 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. They will likely not be "shadows". However,t because they are Havanese, they will still be wonderful and loyal pets. As adults, hey will do well if left alone for longer periods of ime though I never recommend this to be a regular routine. 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

More Havanese Fun in the Garden

More Photos

Not much new to report except that the puppies are constantly playing...when they're awake, that is!
They are bonding with their siblings now. This is such a critical time for them in terms of socialization.

Tomorrow they get their first immunizations and a health check with my veterinarian.  They will also get micro-chipped. Should be a busy morning as long as our power goes back on. We had quite the storm fly through our parts about an hour ago. If the power doesn't return, I'm not sure how we will even get out of the garage tomorrow!

We had a nice romp in the back yard yesterday afternoon. Here are some photos.  I'll put the videos on the next few posts.

Enjoy!



Luna and Seamus in the back. Hermoine and Minerva in front. They love the geraniums because they can hide under the cascading branches!



Seamus taking a time out. He has a little crook in his tail which is a riot. We'll see what Dr. Wilson says about it tomorrow. Once his coat grows out it won't even be noticeable so I'm not sure I want to put him through anything painful to correct it.

Padfoot on alert!


Padfoot (front), Seamus and Hermione


Minerva on the right and Harry on the left.

Harry stalking something wonderful.



Maxi now loves to tear it up with her pups. They are almost completely weaned which makes her very happy!

Maxi and her pups in a tussle.


Here they are again.


Okay, so this isn't one of Maxi's pups...its Willow, one of Marli's.

Seamus asking me to pick him up.

Willow and Minerva.

Here they are again having a great time.


Seamus sitting pretty for the camera.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Puppy Update

The puppies are like six giant jelly beans...the kind that have mixed colors. They are so fat and sassy I can't seem to get anything done because I love to just sit and watch them play.

They started on solid (or rather, mushy) food Monday and have really taken to it. Maxi is beginning to wean them...only lets them nurse a couple times a day. They have teeth now so I'm sure it isn't a pleasant experience for Mom.

I gave the pups their second pedicure today to also give Maxi some relief. Can't believe how fast their little nails grow.

And, last night they had their first baths. I bathed them two at a time in a large plastic tub that fit inside my laundry sink. I would have posted photos but my assistant, Alex, was busy helping her teacher get her classroom ready for school. Egad! School already.

Anyway, I just took a wonderful video but it is still uploading. So, here are some stills of the puppies first day outside. Older puppies Potter and Willow loved playing with the puppies. The older dogs were in the pen too but preferred to watch from the steps.

ENJOY!!!






























Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Introducing the Harry Potter Litter

The puppies really, really want to eat Maxi's food so I have it elevated on top of a toy pail to keep it out of reach. I guess I'll start weaning them in the next few days. Maxi still has tons of milk and is actually a bit chunky so I know weaning isn't critical and I like the pups to get as much benefit from their mother's milk as is possible. That said, their little teeth are coming in as well so nursing can get a bit painful for Maxi. 

Here are new photos with the names we picked from the Harry Potter series:


This little chocolate parti is Padfoot who, I've learned, is actually a dog in the book!
                      


This is Seamus who didn't want me to take his photo at all!
Our sable and white girl is Luna
This is Hermoine
This is Harry
And, last but not least, this is Minerva


Sunday, August 10, 2014

4 Week Old Havanese play...play...play

Today we took our first de-worming medication. All went well. We also got weighed and had our nails trimmed. No one objected to this foreign and sometimes uncomfortable experience.



This YouTube video is just to tide you over until tomorrow when I can post some individual photo updates. My step niece and nephew named the puppies based on a Harry Potter theme. Stay tuned!!!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Puppy Outing in the Puppy Room

I took the puppies out to meet the other dogs today. Maxi was a bit nervous at first but settled right in.
Potter was the one most interested in the puppies. Then came Lily. Phoebe and Willow were pretty much nonplussed.  Here are the photos. You can see how big they are getting. Pedicures later today for all!  36 paws....150 nails!!!

Playing inside the whelping box

Total relaxation. I love this pose!

Checking out the picnic blanket.

Meeting Potter who just came in from romping in a rainy yard.

Maxi looks like she's taking a head count.

Potter wants to play but the puppy wants to escape!

Okay they've pretty much ignored the picnic blanket.



Nothing better than snuggling with a sibling and mom.

Maxi multi-tasking.  Feeding the sable pup and bathing the black parti.