CARING FOR THE PUPS BEFORE THEY GO TO NEW HOMES
NOTE: Although our methods listed on this page have worked well for most new puppy families, we are always improving and updating how the puppies are raised their first 10 weeks of life. We are proud to announce that we are now using the PUPPY CULTURE program. This page will be updated soon with our new methods.
We try to give the puppies the best possible start before they go to their new families. All puppies are born and raised in our house. I am retired now and spend most of my time with my dogs and the puppies. The first couple of weeks they are in a quite room with their mom, but we still go in and handle them often. They are then moved to a play pen where there is a bed and an area to go potty. The play pen is in our living room so they can get used to the sights and sounds of everyday life. The older they get, the bigger the playpen gets and the further away the potty area is from their bed.
Most people report that the most difficult part about bringing a new puppy home is potty training, especially with toy breeds. Havanese are very smart and loving, but they can be stubborn when it comes to going outside. In order to do our part and make it easier to potty train your new puppy, we have started using an area specific method. New puppy families will still need to do their part in completing the process, but they should be well on their way to accident free. Keep in mind that the puppies are still young with very small bladders and it is not good for them to hold it for a long period of time. It may also take them a little time to let you know when they need to go out.
The puppies have to learn that there is an area for sleeping, playing and going potty. At first, the paper is spread throughout the play pen and as they learn to only go on the paper, the play area gets bigger and the potty area gets smaller. I do not use pee pads because they start to associate your rugs with the pee pads and it is very difficult to break them of the habit of doing their business on the rugs and carpet. As the puppies get older we start taking them outside on a regular basis, weather permitting.
The crate where they sleep has to be kept free of urine and feces smell so they won’t associate their bedding with a place to relieve themselves. This means the bedding has to be kept clean at all times. We put the crate in the play pen so that they get used to being crated at night. This makes their crate a good place to be and not scary or unfamiliar. It becomes their “den” and many of them like to sleep in their crates for naps and nighttime long after they leave our house. Crates are not to be used for a long period of time during the day. We would never condone that and try to find families that we are confident will not leave them in their crates for extended periods of time.
We also get the puppies used to being groomed. They are put on the grooming table and brushed, face cleaned and nails clipped. We bathe them at age appropriate times.
At 9 weeks old, our vet will administer their first set of immunizations, deworm them and perform a thorough exam. Vaccines are susceptible to temperature changes and will not be affective if they are not kept at appropriate temperatures. The veterinarians have safety features to ensure the vaccines are kept at optimal temperatures, both at their office and delivery to their office. Therefore, I will never administer my own vaccinations and this is why most veterinarians will recommend having the series completed over again if administered by a breeder. Most puppies go home at 9-10 weeks old, no sooner. I prefer to keep them until they are 10 weeks in order to have more time to work with them and learn from their litter mates.
We would love to have potential families visit the puppies, in fact we encourage it for socialization. Puppies have also done well with families from out of state that cannot visit because I try to choose families I know will have the time to spend with them. If you decide to come to the house, we will ask that you remove your shoes, wash your hands, not visit any pet stores, kennels or other breeders for 2 days before coming over and please do not bring other pets with you. Our puppies are still vulnerable to Parvo virus and other diseases. Puppy visits will not be allowed until they are 6 weeks old. We have sent puppies to their new homes without a visit from their new families and those puppies have always done really well also. UPDATE: Due to increase in parvo and covid cases, we will not be having anyone visit the house. I will be sending photos and videos. I am with the pups all day everyday and can work with you to choose the pup that best fits your family. Due to increase in puppy scams, please be aware that I do not work with, nor have any association with any other breeders. If someone other than myself sends you a video with Hillside Havanese’ name attached, know that they are a scam. It was also brought to my attention that another breeder in Missouri recently started using my name. I promptly asked her to change her name as we have been Hillside Havanese for quite some time. She ended up just adding Hillside Havanese of Missouri to her name instead of changing it completely. She only performs DNA testing on her adults, but no OFA testing. Again, we are not affiliated with her in anyway.