The first year of our Havanese puppy Pistachio's life, as told through photos and videos.
Check out some of my other videos for a more detailed rundown of our experience with Pistachio!
Separation Anxiety - • How we avoided SEPARAT...
Puppy Gear we LOVE - • PUPPY GEAR that helped...
How to socialize your pup - • How we socialized our ...
How to prepare for spaying/neutering - • SPAY SURVIVAL GUIDE | ...
Our havanese is 8.5 years old. Originally, he was to be for our daughters but as soon as we got him, he was mine. He became my third child. I love him with all my heart. Sleeps with us in our bed every night, I brush his teeth every night before bed, take him to the groomer every 5 weeks, scheduled and unscheduled vet visits, play together inside and outside, the whole she bang. He’s so spoiled and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My husband is bringing me my havanese puppy as we speak! I can't wait! He's like 30 minutes away!
I have an adorable Havanese who is now 4 years, got him at 2 mos. Great personality, loves all humans, animals, and even wanted to play with some bees in the garden. My little guy sounds just like yours. Lovely video.
Love my Havenese babygirl. She is smart, playful, alert, and loyal. She is a pound rescue, previous owner had medical issues and could not keep her. We are blessed to have her and enjoy every minute of every day with her.
Great video! We just got a 9 week old Havanese baby and I needed this…thank you❤️
Those first few months can be challenging, but it just gets better and better! Best of luck with your baby! 🤎
Adorable! ❤
I just adopted a 7yr old male Havenese. He's a joy 😊
Beautiful video.
What a nice story
Great video! Very informative too. I find as my 10 year old havanese and 9 yr old havanese get older, the more clingy they become. Also my dogs love an audience too, they just love to know you're around them.
My Havanese is now almost 1 and acted just like your pup. I absolutely adore him. He is a very smart dog and couldn't be any cuter. I had forgotten how challenging puppies can be but he is coming around and goes stays by side 24 7 and that's what I wanted.
Thank you for sharing. Love the detailed monthly summaries. We’re picking up our Havanese puppy in about 6 weeks. You’ve provided helpful information. Thank you for reminding me and all of us Grace . Pistachio is adorable! Great video.
Great video!!! We just adopted two male Havanese!!!! 🥰😬
Ha! This pretty much sums up Finnegan our Havanese pup! Funny how they must all have similar traits. He goes everywhere with us too!
My Havapoo just turned 1year the first is December and she is my Shadow so that is her name❤❤❤
Our Havanese is 5. The first 6 months were intense.😂We crated him at night for the first 2 years but now he sleeps in his bed beside ours. 😊 As a puppy, we bought a crate that had a potty area and a separate bed area. Best purchase we ever made! Once we put him in his crate at night we didn't acknowledge him until morning. He learned very quickly that his crate was HIS space, and whining wouldn't get him attention.
What crate did you get?
That’s how my havanese is too!
I just love ❤ your videos about your Havanese, Pistachio! My Havapoo, Nova-Bella, (the name means, bright new beautiful star), is just now 5 months old. And your video about your pup’s first year is so helpful for me! Just about all the things you mention in this video that your little girl went through the first 5 months, is exactly what my little girl has done, learned or is now doing. I laughed out loud and so hard when I saw the part about Pistachio running around like a little maniac! Nova has done that - and still does to some extent. We call it “run-run-run!” She knows what that means. And when we go outside on her leash…she does “run-run-run” with me and we burn off a ton of that energy. (It’s hard for me to keep up with her, but we burn off my energy too!). I am relieved to learn what to expect the next 6 to 7 months. She goes in for her spaying at the age of 6-1/2 months…so hopefully, I will begin to see some of those changes. We are still learning our potty training…and she does have some “accidents” now and then…but I know that SHE knows she’s not supposed to do “it” in the house. The only difference I did…(or mistake I made), is that she wants to sleep WITH ME in bed…and not in her crate. Now sure how to break her of that…so if you have suggestions, let me know. She is not real fond of her crate…although she does go into it on her own from time to time…it’s just not her “safe space’…which I had hoped it would be. Anyway…I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing your experience with your Havanese. Nova-Bella is a Havapoo…but I think she has more Havanese in her than the poodle. She looks so much like Pistachio. All in all…I could not recommend a better dog or companion to have. She is a little lover! (And yes, I get lots of face kisses too!). 🥰 Keep the videos coming! I can use any tips you have! Thanks again!
❤❤❤
We just lost our Sweet Tucker at almost 12, and miss him so much. It’ll be a few years until we get another Havanese, but it was fun to relive so many of those memories. Tucker hated the crate from the get go so I’m going to work hard with the next pup to crate train him/her. I always said that I could wear a meat freak but he’d go to my boyfriend’s lap every single time.
I am so glad I watched your video. I bought one online recently after researching the breed. Felt like it was a good fit as a companion for my small, 23 lb, labradoodle which is 1 yr now. I recently retired and am mostly at home. Then I read that Havanese are known for being hard to potty train. It sounds like that was not the case for you. This makes me feel so much better about my decision. Also your baby is so cute and I can see how much joy she gives you! Thanks!
I have a half havenese and half cavalier King Charles. She is adorable and the best little friend. She is always by my side. And yes she makes up games to play by herself, AMAZING!!!
Thanks great video
She is sooo cute! I don't know much at all about this breed, but I would love to have a Havapoo as an addition. This was so helpful...thank you much!
I’ve met a couple havapoos and they’re sweethearts! Smart dogs. Glad it helped!
My havenese was trained by bell in three days. She was approximately 8 weeks.old. No accidents at all from her. She is 7 now and she is best dog I've had.
So glad to read this. I am waiting to pick up my Havanese pup mid Jan 2024 and recently read t hey are hard to potty train. Your comment and this video have put me at ease.
What did you mean by "trained by Bell", please? This Is a metod for potty TRAINING? I m very intrested because in 2 weeks our 3 months h. puppy wil come. Thank you!
Did the bell with my little guy too. He was potty trained in no time. Really easy
My friends are longtime (responsible) Havanese breeders registered with the AKC. They say this breed of pup needs more walks (structured exercise/training) then others. But all pups need walks and to be conditioned to baths/grooming. Also as much outdoor run and play time as possible. It’s not fair to the pup for those who don’t have the time or energy for this. They also need more grooming/brushing as they don’t shed much. Girl with Dogs is one of the best grooming channels on YT with good advice/info on diff breeds and ages of dogs and cats. She prob gets more variety of breeds then any on YT and uses her social media income to support shelters and do free grooms for them.
You baby is soo cute! She looks EXACTLY like my Havanese. As a puppy, he was also very calm in comparison to his siblings which is why I got him but that soon changed😂 He was also dark chocolate brown when I got him and later his fur color faded to the same shade as your dog🤎 My havanese LOVES to play and is still so hyper haha. He drives me crazy but he’s always so fun lol
My lil girl is 2weeks. I’m nervous and having second thoughts. So much on the internet talks about separation anxiety and such. I truly appreciate your candid insight!
You’re both still adjusting to this new life! When I had second thoughts, I always told myself to just get to that 1 year mark and then reassess. Im glad I did, because so many of those original concerns were gone by then. Make sure you adjust your baby to YOUR lifestyle - it’ll take a few months but she’ll catch on if you set the expectations early on. Best of luck!
It is not that bad. They are wonderful dogs
😅I’m in the waiting phase to pick our lil guy up. I’m glued to your channel to prepare myself before he arrives in 3 weeks. It’s so exciting 🎉🎉🎉 I hope the info not fly out of my brain as soon as he’s here. Thank you so much for your videos, literally my favourite. So glad to have access to dedicated content for Havanese and in a simple ‘realistic’ view as yours. Keep sharing, it’s incredibly helpful, thoughtful and fun. Thank you so much. Say hi to Pistachio 🐶 and congrats on your pregnancy I wish you a perfect and smooth experience.
Thank you so much for this feedback, it makes my heart happy! Give yourself grace with your new baby boy, you will make mistakes and there’s a lot of right ways to do something. So excited for you!
Omg she like my Havanese super silly 😊
My Havanese is Great! Easy to potty change and incredibly smart! I've had Bichon's & Shih Tzu's and by far she has been the easiest dog to train! 😁
What techniques did you use to potty train? How long did it take ?
Check out Betsy the Havanese if you would like to see the daily life of my Havanese! Lots of fun videos!
My 4 month old is like an energizer bunny - just when I think she is going to rest she gets a second wind which is challenging at night. 💗
Sounds about right!! The “witching hour” they call it. Thankfully that hour(s) of terror gets shorter and shorter.
Gosh she looks just like my little gal. The zoo it’s are so funny! I was actually glad to see your pup’s coat lightened up so my. Mine to…a surprise
Chocolate havs lighten up a ton! Most colors do from what I’ve seen.
@@backtobreeality I should have named her mocha, instead of tootsie roll!
I have enjoyed you presentation so very much. Your puppy is beautiful and her hair cut totally convinced me to get a cute Havanese shirt cut on the two puppies I have. I have a besutiful cream /white all solid color female and a male multicolor chocolate, white, creamy light Mocha. Both are from separate litters but same breeder. It was semi spontaneous to purchase two at same time but I just couldn’t choose. They came into a home with two Havapoos from same breeder that are remarkable. Father miniature maby toy poodle and two moms Havanese. Super intelligent with the poodle mix and very loving. More thin and poodle in frame and Havanese heavier and sturdy . Havapoos we’re about 6 months and other 8 months. I had been a long time Standard Poodle owner and never was happier than with my mother, father, and three male puppies I kept from their one litter. My mother dog all black died suddenly flipped stomach age 16, her loving mate and love of my life the big white father who drew enormous attention wherever he went died 7 months later of flipped stomach and I almost was dying with him . My one adorable so of theirs who literally followed me from spot to spot died also within the hour 6 months later from a sudden bleeding tumor on bladder. I have one large chocolate male left and my son owns the very large solid black 15 year old males. I was then recovering from two bouts of cancer with multiple complications. I accidentally came across Havanese advertised up north in Michigan! I was stunned, all their puppy jumping around, chasing one another, furry little bodies with that specific trot they have where bottoms are slightly lifted up and a pronounced bouncy trot!! I was smitten. Smitten!! Obcessed! After a year I began searching and found a breeder near by here in So Missouri . Yes they are hillarious, they chase, do tricks, very intelligent, extremely livable, strong, kiss kiss kiss!! All these Havanese and Havapoos cause me to laugh daily and bring hillarious joy and love. I do have a med/lg back yard they have free access to with privacy fence so their Zoomies are elaborate! They would be great without that but should have daily walks which they love!!!!! I love all dogs but must make choices and have been blessed with mine. God Bless all of us dog lovers! ❤Mimi.
@@Mimi-ip9xc I'm so glad you've had such sweet babies over the years. They take care of us as much as we take care of them!
Thanks for the video! My Havanese is 5 months old and has finally stopped chewing on me constantly 😂 but now she complains whenever I have her in a different room while I work on something😅
That sounds about right. You’re not alone, Havs just love their people. Try giving her a puzzle toy to work on to distract her if she’s food motivated!
I have 2 havanese. My older one just turned a year old. We got our second one when our first was 7 1/2 months old. My little one is now 5 1/2 months old and neither is spayed yet. Not looking forward to spaying either one. Since they are both female I don’t have to worry about accidental puppies. Both of them are extremely clingy since they came home.
Love Pistachio! Which treats did you give her at four months to learn commands? Thanks!
Hi there! I’m posting a video tonight that talks all about command training and the treats we use. Pictures included!
Thank YOU for the soft lap tip, my Alaska is ALWAYS jumping on me but wont stay in my lap
Soft laps are the the best laps apparently!
Your puppy is so adorable. I have always like this breed and look for them at dog shows.congratulations on your new baby!
Thank you so much!
Very interesting, our pups seem to be pretty close age wise (my Mochi - the only girl in her litter was born on 15.04.2022), but theres some overlap (the becoming cuddly at about 8 months for example. I was so afraid she doesn't care for me more than for any other person too) - Some things were way different though (Mochi slept through the first night and every following until like 6months? 8 months? well, whenever she was big enough to get in and out of the bed on her own - so I kinda had to start pottytraining completly again at a time where I was hoping we would be closer to done and from day 3 until then she used the bell pretty consistently to mark she wanted to go outside). Oh and the almost 12 months I prepared for her arrival I couldn't get enough of Puppy, Training and Havanese content either and you're right, havanese specific stuff is hard to come by on youtube. Anyway, Pistachio is very adorable and I wish your family all the best :)
TYTYTY!!!
lol all the know-it-alls in the comments. thanks for your story. i have to leave overnight for her 4th night here. i was afraid that she would just bond forever with my husband lol. enjoy your 2nd year!
Haha I feel called out by that intro, I just put a deposit down with a breeder for a future litter and it's gonna be 6 months till puppy is born but I'm obsessively consuming as much havanese/dog content 😅
I have a 10 yr old Havanese and he still loves to lick peoples faces a lot! He’s grown so much but I don’t remember what he was like as a puppy because I was about 4-5 years old when we got him.
So neis baby dogs love haverner
Wait until they get older. They become more affectionate.
Wow My Havanese is 4 yrs old and she is a kisser!! Yeah my husband works in a rendering plant, Needs to have his whole face and head cleaned! LOL
I have a mix between a Havanese and a Shih-Tzu.. And I must admit, that she will be the last havanese I will ever own 😅 I love her, but the struggles I have had with her, has been way too much. She never really slept during the day as a puppy, but we did have her in a crate during the night from day 1, which was heaven! She turned 1 four days ago and her new issue is that she is very much affected by hormones, so she is acting depressed.. There's always something new. Like I said, I love her to bits, she is my first fur baby and we get told often, that she is so sweet and well trained, which is nice to hear but... Never again 🤣
Mandatory daytime naps may be helpful there! We used to give our baby 2 hour crated naps about 3 times a day. Helped teach her to relax a lot.
Go see a holistic doctor. Food plays a big role. Hope, your puppy gets better.
Haha my Havanese name is Kaju, thats what we call Cashew in Hindi language...cute baby
SO CUTE!
Was she going through a training program or did y'all do it yourselves? Do havanese typically take longer to train? Just wondering, I'm only use to my working lab which seems much quicker but I'd love a havanese sibling for her in the future. Pistachio is so cute!
Hello what food do you recommend for a 2 year old havanese
Described mine to a tee
Did you do anything to get her into her crate the first few times? Or did you just gently put her into the crate yourself?
Gently put her into the crate ourselves for the first month Id say! And every time we’d say “go home”. She started going on on her own for day naps that first month. Full disclosure, 5-6 months she would run away when we said “go home”. Took a lot of patience - had to keep saying the cue and treating when she’d go in to teach her it was a safe place. She went in much more willingly once we moved the crate to our bedroom.
Spay much later in life, 7 - 8 years. The hormones are important to their overall health.
Almost identical look (up to 3 months, mine is black with silver undertones, some brown around mug and feet) behaviors are the same, except I was not as cautious with my dog 👉 Princess Grace (Duchess of Scottsdale). I was told she's Poodle and Chihuahua by a guy who found her at 6 weeks. I got her at 7 weeks. I suspected Havanese early on. She's 4.5 months, I'm soon going to do a Wisdom Panel.
Has her fur changed further after 12 months?
I think she continues to lighten each month. She has like a white patch on her side now too!
😅😅 behr was the same way first but he peed on wee wee pads. He learned fast this his 3rd day home. He has peed outside just hasn't done did number 2 yet outside ❤ please anymore advice
Good job Behr! This might sound funny, but with puppies you can usually see if their butt is getting kind of dilated right before they need to do a number 2. They are more reluctant to do number 2s outside in my experience for some reason! So if you see that butt getting bright, take them out and see if they need to go.
When you first brought her home, was she too nervous to eat anything that evening?
Definitely. I don’t remember her eating anything until we were back at our house, which was a full 24 hours later. It’s normal when they’re stressed - they’ll be okay. Just give them opportunities to eat and see if they’re interested.
When did you stop putting her in the crate when you left home??
Probably within the first 2 months she was with us. Then she had our living room with a gate set up, then we gradually increased that to the whole first floor as she learned how to behave in that space.
How do I decide if I want to get a male or female puppy?? Do they have difference temperaments??
It’s always a gamble. I’ve noticed female Havanese tend to be a little less clingy than the boys and more socially confident.
I’m looking into getting a havanese, i don’t want to buy the doggy stroller because my family will make fun of me lol anything kinda like a stroller but not quite that i could use?
Haha too real. I was definitely teased for it, but now my parents have a stroller for their senior dog so who’s laughing now! I would suggest a puppy backpack carrier. Check out my video on “Puppy Gear” video for more on that!
Is it common in the US to spay your dog so early?
When was the first time you left her alone ? How old ?
It was within the first week she was home with us. It was a very short time home - we just took a walk around the block and came back. We had a puppy cam set up so we could keep an eye on her. We gave her a treat and left without fuss or saying goodbye, which sounds brutal but is actually really good so that you don’t heighten their emotional response to entrances and exits. She slept the whole time we were gone. And when we came home we didn’t talk to her for the first 5 minutes, then we went back to normal. It sounds harsh but I really think it desensitized her to us leaving. Now that she’s older we don’t do the silent treatment thing, but we do always give her a treat puzzle before we leave the house!
What is that cuddle animal exactly? With a heartbeat in it?? Where did you get it?
It’s called a Snuggly Puppy toy. Google it - it’s sold lots of places!
When did she sort out going to the door to go pee or poo. We're trying bell training with ours too and she still has accidents inside. She's only 10 weeks so I realize we might have a way to go.
Your baby probably won’t figure it out for a while yet. BUT it’s great that you’re practicing the “right” habits with her now! Pistachio wasn’t fully potty trained until 10 months I’d say. But by 5 months, she understood the expectations and would just have the occasional accident when we missed her cue or she was feeling stubborn, usually once or twice a month or so. For bell training, try teach her a cue to tap the bell first. By the time they’re 3 months old they learn commands like that pretty quickly. Encourage her to touch the bell, say the command (we used “ring”), and give her a treat. Repetition repetition repetition. Once she has it down pretty well, give the command before you let her outside to potty. Eventually - maybe many months later - she will learn those two things go together and skip right to hitting the bell if she wants to go outside.
@@backtobreeality when did Pistachio sleep through the night
@@grantmcalpine6364 probably around 2-3 weeks after we brought her home. You have to push them a little bit - they’ll be used to having breaks in the night. When she cries, give it 3-5 minutes to see if she settles herself. Maybe stick your fingers in the crate silently to sooth her too. If she cries past 5 min, she probably genuinely does have to potty. Make sure whenever you let her out for nighttime potty breaks you don’t talk to her - you don’t want her to look forward to that engagement.
So basically from day one the dog trained you
Did you get up before the pup so you could take her out to potty?
In the first couple weeks, we took her out for potty 2 times a night, usually on a timer but sometimes her whines would wake us up. Eventually we switched to a timer for one potty break a night, and then we tried going all night without a potty break and only took her out if she cried. Eventually she was sleeping through the whole night. We’d always give her 2-3 minutes of crying to see if she’d give it up - if it was potty related, it would usually continue.
@@backtobreeality Thanks so much for letting me know. I'm a little stressed about the new puppy but I know it's a process.
@@grantmcalpine6364 puppies are hard. But by the time they’re 6-8 months, you’re already seeing glimmers of adulthood, and adult puppies are such a joy. Most of your dog’s lifetime will be spent in adulthood, so just push through the puppy stage and you have so much to look forward to! And the nighttime potty breaks don’t last long at all. Set a routine and it’ll make you and puppy’s life a lot easier. And I know everyone says this, but you really will look back on puppy photos/videos and miss the puppy stage one day!
Feed em MEAT 🍖 and chicken 🐔 with a bit of high quality kibble for fiber. If they'll eat some veggies and fruit, that's good too.
I‘m really shocked how early people get their puppies. Please wait at least until week 10, better week 12. Puppies can absolutely walk outside without all of their shots. You just need to be careful with interaction with other dogs.
They don’t need to be spayed , that is more for stray/ shelter dogs . It is an unnecessary pain for them if they don’t have to.
While I didnt spay my dog - It's not unnecessary: Spaying your dog before they go into heat for the first time reduces chances of getting mommy cancers by over 90% and even after the first (but before 2nd) has a somehwat significant reduction. Should be something you debate with your vet and figure out what works best in a specific case.
I don't think that this is the latest state of knowledge on this matter
When did people start putting dogs in crates? Who started that phenomenon and why? It didn't happen twenty years ago that's for sure. People have had puppies for ages and somehow they never needed to be put "in a safe place" before. My parents' dog took naps with no crate in sight and somehow became a normal adult dog... And a STROLLER? It's not a baby, no matter how much you want to treat it like that. Go for a walk and let the energy out!
We don't do that in sweden 🙄
Our neighbor has two of these ankle biters happy dogs. There are better breeds.
We have had five havanese in my family and none of them bit ankles past their teething phase. Training and leaving time for maturity is essential for any breed’s full potential to be seen.
Ankle biters? That’s more of a shepherd thing, their bred to nip sheep legs. (Yep, I’m a shepherd owner) I also have a havanese, great dog.❤️