Preview of what's inside

CHAPTER 1
Meet the Havanese
Is the Havanese right for you?
Are you ready?
Where will your puppy come from?

CHAPTER 2
In the beginning
Your puppy's parents
Early weeks of life
Puppy development

CHAPTER 3
Choosing a puppy
Just a pet
Male vs. Female
A dog for the kids
The working family
Shopping and supplies

What's in a name?
How big will my puppy get?

CHAPTER 4
Three to six months
Six to nine months
Nine to twelve months

CHAPTER 5
Puppy proofing
On the threshold
Summer safety
Holiday hazards
Candy and chocolate toxicity
Coping with winter
Veterinary care
First Aid Kit
Spaying and neutering

Housebreaking tips
Feeding and nutrition
Teething and chewing
Traveling with your Havanese

CHAPTER 6
Grooming
Haircut
Coat development
Shedding
Colour change

CHAPTER 7
Manners
Spoiled rotten
Learning
Basic training
Special senses

Exercise
Good for you, good for your pet
Crate training
Separation anxiety
Doggie daycare
Bedtime
Getting along

CHAPTER 8
Treats from the kitchen
Toys made easy
Happy Birthday
Long live the Havanese
Personal puppy records
About the author
About the book
Aknowledgements
Index

Take a peek into Chapter 1

Meet the Havanese The Havanese is a toy breed. In the world of dogs, the term "toy" is reserved for dogs that are very small in size. Toy dogs are sometimes referred to as lap dogs in reference to their diminutive size. The purebred Havanese is a member of the Bichon family, a group of small, long-haired, drop-eared companion dogs that includes better-known breeds such as the Maltese and Bichon Frise, and some lesser-known breeds like the Coton de Tulear, Bolognese, Tvetnaya Bolonka, and perhaps the Lowchen. This group of small long-haired dogs is very old and originated in the Mediterranean in pre-Christian times. The Havanese is the bichon of Cuba.

The Havanese is known for his adorable and cuddly plush-dog look topped with an incredibly luxurious silky, soft coat. His colour ranges from white to black and everything in between along with lovely two and three colour combinations and a myriad of patterns. His physical attributes, combined with his gentle, sweet disposition, sparkling personality, and engaging mannerisms all add up to a fascinating little dog. His irresistible charm endears the Havanese to everyone who meets him. When a Havanese joins a family, he looks forward to, and expects to be an important part of it. In return, he will give unending love, devotion, amusement, and pleasure. Making people happy is his greatest joy and goal in life.

Peek into Chapter 6

Have you ever wondered why Havanese change colours? Pawprints can help you understand this intriguing process. Colour change: Havanese are uniquely different from other breeds in many ways. One of the most intriguing of these differences is coat colour. Few breeds carry such a wide range of colour shades, patterns, and variations in their coats as the Havanese does. Havanese come in black, silver, chocolate, brindle, sable, red, gold, champagne, cream, or white, displayed singly or in assorted two and three colour combinations in a wide variety of coat patterns. It is not only the vast array of colours that sets the Havanese apart. Another facet of his coat is that the colour may change as the dog matures, thanks to an assortment of modifying genes. How much a coat colour changes depends in large part on the presence and relative strength of modifying genes. Some coats change very little or not at all, while others change so much that the adult dog looks completely different than he did as a puppy.

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