Havanese Q&A | Working full time, barking, & more

Answering some of your frequently asked questions on the Havanese breed!
Managing Separation Anxiety video: • How we avoided SEPARAT...
Timestamps:
00:35 - When should you first groom them?
02:45 - Can you make a video on command training?
03:17 - How do you train a Havanese to not bark?
05:55 - When do puppies sleep through the night?
07:15 - Can you work full time away from home with a Havanese?
10:16 - Do Havanese like water?
11:24 - What do you feed Pistachio?
14:10 - Does Pistachio know you're pregnant and how are you preparing her for baby?

[@jeena2103]

For the first year of her life, my havanese stayed home for 9hrs a day, 5 days a week and she never had any issues (she is paper trained). So I think every dog is different and it is totally possible to have a havanese while you work full time. I walked and played with her before work for 30 minutes to make sure she was satisfied(and an hour after work), had several ball and puzzle toys wtih food for her to play with (and rotate them so she will not get bored). At work, whenever I would check the home camera, she would be playing with many puzzle toys, looking out the window and napping. She hated daycare (I took her several times but she just hated it). Now I work from home and she still naps all day and she seems annoyed when I wake her up 😂

[@backtobreeality]

That’s encouraging to hear!! Definitely different for every dog.

[@danaydania9817]

We recently got our Havanese puppy, less than a week ago. She is almost 5 months old. The first night she woke up in the middle of the night whimpering and whining. I shooshed her from my bedroom. From the next night on, I have been covering her playpen with a breathable blanket and she immediately lays in her bed and sleeps through the night. Oh… and I leave some classical music playing for her. lol.

[@jk79279]

Thank you so much for your videos! I’ve been considering a Havanese, and there isn’t a lot of content about them. Your videos have helped a lot and convinced me that Havanese are the breed for me!

[@cathysteele924]

I have a video suggestion for you, please. Could you do one on health considerations? Some topics that come to mind are managing neutering/spaying, keeping ears clean and free of hair, brushing teeth and/or having them professionally cleaned, nail trimming with clippers or buzzers, vaccination safety considerations, certification of puppy’s parents when considering a purchase (OFA, CERF, etc.), flea/tick management, best grooming tools for between groomer visits. On that last item, all the slickers seem so big for a little Havanese. I’d love to know what you use. Thanks!

[@annikagogan1781]

Love these videos! Picking up our havenese puppy a week from today!

[@backtobreeality]

Best of luck!

[@sairalisageorge4160]

I was waiting for u to post thanks for posting 😁😁😁😁😁🤗

[@mikaylapoon7540]

Thank you for this video as always! You are the best :) Counting down the days till I get my havanese baby!

[@backtobreeality]

So soon!!

[@carolineacker475]

Hi Bree Im So glad I came across your chanel. Ive been binge watching your vidio's 😁 & this one especially has come at the right time for us. Here in Australia No one hardly knows what a Havanese dog is!! We brought our little Ruben home 3 weeks ago which now makes him 11 weeks old. What a sweet little guy he is.. Our 8 yr old mini schnauzer has just now started to accept & play with him which has been a lovely thing for us to watch & see. You answered So many of my questions here So Thank You. Just with the food , Ruben has not shown any signs ( yet) that he is or going to be a fussy eater but some say having a 2nd dog in the house tends to help with this ( competition they think) I have found the easiest dog food to make , all I do is throw 1 kg of chicken mince & 1 kilo of any other mince you like ( turkey lamb beef) into a big bowl. In goes 2 raw eggs & about a cup of Frozen Vegie rice ( cauli broccoli carrot ) Mix it all together. I usually just get in there with my hands & then put it into 2 square cake tins lined with baking paper. Cook for 30 mins on 170c. Once cooled enough to lift out I pop it onto a cutting board & cut it into squares & then fill freezer safe containers. Your litterally making a meat loaf, freezers well & makes a lot ! Ruben has a couple of squares crumbled over his kibble & both my dogs loveee a teaspoon of natural greek yoghurt on top ( great probiotics) Hope you dont mind me sharing on here. Some people might find it easy & useful. It literally only takes a couple of mins prep.30 mins cook time & 5 mins prepping it into containers. So looking forward to meeting your New little human addition ❤ Pistachio Im sure will be fine. He is so darn Cute. Take Care & have a great week xxx

[@Eyl279]

can’t wait for your video on command training! you have such a clear calm way of communicating. can you also talk about how you fed your puppy and how many treats you gave?

[@backtobreeality]

Thank you so much for that feedback! Command training vid coming soon :) We started training with kibble when she was young, and then training treats (little tiny circular ones, various brands) when she was older and less motivated by kibble. I'll have to think about a good rule of thumb of how many treats we gave her - I'll try to include that in the video!

[@SydneeTrautman]

Wow this is super helpful! I’m trying to convince my parents to say yes to a havanese dog, this is great info to inform them about! Thanks for the help/love your channel!

[@backtobreeality]

Thank you so much!

[@toonu]

Thank you for your videos, they keep me informed. We got our puppy 3 weeks ago and have been tested and challenged every day. The not sleeping through the night is the worst.

[@backtobreeality]

Oh I've been there! The first month is the hardest. I can promise you that puppy will keep growing and turn into a dear companion instead of a chore! You're all just learning how to exist together right now - it's just a season though :)

[@diaml]

Very helpful, thanks! Do you do any grooming/baths/brushing/nail clipping/teeth brushing at home between professional grooming visits?

[@backtobreeality]

We groom her every other month, and in the off month we do bathe her! We’ll bathe her more if she gets into something. We also brush her on a weekly basis. Especially her ears, armpits, and base of her tail - those get matted. We don’t brush her teeth - we only use Dentastix.

[@GenXGranny]

What a delightful channel! I am the original Havanese YT creator (have you seen the old Gucci the white havanese videos?) Well, that's my channel that was stolen (I'm working with you tube to get it back!) Gucci is 16.5 now..if I get the channel. back..I'll do an update video. I love this breed so much! I just found your channel last night, your advice is very helpful. I have perhaps the most diva-ish havanese known to the world...her name was supposed to be "thumper", but we ended up calling her Gucci so much because she was so bougie! :)

[@cathysteele924]

I would appreciate a specific listing with links for the puzzle toys you like the best. I know you discussed several in this video, but I have seen others in several of your other videos, so I would like a complete list and your rating of them. Thanks!

[@teelw]

Do you have any tips for a havanese puppy that seems to bite a lot? The tricks I used for my last dog (not havanese) don't seem to work for him. Your videos are awesome!

[@backtobreeality]

Thanks so much! Can you describe the biting a bit more? Is it playful puppy nipping or aggressive biting/snapping?

[@sj9066]

Aw! Where is that cute cloud blanket from at 15:32 ?

[@backtobreeality]

H&M believe it or not! It’s a playmat. On sale currently 👀

[@anitakrell6660]

Thank so much for your videos! 1 question: we have the most adorable Havanese called Chispa. I’m in love with her, but we travel a lot… we have to leave her in a fabulous daycare even though I feel so guilty… we have to be 2 weeks traveling every 2 months. Do you think she suffer as I do?

[@backtobreeality]

I think if it really is a fabulous daycare, my hope would be that it has become her second home and she is content spending that time with her daycare family and fur friends. If that environment and staff is a consistent presence for her, it should help feel like routine and not abandonment. I would ask the staff how she does if you really are worried she gets depressed - they should have a good read on her behavior when you’re gone!

[@agnesepietrobon8994]

Thank you so much for your videos! They give me comfort... Most of the time I think I make all sorts of mistakes with my Havanese, Bilbo. Especially with barking/food. 😢 😅...Anywaaay, I have a question for you: when I got him, they told me he was a bit of a reserved one. Indeed I've noticed that, even if he loves us crazily, he tends to be very shy with strangers, sometimes even a bit scared, or he ignores them completely, which feels even stranger with a puppy. He's well socialized (met people and dogs and he never had a specific bad experience while with us) but he just looks like he's not comfortable with having people giving him attention and sometimes he ignores even members of the family leaving in the house. I was wondering: is it normal for some havaneses to be this shy? Did it ever happen to you?

[@backtobreeality]

Totally normal! Every dog is different. My family's Havanese that I grew up with is extremely anxious and would sometimes scream and run away when guests tried to pet him. Very embarrassing. He was like that from day one, even as a puppy. No history of abuse whatsoever. We ended up making sure people didn't force themselves on him, and as long as someone has visited for a little while, maybe given him some treats, and let him come to them on his own, he warms up. Sounds like your puppy is just a little introverted. Maybe try having guests feed him high value treats when you can!

[@agnesepietrobon8994]

Oooohhhh! Thank you so much!!! He's a sweet little one and I was afraid something bad happened before he came here. It's a comfort to hear that it can happen 🥺 I'll follow this advice - some of my friends cannot actually wait to give him treats 😂

[@MrsMRRoss]

We have a brother and sister that were both Chocolate. Now they are 2 years old and the mail is a very light grayish tan and sister is Iced Mocha aka Gray with white legs. Did yours change colors? My male dog definitely speaks English! I’ve owned some really smart dogs in my life but this dude is by far the best at understanding English. He knows on the first try. I asked him to relax and he put his little head in my hand and rested it with his eyes closed. No one taught him that, never had he heard the relax command… it’s wild. There so many examples just like that. Anyway, thanks for your video. Since you have owned this breed before how do you feel about breeding? We had thought about it with our female however ( her brother is neutered, we would never !) we are seeing there little knees (patella?) pop out of place at times and I think it might be irresponsible to let that trate carry on. What advise would you give on that? Thank you!

[@4everilldance]

Question my havanese is a male. Hes about a 1 and 3months old. Ever since he was a puppy he was HIGHLY ENERGETIC and enthusiatic about meeting people! And sometimesy friends and family find him to be alot. Does pistachio greet people like that as well? Any tips?

[@consuelaberry]

I’m going through this right now. It has to be in the breed

[@backtobreeality]

Your boy is about the same age as our Pistachio! They could be twins - she too is highly energetic and overly enthusiastic about meeting people. She calms down after the first 10 minutes but those first 10 can annoy people with her jumping up on them and initiating play. We’ve talked to a trainer about it and we’re convinced the only way to train her out of it would be if we don’t allow her to be so excited when we, her family, return home. And honestly, we love how she greets us so this is one area we’ve decided to be a bit selfish in :) We did teach her “go to your bed” and we also break out puzzle toys when we have guests over - those two things help a lot with distracting her from being all over people!

[@4everilldance]

@@backtobreeality omg! And also thank you so much for replying i appreciate it They! They could be twins we brought him home June 18th 2022! And his birthday is April 11th 2022! We love him! Yes so pistachio will have the same energy as my Silver then. I notice if I come in and ignore him it helps him calm down a BIT but I hate ignoring him. So I say sit and give him a treat that also helps but I hate treating him up lol to listen and he's also not food oriented so its not that helpful lol. Yes 10 mins about is about how long he goes energy crazy! Lol. I just wanted to see if my dog was completely in a world of its own . Thank you! And I love your videos!

[@4everilldance]

@@consuelaberry Has to be! Like i can deal with it because its my baby but other ppl its really a challenge for them lol

[@gracearch9194]

I have a havapoo and she just turned 1year in December. She does not like the crate and just barks and barks, I live in a condo and the neighbors have complained. What can I do?

[@lesliecarter8867]

My Havenese is 7yrs old his coat is silky.

[@fp6474]

My 4 months old havamalt puppy is very reactive towards people and other dog?? Can I do something

[@backtobreeality]

Four months old is definitely not too late to start some intentional desensitization training! I think my video on socializations & desensitization could help you out with this - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpWufamHgtSlr6c

[@andreasjohnsen8236]

Is it possible to learn how to trim and do it yourself?

[@backtobreeality]

Totally! My brother does his own grooming. There’s lots of videos out there on how to do it yourself.

[@andreasjohnsen8236]

@@backtobreeality than u for answering 😊

[@consuelaberry]

How do I get my 7 month old Havanese to walk up and down stairs. He’s petrified. I’ve got him used to the first 4 steps but he’ll only do it with treats not voluntarily

[@backtobreeality]

Treats are good! They build up the positive associations with stairs. If you have uncarpeted stairs, try getting some carpet inserts for each step. We did that with our basement stairs and Pistachio gallops up and down them much more comfortably. I have noticed Havanese have an aversion to hard floors sometimes. Beyond that, keep encouraging him with treats and praise. Maybe try literally leaving a treat on each step. Also maybe wait at the top or bottom of the stairs for him and encourage him to come to you.

[@marylouharkins5887]

Don’t have my Havanese yet but, my labradoodle would not even attempt stairs till he was 8 months old. Maybe your pup will do it when older.

[@yvonnediaz5158]

Hi! Great tips! Can anyone recommend breeders or rescues that are legit? It is so hard to find honest dog companies.

[@kimgadberry6095]

The more the dog is socialized and walked the less will they will be yappy

[@leanture3685]

Girl how on earth does the Liver gen mean they love water? Very, very far-fetched and wishful thinking!