[minnies-mama]

Hi Everyone! In a few months I will be a new puppy mom. I am trying to be prepared and research which dog food and treat brand I should research. There are so many, I’m feeling overwhelmed.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lisa F-

It can be overwhelming, can’t it? What kind of puppy are you getting?

[minnies-mama]

I am completely overwhelmed!

A Havanese!

Ive always had cats. Never been a dog Mama. So any advice is greatly appreciated!!

[crazy4cats]

How cute!!! Congratulations!

Here is an article on the review side of this site that has some info that may be helpful: /best-dog-foods/best-puppy-foods/

There are so many different opinions on the subject. Where do you plan on shopping for your new pup’s food? I have two large dogs and four cats. I tend to stay buy more budget friendly foods and try to watch coupons, specials and sales. Right now I’m feeding Whole Earth Farms kibble and mix in canned for their breakfasts and in the evening, I add fresh foods to their kibble. I also feed Victor kibble regularly and occasionally Taste of the Wild or Eagle Pack as well.

Do you still have kitties? If yes, I sure hope they welcome your new pup! Sometimes it can be a struggle and other times not too bad when introducing them to each other.

[Jenn H]

Congratulations!
Boy are you in for a surprise. I think you’ll find the puppy to keep you much busier than cats. But I assure you it’s all worth it. When it comes to training you get what you put into it. All the other stuff you get so much more though. It’s a wonderful experience to raise a puppy.

A great starting point is nutrition. Proper feeding can go a long way in overall health.
I’ve only had large breeds so their requirements are much different.
There’s no lack of advise here when you reach out. I’m sure you’ll find this site very helpful.

[JeffreyT]

Hi minnie-mama, congratulations! Havanese is a great breed, very much like maltese, which I have.

Here’s some good information on the importance of a rotational diet. I changed my pups’ diet a few days after they came home and used probiotics, enzymes and pumpkin to avoid stomach issues, and still use first two for good digestion and to keep their immune systems strong.
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter gives excellent nutritional advice, and I use the Mercola enzymes, probiotics, krill oil and multi vitamin she recommends. Mercola also makes a natural flea and tick repellent that is the best smelling one I’ve used, and it works.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

I highly recommend the book Scared Poopless to help avoid cancer and other diseases later on. The author’s website is loaded with helpful advice on avoiding vaccine overdose (especially important for small dogs), and how to do heart worm meds safely.
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/

Mine get a variety of the five star freeze dried and dehydrated foods (all you have to do is add water) with some home prepared meals using Dr. Harvey’s premix and organic meat already made from Whole Foods. Their main meal consists of these foods, and at night they get a light meal of dry and a topper like lean meat, egg yolk, yogurt, cottage cheese, goat cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, a sardine from the can or ground salad or vegetables (never feed onion). As long as you keep toppers and treats under 20% of their daily intake, the diet will stay balanced.

I always get grain-free and gmo-free foods. Their favorite dry foods are air dried like Ziwi Peak, Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried and Wellness Core Air Dried. Some of the better kibble foods that my picky ones have eaten are Petcurean Go Now, Farmina, Amicus and Wellness Trufood Baked. You can call the companies to get samples, and make sure to get the small breed puppy formula. I always buy the smallest bags, and do not keep food over one month because it starts to go rancid.

The treats they go crazy for are Stella and Chewys, Orijen, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon, Primal and Dogs for the Earth. Dogs for the Earth also makes an organic food that they love.

Make sure to avoid synthetic shampoos and other toxic products. Earthbath puppy is a good one that is non-toxic. For face, when mine were puppies, I used Castle Bath which is a non-toxic face cleaner and powder to keep faces clean and avoid tear stains….cotton baby washcloths work best with this. Baby shampoo from the healthy food store is also good for faces. Avoid drug store brands because they’re loaded with toxic chemicals.
http://www.castlebaths.com/tear-stain-remover.html

Before I got my maltese I joined an online maltese forum where I learned a lot about food, training and grooming… you may want to consider one for Havanese.

Good luck!

[minnies-mama]

WOW!!! Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond!!!!!! I am pretty sure I will try Wellness core. I think that brand is the one I see that I like.

Do I only use dry, or wet food too? Of course I plan to speak to my vet, and our breeder. But I wanted to get some real people with dogs advice too!

I also saw A shampoo called Royal something…. can’t recall the name right now.

I just ordered my 2 crates, and a travel bag. I feel like I am nesting preparing for the arrival!

Thank you all for your advice!

[InkedMarie]

Talk to your breeder; hopefully they send you home with food. Honestly, don’t bother with your vet. Unless they’re a holistic vet or nutritionist, they get little in nutritional education. You may be lucky and find one that doesn’t recommend what they sell but it seems like many do just that. Good luck!

[anonymously]

I have heard good things about this book:
Dog Food Logic: Making Smart Decisions for Your Dog in an Age of Too Many Choices (check Amazon)
Author: “Linda Case is a canine nutritionist, dog trainer, and science writer. She earned her B.S. in Animal Science at Cornell University and her M.S. in Canine/Feline Nutrition at the University of Illinois. Following graduate school, Linda was a lecturer in canine and feline science in the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Illinois for 15 years and then taught companion animal behavior and training at the College of Veterinary Medicine”.

I find this site very helpful too: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/
Science-based veterinary medicine.

[anonymously]

Malaseb is the best gentle shampoo for dogs with allergies that require frequent bathing, otherwise, any gentle dog shampoo should be fine. Check chewy.com, compare prices.

Regarding food, mix dry with wet, 2/3rds dry, 1/3rd wet or a topper such as chopped up cooked chicken breast or scrambled egg (made with water), add a little water to meals.

Offer 3-4 small meals per day till about 6 months old, eventually feed 2 x per day.
I like Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base.
Another important tip, if you want to avoid professional cleanings, start brushing the teeth once a day. See YouTube for how to videos. I like Petrodex and a medium adult tooth brush. It is more economical to get the 6.2 oz tube, found at chewy.com

Regarding housebreaking, take the pup outside every 2 hours during waking hours, at bedtime, first thing in the morning and after meals.
In an ideal world 🙂

I almost forgot. Puppy proof your house, they chew everything in site for at least the first 1 1/2 years! Get a puppy gate or LARGE crate for when you have to go out.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by anonymously.

[JeffreyT]

No, Royal is not a natural shampoo even though they use words like natural and organic…they are marketing gimmicks. Dog shampoo companies are not required to list ingredients, so when they only list ‘key’ or ‘active’ ingredients that’s a red flag. If product does not say something like ‘no synthetic ingredients’ I would not use it. Unfortunately the vast majority of dog shampoos have toxic ingredients. There is a link to this article which lists some natural shampoos.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/1_4/features/5335-1.html

[Author]

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