For years I have wanted another dog. I had a black toy poodle named Sam and he lived for 17 1/2 years and was everything anyone could want in a best friend. He understood my thoughts as well as my voice. When he died my husband was very sick with cancer and I couldn’t bear to get another dog at that time. After my husband died circumstances were not favorable for another dog in my life. I remarried and started a new life and a lot of hard work remodeling an old house and the time never seemed right to start over with a new puppy.
 

Then this year I decided I wasn’t getting any younger and if I were going to feel like training another puppy I had better get to it. I researched all the different breeds and finally decided the Havanese was the one for me. This little dog doesn’t shed, has no dander, is small in size but not in personality.
 

I started my search and was lucky enough to find an in-home breeder only 30 miles from my home. I called and she told me she had just bred her female the week before. I put my name on her list and began to sew dance costumes to be able to afford my new little girl. I worked and worked and by the time she was born I had enough to pay for her and the vet bills we all have to go through. I got to see the litter when the puppies were 3 weeks old and I selected my little one. I named her Nina (little girl in Spanish) which I thought was approiate since the Havanese is the national dog of Cuba.
 

I picked her up when she was 8 weeks old and we started our journey together. She is
a beautiful little bundle of soft white fur and a strong, headstrong personality. She is
loving and very smart but she is also very stubborn. The greatest thing is when she
learns something she doesn’t forget. (good or bad) We have discovered many things about each other. She knows I am going to pamper her and I know she is going to test my patience to the limit.  She follows me everywhere. If I leave the room I know she is going to be right behind me all the way. She has her special spot in the kitchen when I am cooking. Unfortunately for me it is between the stove and the dishwasher and I have to orchestrate my steps over her as I move about.
 

She lies very still and sleeps so I don’t have to worry too much about stepping on her.
She is four and a half months old now so she is big enough I can see her very well.
She has a little time clock in her tummy that goes of at 7:30 AM and she is ready for
her first outing of the day. We come back in, I wipe the morning dew from her paws
and belly and she goes under the sofa for another nap because she knows thats where
I am going to park myself for an hour or so until my husband gets up.
 

At night she knows the exact time to hide under the bed to avoid getting in her crate
for the night. She makes not a sound once her door is closed and we don’t know she
is there until the morning wake up call.
 

I know there are lots of trying times ahead to get her trained to be the “perfect” little lady but I can already tell the rewards will be many and the love we share has already become exactly what I need at this time in my life. Unconditional love from both sides topped with a nice bowl of special food for Nina makes a perfect relationship.
 

Maybe in another four months I can write about the progress we have made and how
well Nina had trained me.
 

Ginny L