Starrdust Goldens N Havanese

06/23/2024

Just in photos of my babies Pargo, Ziva and Twist running in the DOTCORNY Fastcat on June 8 and 9. They just love this game and I do too! Thank you to Charlotte With Dogs for the great photography.

06/20/2024

Fun for puppy and you! Mental exercise is as good as physical! Try it!

06/15/2024

"It's cute, except it's NOT!!!!"

Essential rules for all children to learn. All of these rules show respect for the dog. Active adult supervision is needed with all young children and dogs! There is no substitute.

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

06/15/2024

Happy 14th Birthday to my sweet love Rhett! There are no words to adequately describe what this little guy means to me. He has always given his all to everything we have done together. He never gave up as we both learned agility together and he had to learn alongside me which is no small feat! His happy attitude about everything is contagious. Many thanks to Sue Magoss, Bea Sawka, and Rita Thomas for entrusting this extraordinary dog to me.
And special thanks to my Rhett for passing on these qualities and talents to his puppies, grandpuppies and great grandpuppies! You rock little guy!
GCH CH Classical Master Rhett PCD BN RE MX AXJ OF TKN and extraordinary certified therapy dog

06/09/2024

Had a fun weekend at the DOTCORNY Fastcat trial in Canandaigua! A really organized and well run event. Twist , Pargo and Ziva all participated and ran like champs. They all appear to love it! Hope to have some action shots soon but right now we will celebrate Ziva achieving her BCAT title! She’s not as fast as her brother Baxter but she’s still pretty smokin’!
Ziva is a Gypsy/George pup and is 2 years old. She is now:
CH Starrdust Hey There Georgie Girl BN RN BCAT!

06/07/2024

So proud of our Pargo who finished his Beginner Novice and Rally Novice titles at the SOTC show in Syracuse today! Pargo is now: Am Can CH Almendares Pargo BN RN Can CGN NS
Pargo is also a Champion of both Lithuania and Poland, and was also #2 Top Dog of Poland 2020.
Pargo is co owned with Rose Kimber and Terri Bridger Fudge
Thank you to breeder Anna Szczepaniak for letting Pargo come live with me in the US!

06/03/2024

And more exciting news about Starrdust pups! Salsa and Tamara got first place in the Jabberwock Speedstakes at the Jersey Devil UKI US Classic this past weekend! Tamara reports that Salsa was “smokin’ hot” with times of 5.26 and 5.73 yards per second. That’s one speedy little girl!
Salsa is a Mia/ Rhett pup age 6!
Congratulations Team Salsa!!

06/03/2024

The Lyric Pargo babies are 2 weeks old today! Most have their eyes open. And we have a litter theme now which is Sing and Dance! Left to right: the girls are Melody and Aria. Then we have boys Mambo and Reggae. In the second photo boys Disco and ChaCha! They are little porkers. 🥰

06/02/2024

More great news about Starrdust pups! Elizabeth and Leo earned their NW3 Elite nosework title yesterday! He also placed second in Vehicles. Leo is a Splash/Gus pup age 9. Huge congratulations to Elizabeth Durkin and Leo!

06/02/2024

More Asha-J at her first show. I can’t handle the cuteness!!

06/02/2024

Asha-J at her first show in baby puppy class! Age 5 months.

06/02/2024

We had a long but fun day at the Dunkirk show on Saturday! Ziva finished her Rally Novice and Beginner Novice titles. She is now CH Starrdust Hey There Georgie Girl BN RN!
Little Asha-J participated in the baby puppy class. This was her first show and she did very well with the noise and commotion and gaited around the ring like a little pro. After that she sat quietly in a crate at the obedience ring watching Ziva.
Asha-J is Starrdust A Dream Is A Wish and just turned 5 months old!
All in all a very good day.

05/30/2024

FastCAT in training! Asha-J. Age 5 months. 😂

05/27/2024

I am so very proud of Dianne and Baxter! This past week they attended the Havanese Nationals in Rhode Island. This weekend Baxter finished his NAJ (Novice Jumpers with Weaves), earned two legs towards his Novice Standard title and one Fast leg in agility. He finished his Rally Novice (RN) title with a 98 and 1st Place. He earned his Novice Trick title (TKN). He also earned his Community Canine title (CGCA). Baxter was also awarded Agility Novice High in Trial by the Havanese Club of America. Such wonderful accomplishments for a young dog-Baxter turned 2 the end of February. I can't wait to see how far they can go with their wonderful partnership! Thank you Mahar for letting him shine!
Baxter is now: CH Starrdust He's Got Moxie RN NAJ BCAT CGCA TKN. Go Baxter!

Baxter's breeding is:
Sire: CKC CH AGMCHV Sonrisas George R US RE CGN NTD
AKC-CH MACH Sonrisas George R Us BN RE MXB MJB (George)

Dam: CH Starrdust Live A Little CD RE FDC AX AXJ NF CGC TKN (and TDI certified therapy dog)(Gypsy)

05/25/2024

We have new babies at Starrdust! Born on May 20th to Lyric and Pargo. They are a beautiful rainbow of color. 4 males and 2 females. Welcome babies! Still working on a litter theme!

Dad is Am Can CH Almendares Pargo Can CGN NS
Pargo is also a Champion of both Lithuania and Poland, and was also #2 Top Dog of Poland 2020. He is close to finishing his AKC Beginner Novice and Rally Novice titles.
Pargo is co owned with Rose Kimber and Terri Fudge.

Mom is Starrdust Sandia They're Playing Our Song BN RI NA NAJ CGC TKN

05/24/2024

One of my favorite things about being a breeder is seeing the love that my Starrdust families have for their pups and the way they include them in the milestones of their lives. These beautiful photos are of Peaches who was a centerpiece at her mom and dads wedding this past weekend. Thank you Megan and John for making me smile. What a beautiful wedding.
A little bit of history too...Megan's Mom and Dad got a puppy from me when Megan was 2 years old and 26 years later Megan has her own Starrdust puppy. I love it!!
Peaches is an Ember River puppy and is just turning 2 years old.

05/17/2024

Baby’s first top knot. Hard to see but look at those beautiful eyes!
Starrdust A Dream Is A Wish
Call name Asha-J
Age 4 1/2 months

05/17/2024

Congratulations to Bailey and her Dad David on earning her Canine Good Citizen certification! Bailey and David are headed towards Therapy Dig certification in the near future. Bailey is a Magic/Tango pup age 2!

05/12/2024

We had a beautiful morning for the Pink and Teal Challenge walk! Thank you to all of the Team Starrdust walkers! And many thanks to all the donors. The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester is a wonderful organization and has helped educate and support many of my friends. Donations can still be made to my personal fundraiser at:
https://e.givesmart.com/events/xbD/c/:9o1Vyk2Ev6t/

Looking forward to doing this again next year! Here are a few photos of our group.

05/09/2024

As summer approaches this is a good reminder as to why you should never shave your Golden!!

To shave or not to shave your Golden?? .. I share this excellent article each year and with the warmer weather upon us, this is a reminder on why not to be tempted to shave your Golden ..

Wait! By Nancy Bynes, NCMG of Nevada City

With warmer temperatures finally coming to Nevada County, many dog owners are exploring options to help their pets stay comfortable. Shaving off all that hair is probably the most popular option. Indeed, for some coat types, this is an ideal solution. Not for all. With the exception of hard-coated terriers, dogs come in one of two coat types: single coated and double coated.

Examples of single-coated breeds are poodles, shih-tzus, bichons, etc. This type of coat will continue to grow longer and longer, much like human hair, with genetics being the final determination in reference to length. Double-coated or fur-bearing breeds have coats that grow to a predetermined length. They can be further separated into open coats and closed coats. These breeds have a hard, protective outer coat (guard hairs) and a soft, dense undercoat. Examples of open, double-coated breeds are any of the spitz-type breeds, such as Siberian huskies, Pomeranians and chows.

This coat is designed to shed snow or ice and provide maximum protection against freezing weather. Closed, double-coated breeds have noticeably longer guard hairs, which lay down over the undercoat, sort of like a blanket. While the outer, or guard, hairs get wet, the undercoat works to keep the dog's skin dry. Examples include golden retrievers, Australian shepherds and Newfoundlands.

Single-coated breeds can be clipped down to the skin, and the coat will grow back pretty much as it was before. The same is not true for double-coated breeds. For this reason, shaving these dogs down is not a solution to summer heat.

Think of a healthy double coat as an old-growth forest. There is a balance with different parts providing different benefits. If you clear-cut an old growth forest, there will be immediate regrowth of a lot of young trees very soon. Unfortunately, they won't initially be the same kind as those you cut down. Instead, the forest has to start from scratch and spend decades, first growing ground cover and softwoods that provide an environment for slower growing hardwood varieties. It takes generations before the natural balance is restored. While on a much shorter timeline, it's the same thing with a double-coated dog. Guard hairs represent old growth, and undercoat represents ground covering vegetation.

The act of shaving a double coat removes the dog's natural insulation and causes his system to kick into high gear. He'll now produce coat to protect himself from extreme temperatures, sunburn and sharp objects. Since the top coat or guard hairs take a long time to grow, what the dog's body produces first is soft undercoat. That's why we hear people say, “I shaved my dog, and it grew back twice as thick and really fuzzy!” In reality, what happens is that the original coat isn't restored at all. What grows in instead is thick, prolific undercoat mixed with short new guard hairs. We call it false coat or coat funk.

So, why is this bad? Picture this scenario: It's 90 degrees outside. You're getting dressed to go work in your yard. Are you going to put on a light cotton T-shirt and sunblock or thermal underwear and a sweatshirt? A dog's shaved-down false coat is like that sweatshirt. It's dull, soft and soaks up water like a sponge. Burrs and foxtails stick like Velcro. Above all else, it's way too thick for hot weather. By the time that false coat grows out enough to protect the dog from sunburn, scrapes and bites (the usual job of the top coat), it is so thick that the poor dog might as well be wearing thermal underwear and a sweatshirt.

Remember, Mother Nature designed the undercoat to be extremely heat-retentive. Do you take your dog to a grooming salon? You can request a bath and blow-out. Virtually all modern professional grooming salons have high velocity blow dryers in their work areas. These powerhouses can literally blast the dead undercoat out of your dog's hair after a thorough bathing with minimal brushing and combing needed. The benefit to your dog is a healthy, balanced coat you can both live with. Sure, you could opt for the shave-down, but you'll more than likely be back in a month or so for another “shave-down” because your dog is cooking in its own hair.

Then, if you're like most owners who fall into this cycle, you'll intentionally let your dog's woolly false coat grow out all winter “for warmth,” only to have it shaved off again in the spring. In reality, all winter long while you're under the false notion that your dog is staying warm and dry under that thick layer of fuzz, his coat is matting, retaining water and mud and possibly even mildewing. It will stay cold and wet for hours. Do you see the vicious cycle that started?

In some cases, owners really don't have a choice. If there's an underlying skin condition, requiring removal of the hair, obviously shaving is the lesser of two evils. Same applies if the coat is so matted that shaving is truly the most humane option, affording the owner a chance to start over and improve their brushing skills. These are situations to thoroughly discuss with both your veterinarian and your groomer so you can make an informed decision.

However, if your sole motivation for shaving your dog in the spring is to “keep him cool,” you need to know that you're actually creating a far worse situation than you think. Aside from destroying coat integrity, shaved dogs are susceptible to a multitude of complications, including, but not limited to, alopecia, heat stroke and skin cancer, specifically Solar-induced Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Dermal Hemangiosarcomas. Sometimes, these complications are not reversible.

Nancy Bynes is a certified master groomer with more than 38 years of experience. She lives in Nevada City.

This article was originally published in the Nevada City Union, June, 2011.

05/09/2024

The Pink and Teal Challenge Walk is just 2 days away!
It is not too late to sign up. When you sign up it should be for the VIRTUAL walk as we will not be joining the official walk.
We will be doing an actual physical team walk with our dogs, and here is the plan: We will walk on Saturday May 11 at 11:00 AM. Our rain date will be Sunday May 19 at 11:00 AM. We will meet along the canal by the DelMonte Lodge Renaissance in Pittsford. Lots of parking. Wear your pink or teal! If weather looks iffy I will make a decision by 8 am on May 11. If you plan to walk please let me know so I can email you with changes of plans
Thank you and I look forward to a great walk. If you cannot join us please consider donating to my personal fundraiser at:
https://e.givesmart.com/events/xbD/c/:9o1Vyk2Ev6t/

05/01/2024

On Monday we said goodbye to Elle after a short fight against a rare, deadly osteosarcoma mammary cancer. The quickness of it all was unreal and devastating. Elle was the constant and loyal companion to my good friend Nora. She accomplished many things and loved to train, but I best remember her as a silly girl. She had a one track mind when it came to digging up rocks and then trying to eat them. Too often she was successful. While Elle was not a certified therapy dog she got Nora through many health issues over the years and I am sure speeded along her recoveries. In that job she was the perfect therapy dog. Elle had several litters of puppies for us at Starrdust and I don't have to tell you how many families have been blessed by Elle through her wonderful pups with Tain, Flame and River. We will forever remember:

Starr's Legally Blond CD BN FDC RE CGC TKN (10/20/2012-4/29/2024) (Splash/Blake)

RIP Elle. Show them the "Bend and Snap" up there at the Rainbow Bridge. Look for your mom Splash and your dad Blake too.

05/01/2024

So very true. Note her suggestion about Sniff Spot! Excellent and safe alternative for everyone.

04/30/2024

We are excited to announce that we have Havanese puppies on the way! Due mid May-go home date end of July. Now taking deposits to hold puppies. Please private message me for information. Photo of PAST cuties born at Starrdust!

04/29/2024

The Pink and Teal Challenge Walk is less than 2 weeks away!
For those of you that have been Starrdust family members for years, you may recall that we do a team walk every year. It is so much fun. But times have changed and many fundraising walks don't allow dogs and frankly I think that walking in a large crowd of people is very stressful for our dogs. Here is the perfect way for us to walk as Team Starrdust and donate to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester! Please consider signing up. When you sign up it should be for the VIRTUAL walk as we will not be joining the official walk.
I would like to do an actual physical team walk with our dogs, so here is the plan: We will walk on Saturday May 11 at 11:00 AM. Our rain date will be Sunday May 19 at 11:00 AM. We will meet along the canal by the DelMonte Lodge Renaissance in Pittsford. Lots of parking. Wear your pink or teal! If weather looks iffy I will make a decision by 8 am on May 11. If you plan to walk please let me know so I can email you with changes of plans
Thank you and I look forward to a great walk. If you cannot join us please consider donating to my personal fundraiser at:
https://e.givesmart.com/events/xbD/c/:9o1Vyk2Ev6t/

04/26/2024

Meet Asha-J. My keeper puppy from my Kensi/Gnocchi litter. Now 16 weeks old and super spunky. She thinks the full size agility teeter is her personal toy. And did I mention that she is Adorable??? From the DREAM litter:

Starrdust A Dream Is A Wish

Many thanks to Kat at Narwyn Havanese for letting me breed to her gorgeous Gnocchi and to my friend Jan ( in loving memory)for helping me plan and dreaming with me about the litter.
Parents are:
BISS GCHS Narwyn When in Rome TKN FITB (Gnocchi) X
GCH Starrdust Livin' The Dream RA CGC (Kensi)

04/23/2024

Always good to keep an updated list handy in case of emergency.

04/18/2024

It's hard to believe that my beautiful Gypsy is 8 years old today! She's enjoying her life of leisure and ruling the roost-keeping all the younger ones in line!Like her sire, Rhett, she is very well rounded and gives her all in any endeavor (but mostly on her terms lol). She has blessed me with many beautiful puppies-among them my keepers, Kensi and Ziva. Happy Birthday Gypsy!

CH Starrdust Live A Little CD RE FDC AX AXJ NF CGC TKN and TDI certified therapy dog

04/16/2024

Great opportunity for Buffalo area families who want to do therapy dog work!

Therapy Dog - Therapy Dog Classes   Beginner Therapy Dog Class covers all basic foundations that a Therapy K9 Candidate will need to become a confident and

03/08/2024

When it’s time to get ready to go to your forever home 🥰