About

Hello,
I’m Talbot, the Floor Manager at Don’t Make Me Beg and this is my sister, Paige, and Sandra is our mommy. I’m a parti colored (black & white) Havanese and my sister is a Havanese too. As you can see we come in many colors and some of us are bigger, like her, and some are smaller like me. Havanese are an old breed, you can even see us in some 17th century European art. We haven’t been in America very long, fewer than 20 years. My breed arrived here from Cuba through Florida. We were never allowed out of the country because we are the National Dog of Cuba and only allowed to live with very important people. Then a family moved to America with seven of us and we were introduced to this country through breeding. You can learn more about my breed on the internet at www.havanese.org.

Well, I’m 4 ½ years old, about 10 pounds and happy. You may think that’s young to be a Floor Manager, but I’m very mature for my age. Mommy calls it Reserved.

Our boutique really began in the Memphis airport baggage claim. After Sandra found me through the internet, my breeder drove me 2 hours away from my birthplace, Southern Breeze Havanese, (Paige came from there too, but we have different parents) in Maben, Mississippi to Tennessee to meet her. After the long car ride we went inside a large building and I could see through my red soft-sided carrier that people were rushing everywhere. Then I saw her, Sandra. I knew I just had to be with her and as she walked closer to us I started jumping up and down and scratching on my mesh window to get to her. I didn’t know she was actually looking for me. The closer she came I started barking, as loud as a little guy of 12 weeks could, to get her attention and out of my carrier in a hurry. Then I heard Cathy, my breeder, say to her as they met “you didn’t pick him, he picked you”. Mommy took me from my carrier as fast as she could, saying, “Oh Talbot, you’re so cute.” We kissed and kissed like two long lost friends. That was the beginnings of a dream come true for both of us.

At first we worked together every day. Well my mommy worked and I slept. She worked with computers and spent most of her time talking and teaching people what she was doing. It was so boring that I would fall asleep on the floor next to her, but we were together and that’s what we liked. To be together.

Months later, my mommy would go away for most of the day without me. I would miss her so much that I cried real tears while she was gone.  When she got home my face would be all wet and she would say she was sorry for leaving me and then we played for hours every night. She said she loved me so much that she wanted to find something to do that we could be together every day again. But then each morning she would leave saying,“I have to go to work to earn your kibble, I’ll miss you, be a good puppy, and I’ll be back soon.”

After some time my mommy was home all the time again, but she was very busy. What I didn’t know was that she was putting together a business plan for a Pet Boutique. After taking me with her to find a place to open the Boutique we decided we liked Grand Avenue. Mom liked all the people she could talk with during my pawty walk, and I liked all the dogs I could sniff out.

The only thing we didn’t have was a name for our shop. One day I really wanted to just stay home and play and mom had to meet someone. She was in a hurry, fixing her hair and wouldn’t play with me. I didn’t want to beg her to play, so I lay down, placed my head between my paws, and looked up at her with my sad puppy eyes. When she looked at me she said, in her “I’m so sorry I can’t right now voice”, “Talbot you’re thinking, I know you’re busy mommy, but Don’t Make Me Beg, just play with me.” All of a sudden, she started jumping up and down and singing, “Talbot’s a smarty parti; Talbot’s a smarty parti…”. You just named our store!

Mommy tells me that our vendors call her now just to say they love our name and want to know how she came up with it. She tells them laughing, “I didn’t think of it, my pup did, no, he really did “

Well it’s that simple. Don’t Make Me Beg was established to be together and provide our St. Paul neighbors a unique shopping experience for quality grooming, food, treats, and apparel. My mom only carries what she’s willing to give me, so you know it’s good for you too!

Stop in to meet us as soon as you can and thank you for visiting our website.

Talbot & Sandra
Don’t Make Me Beg
For Diggity Dogs & Kool Kats