Here are some Frequently Asked Questions and their answers.
Looking for a new puppy? The answers below may help you make your decision.
Looking for a Dog and you have Questions?
Consider going to your local shelter. There are 15 to 25 million dogs and cats killed in the USA and Canada every single year. These are great animals. They deserve to have great homes. We should all strive to be great enough to deserve them. If you do not find the dog you want or you are looking for a specific breed or traits in a dog, then look for quality breeders. Search the web for any breed and contact any of the representatives and talk to the breeders of the breed you are interested in. Ask them for the names of the breeders that they would recommend. And ask them what genetic health testing and medical certifications should be done for that breed.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, buy a dog in a pet store. Research establishes that 99% of the dogs in pet stores come from what we consider to be PUPPY MILLS. You are not saving that puppy, you are sentencing it's parents to lives of misery and the pet store will only get more to replace the ones sold. If you think you are getting a good deal on the price of a specific breed compare it to a respectable breeder, you are not getting a good deal at all.
Frequently Ask Questions
What kind of dog is that?
Havanese are members of the Bichon family, but are a distinct breed.
Havanese come in all colors and combinations of colors.
There is a really nice video about the Havanese
breed on Animal Planet's "Dogs 101"
Click HERE to check it out!
How big do they get?
Havanese range anywhere from 7 to 13
pounds. Height (at the shoulders) is between 8.5 - 11.5 inches.
There is NO such thing as a "tea-cup", "mini", "micro" Havanese, they
are a Toy breed and there is only ONE size.
Anyone claiming otherwise is NOT reputable.
The Havanese is small but sturdy, they should not be teeny tiny or appear
fragile.
I've never heard of that breed. Are they recognized by the AKC?
Yes. They are purebred dogs. They are a rare breed that many people may not be familiar with but they are a member of the Toy Group and were admitted to the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1996.
Can I get one from the pound?
You may not find a Havanese at your local shelter, however, there are
Havanese rescue groups where you can find some wonderful dogs in need of
homes, here are some links for rescues...
havaneserescue.com
www.rescuedhavanese.org
Can I get one from a Pet Store or
Online?
You should NEVER buy any dog of any breed from pet stores!!! No
reputable breeder would EVER sell their puppies to a pet store. Pet
stores buy ALL of their puppies directly through puppy mills or from dog
brokers that buy them from the puppy mills. Puppy mills are mass
commercial breeders. They have hundreds of adult breeding dogs producing
hundreds of puppies constantly. There is no concern for the dogs or
puppies, they are considered as livestock and kept in horribly cruel
conditions. The dogs are given bare minimal care, at best, and there is
no concern for the health or socialization of the adults or the puppies.
The puppies are often taken away from their mothers way too early, never
socialized and often have various illnesses and genetic disease. Often
times, people purchase these cute little puppies in the pet store
window, not knowing where this puppy came from or lied to by the store
employees and end up learning about puppy mills the hard way after
spending thousands of dollars in vet bills and tons of heartache trying
to save their sick puppy. Purchasing these puppies may give you
more problems than you bargained for and only encourages these
nasty places to continue to abuse and neglect these poor dogs.
There are also puppy mills disguising themselves on the internet as good
breeders with cutesy pictures of little puppies. Buyer beware!!! Never
buy a puppy from a website that does not show the parent dogs, has many
puppies/litters for sale at one time or has many different breeds. You
should never be able to buy a puppy by clicking a "Buy Now" button! Any
reputable breeder will want to know a lot about you before agreeing to
sell you a puppy. You should be able to see "PROOF" of health testing
done on the parent dogs (offa.org), just saying "my vet said they're
healthy" isn't enough! They should also compete with their dogs in
AKC conformation dog shows to prove that their dogs are a good example
of the breed. This is important to you because, if your looking for a
Havanese you probably would like it to actually look like a Havanese and
have the wonderful temperament they're known for. A good breeder is also
willing to let you visit their home, see where your puppy has been
raised and meet the parents. Sometimes we use stud dogs that do not
belong to us but you should always be able to meet the mother. If a
breeder refuses to let you come to their home or tries to get you to
meet them somewhere, run away, they are hiding something they do not
want you to see.
Most important...do your homework!!! Don't take the first puppy or the
cheapest one you can find, as they usually turn into being the most
expensive in the long run, as the saying goes..."pay the breeder once,
or pay the vet for a lifetime". I'll give you just ONE
example...Reputable breeders health test their parent dogs before
breeding. ONE of the things we test for in Havanese is juvenile cataracts, which is
genetically inherited. This test is done during an annual "CERF" exam
and preformed by a certified veterinary ophthalmologist. We do this to
prevent breeding dogs that could pass this along to their puppies. If
breeders are not testing for this how do they know they are breeding
dogs with good eyes and not producing puppies with genetic eye problems?
Here's my point...should your dog get cataracts, they will need to have
surgery or they will go blind...cataract surgery costs $1500-$3000 PER
eye!
Research breeders and know what red flags to look for.
For more info about pet stores, puppy mills and backyard breeders..you
can start here
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/
http://www.thepuppymillproject.org
- The "Illinois Pet Store Info" page should give you a good
idea about the types of places these puppies come from
http://today.msnbc.msn.com - WATCH THIS...NBC's
"Today Show" investigates online puppy stores
What else should I know about health testing?
Havanese are a pretty healthy
breed, but they do have some genetic issues, as does every breed.
Reputable breeders test their parent dogs for these problems before
breeding in an attempt to breed away from these problems and produce
genetically sound puppies. They never breed a dog without passing their
health testing.
Genetic problems which should be tested for in Havanese
parents include:
-Juvenile
Cataracts and Progressive Retina Atrophy (PRA) -
CERF exam
-Congenital
Deafness - BAER exam (Brain Audio
Evoked Response)
-Congenital
Cardiac Disease
-Patella
Luxation
-Hip Dysplasia
- X-ray evaluation
-Elbow
Dysplasia - X-ray evaluation
-Legg Calve
Perthes Disease (LCP)-disease of the
hip joint - X-ray evaluation
Once these tests are performed, they may be sent to the OFA and the
results will be publicly displayed in their online database. You can
type in a dogs name and any health testing on file will be displayed.
The dog is issued an OFA # for every passing test and a paper
certificate is sent to the owner. The Havanese Club of America
recommends that the "minimal" health testing for Havanese is: CERF,
BAER, Patella Luxation and Hip Dysplasia...if these minimal tests are
completed, the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) will issue the
dog a "CHIC #" along with a paper certificate.
We don't stop at the "minimum", we believe the more testing
the better and test all of our dogs for ALL of these problems before
they are considered for breeding. We are proud to say that our dogs have
completed and passed ALL of their testing!
For more information on health testing you can visit these websites:
CHIC -
http://caninehealthinfo.org/
OFA -
http://www.offa.org/
CERF -
http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html
Do they shed?
No, Havanese are considered Hypoallergenic and non-shedding dogs.
However, this is a little misleading and not 100% true. NO dog is truly
hypoallergenic or non-shedding...I prefer to consider it "drastically
less" than other breeds of dogs. The Havanese has "hair" not "fur" like
most dogs. They will shed some hairs, about the same amount a human
would, but you will NOT see pounds of hair blowing around your house or
all over you clothes and furniture. They are usually a very good breed for
people with allergies but can irritate some people with bad allergies,
but for most people it is very minimal and tolerable compared to other
breeds. If you have allergies, I recommend meeting with some
Havanese and playing with them closely to see how you react to them
before making a commitment.
Do they have to be professionally groomed?
No. Although most people prefer to have their pet Havanese groomed
professionally and keep the coat in a shorter "puppy cut" rather than
the long coat.
Click HERE to see
a picture of a Havanese in my favorite puppy cut.
How often do they have to be groomed?
If you are keeping your Havanese in a puppy cut, it will need to be trimmed about every two or three months. However, it is essential to brush their coats two to four times a week, and bathe them about every 2-3 weeks. Also, regular eye, ear, and teeth care is required. Nails need to be trimmed every couple of weeks.
Are they good with children?
Havanese are extremely sociable and seem to like almost every one. They are exceptionally good with children even when not raised with children in the house. However, it is a good idea to supervise any situation where dogs and young or unfamiliar children are together.
Are they too small or fragile for a home with children?
No. Actually, Havanese are a very good breed for families with children. They are a small but sturdy dog, a Havanese may be a much better choice than some of the more fragile small breeds.
What type of activities can I do with a Havanese?
Havanese were bred as companion animals. They love to be a part of the family. As well as conformation showing, several Havanese owners compete with their dogs in obedience and agility trials. Havanese are quick to learn tricks and love showing off to friends and family.
Are they just another "yappy" small dog?
No. They'll alert you when someone is at your door and to strange noises outside your home. Otherwise, they are quiet. Although, some Havanese are more "vocal" than others.
We are gone all day at work, how will a Havanese respond to this?
Havs have been lovingly referred to many times as a "velcro dog". Whatever room you are in, that's where they'll want to be too. They do not do well being left alone for long periods of time. And housebreaking then becomes a huge issue, as no one is home to train them. A Havanese cannot be an outside animal and must be allowed to live inside the house with it's family. If there is no one home at your house all week during the day, think how unfair this would be to a new puppy and an adult dog that doesn't like being alone in the first place. If you have another dog in the home to keep your Havanese company when you are away for long periods, this can help reduce their stress a great deal. But keep in mind that Havanese are like little kids. They demand alot of time and attention.
Which make better pets? Males or Females?
Both males and females make wonderful companions and family members. There is not much difference between the two. What I have noticed is that the boys seem love everyone equally and the girls tend to pick a favorite member of the family, they will go to the other members in the family, but if they have a choice they gravitate toward their favorite person. For this reason, I always recommend boys for families with children, the girls tend to be more of Momma's dog. But, these are very slight differences and both males and females are great, loving, family pets! There is also an old wives tale that most people still believe, that boys will "mark their territory", and this scares a lot of people away from boys. The truth is, BOTH males and females will do this! Only difference is boys lift their leg and girls squat! This behavior is like "calling" something..."don't touch it, it's mine!" and this behavior usually starts with sexual maturity. If boys are neutered and girls are spayed at the appropriate age before this instinct kicks in, this behavior is less likely to occur.
Why do I have to get my puppy spayed or neutered?
All reputable breeders will only sell their pet puppies on a spay/neuter agreement. This is to protect the puppy and the breed itself. There is much to learn before embarking on breeding dogs. It's so much more than just putting two dogs together to make puppies. It's important to know your pedigrees and lines, to health test (which is very expensive). Most importantly, there are some serious health issues to learn and know about which the average owner and back yard breeder may not take seriously before breeding, or even understand. You will not make lots of money breeding dogs, contrary to popular belief, if you do it 'right' by showing the dogs conformation events, health testing parent dogs and providing a good guarantee to new owners. Once you bring a litter of puppies into the world, you, the breeder are responsible for them for their entire lifetime in many ways.
What is "Limited Registration"?
Reputable breeders will only sell their pet puppies with Limited Registration. This is done with the best interest of the puppy and the breed at heart. Full Registration gives the owner breeding/showing rights to the dog. "Limited" means that the dog may never be bred or shown in confirmation events. If the dog is ever bred, those puppies produced will not be eligible for registration. This is the only difference between the two, and both registrations are proof of the dogs purebred lineage. Limited DOES NOT mean "Less"... it means "Protected". By offering pet puppies with Limited Registration only, the breeder can better ensure that their puppies do not end up in a terrible situation.
Where should I keep my young puppy when I bring him home?
At night, the best thing to do is keep your young puppy in his baby crate next to your bed so he/she can see you at all times. If he fusses at night, you can slip your fingers into the crate to reassure him you're still there. If he continues to fuss, he probably needs to go potty. You cannot expect a young puppy to 'hold it' all night long, so expect to get up with him for outside potty breaks once or twice a night for the first few weeks. Once he can hold it all night for several weeks, he can remain in his crate for bedtime, or he can then join you in your bed at night. During the day, when your puppy cannot be supervised, it's beneficial to invest in a puppy x-pen. Put his open crate in the pen along with his toys, potty pads or litter tray and his water. This gives him enough room to move around but to also go into his crate if he wants to, for a nap. Never let your puppy roam the house unattended. Young puppies can and will chew phone cords, or electrical cords not to mention the furniture! While Havanese are not destructive dogs and generally don't chew alot of things up, they do seem to like cords! So please keep your puppy safe at all times.
If we did not answer your questions please send an Email to: michelle@bryleesangels.com and we would be happy to help you.