F.A.Q.

Q. What is the History of the Havanese Breed?

A. There is a fair amount of mythology that has been built up around our breed, and I’ll let you decide which parts you want to believe. Here is a link to the “official” history on the Havanese Club of America website.

According to the genetic work done by UC Davis, “The results of the present study suggests that the modern Havanese is more likely a recreated breed resulting from crosses between a number of different small breeds possibly including Blanquito, and other dogs of shared ancestry.” For more information, visit: UC Davis

Whatever you believe, there is one thing for sure. The dogs that Dorothy Goodale collected together were very genetically diverse, and that has been a boon to our breed. We have much more genetic diversity than many other breeds. We are lucky in that way, as it helps keep our breed healthy!

Q. What is your Application Process?

A. Once we have a breeding “in the works”, we open our applications, and announce the planned litter on this website and on our FaceBook group. We reply to all applicants with an email, so if you do not hear from us within a few days, reach out. We may have missed your application for some reason! Then we start doing phone interviews. If we seem like a good fit for each other, You and your family would be invited to come meet me and my dogs in person.  If we all still feel that this is something we want to go through with, once I get a puppy count by ultrasound (approximately 30 days after mating) I offer places to the appropriate number of of applicants.  

This is not a first come, first serve basis.  It is based on the best fit for the puppies and families. I get a lot of applicants, and typically, there are not many puppies to be placed. Families that already have one of my puppies are bumped to the top of the priority list. I also, as much as possible, I prioritize applicants who live within driving distance of us (Metrowest Boston Area). That does NOT mean that I never place puppies outside this geographic area. I have, but only to applicants who really impress me! I also prioritize those applicants who plan to use their Havanese in dog sports.  That does NOT mean you don’t have a chance if you are looking for a wonderful pet Havanese! The majority of our puppies end up in just that type of home!

Once we have decided that we want to work with each other, and I will likely have a puppy for you, you would pay your deposit. This is a refundable, good faith promise, on both of our parts, that we intend to work together to put a puppy into your home, unless things go awry. (which always can happen with live animals, though it very rarely does!)

Q. Can we pick the puppy we want? We want a red female with white feet and a white blaze on her face!

A. No. You will find that the answer is the same from almost all good breeders. there are many factors that go into deciding which puppy is best suited to which home. While we do take the wishes of families into consideration, the ones that make sense are more likely to be ones like, “I have an older female Havanese, and I want a puppy who won’t overwhelm her”. Or “I am looking for a puppy that is likely to do well in performance sports.” Those are requests I am likely to be able to work with! I CAN tell you that at least so far, all my puppy people have felt that they have gone home with “the best puppy”!

Q. What is the difference between a “health check” and breed-required health testing?

A. Sometimes you will see on a breeder’s website that they “health check” their puppies or their adult dogs. That’s nice, and that should be done too. But that is not the same as breed required health testing. Nor does it serve the same purpose. Every breed has some genetic problems that crop up from time to time. Good breeders are aware of these and do their best to test for and breed away from these problems within a breed. In the Havanese breed, the following tests are recommended for all breeding dogs and required for the dog to receive their “CHIC” number. Some breeders, including us, choose to do other testing as well. These tests should all be recorded publicly on line with OFA

1. An eye exam (CAER),

   It is important for your dog to have your regular vet look at their eyes during their annual physical, just to make sure everyting is in good working order. But for breeding dogs in our breed, it is also important to make sure that they do not have and pass on genetically inherited juvenile cataracts. The only way to do that is with an exam done by a board certified opthamologist, with the dog’s eyes dilated, as is done by a human eye doctor. If dogs are in a regular breeding program, this should be updated annually until about 6 years of age. If a dog is not normally bred, and someone chooses to breed that dog, I don’t have a problem with the breeder doing the testing before breeding the dog. Other problems might also show up on the CAER exam, but Juvenile Cataracts is the most important one to watch for in our breed. If you see something else on a dog’s record, discuss it with the breeder and your own veterinarian. There are some things that are noted on the exam that are not necessarily heritable, nor are they a problem for the dog.

   Juvenile cataracts were once a big problem in our breed, but breeders have worked together to largely make this a thing of the past. While it is important for us to keep testing, it is very unusual to find a dog with juvenile cataracts these days. This is what health testing is all about!

2. A hip x-ray

   OFA hip x-rays should, ideally be done when a dog is over two years old. The xrays are done to make sure that the dog does not have hip displaysia and also does not have Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Both of these are heritable diseases, though neither is common in Havanese. Occasionally, there is an instance where there may be a reason to breed to a dog that is not yet two years old, (this is allowable by HCA) and in that case, a dog may have “prelim” xrays done. “Prelims” done at 18 months of age are VERY accurate.

   Another way of certifying hips is known as “Penn Hip”. this is done under light anesthesia, and requires a specially trained veterinarian. It can be done as early as 4 months, which is appealing to some breeders who are making decisions on whether to keep a dog in their program, even though a dog should never be bred that young. Penn Hip is more expensive than OFA hip X-rays, and it can be harder to find a veterinarian trained to do Penn Hip. For this reason, most Havanese are likely to have OFA hip X-rays. Either one is just fine.

3. Patella (knee) certification.

   Patellar luxation is a potential problem in all small dog breeds, including Havanese. So all Havanese should be checked for patella luxation before breeding. This is not done by Xray, but is a physical examination by a veterinarian.

4. A hearing test (BAER), NOTE… NO LONGER REQUIRED!

   A “BAER” test is a one-time test that, up until recently, was required to be done on young puppies, before they went to their forever homes. This was the ONLY test done on puppies rather than just on breeding dogs. It is to test for unilateral deafness, since this is not always obvious, particularly if it affects only one ear and it is sometimes a problem in our breed. Tiny electrodes are inserted under the skin on the puppy’s head, and their brain waves are measured as they listen to various sounds to make sure that they can hear. It used to be that all puppies should be BAER tested before they went home. As of spring 2022, HCA dropped this requirement. Obviously, hearing loss in one ear is not a problem for a pet puppy, as they will still be able to hear with no problem. And there are other methods of determining whether a puppy has intact general hearing. But a dog with hearing loss even in one ear should not be bred. For this reason, I will continue to test my breeding stock, as I think it is important to keep an eye on this problem in the breed.

Because of the increasing prevalence of thyroid and heart problems in Havanese, we choose to test for those and record those on OFA as well. All of these tests are done on the breeding dogs, not puppies. As mentioned above, a “health check” from the vet is a good thing too, and all our puppies will have a general health exam before heading to their forever home, along with getting their first puppy vaccines and a microchip. That is NOT “health testing”, it is just “best practice”!

Q. What about DNA testing? Shouldn’t a breeder do that too?

In some breeds, there are specific DNA tests for specific diseases that are required by their breed club. That is not the case for Havanese, because there are almost no diseases that show up with any regularity in Havanese that can be discovered through DNA testing. A breeder who tells you they are doing DNA testing in place of OFA testing is not properly testing their breeding stock.

DNA testing can be useful in planning to avoid incorrect coat types, disqualifying colors, and for planning breedings for breeders who are interested in what colors their dogs might produce.

Q. Puppy Culture, and Avidog; what are they? Why does it matter?

A. The best breeders have been doing “enrichment” and “early neurological stimulation” with their litters since way before there were formalized programs teaching these concepts. The nice thing for newer breeders is that they can learn many of these concept all in one place. Puppy Culture is the program I use most. Avidog is another. I use parts of the Avidog program as well as Puppy Culture. Both are excellent programs. Just because a breeder does not use one of these programs does NOT make them a bad breeder. But you would want to know how they are meeting the early needs of their puppies and how they are addressing early training and socialization needs. This is an important conversation to have with a potential breeder. (click banner below for more information)

Q. Temperament testing, good, bad or hogwash?

A. It’s somewhere in the middle. We believe that temperament testing can be a useful tool. But it is ONLY a tool, and it is a “snapshot” of a puppy’s temperament based on his or her behavior on a single day. It can be influenced by whether she is sleepy or hungry at that moment, or whether his gums hurt because he’s growing new baby teeth! So the information gathered has to be added to what the breeder already knows about the puppy from day-to-day interactions with that puppy from the day it was born. What it CAN show is how a puppy reacts to totally novel stimuli and how it recovers from new and MILDLY startling experiences (like an umbrella opening on the other side of the room… we wouldn’t do anything to purposely “scare” a puppy!!!) It can also indicate which puppies might be more intrinscally food motivated and which might have more intrinsic toy drive. This information can help a breeder use her last few weeks with the puppies to best advantage, working on any “weak spots” the puppy might have.

It has been scientifically proven that puppy temperament tests have no bearing on the temperaments of adult dogs. So they are not a useful tool in deciding on which puppy should be placed with which family. But has mentioned above, they can be extremely valuable in helping the breeder fine-tune their last few weeks work with each individual puppy.

Q. “Soaping” for Structure; what the heck is THAT, and why should I care?

A. Most pet people probably don’t. But the fact is, Havanese have a LOT of adorable, cute, fluffy hair. And that pretty fluffy hair can hide a lot of sins in terms of conformation. We’re not talking about show-ring conformation here. We’re just talking about sound-dog conformation. One big problem in the Havanese breed is very crooked legs, especially front legs. It’s not uncomon for someone to go home with an adorable Havanese puppy and not realize until it is given its first puppy cut at 5 or 6 months old that it has a horribly twisted front leg. Every pet puppy does not need to have “perfect” conformation. There are LOTS of puppies that deviate from “show ring perfect” that are still perfectly fine from a health perspective.

Even among show and breeding dogs, NO dog is “perfect”. We choose individuals with excellent characteristics and find mates for them that compliment those characteristics while, we hope, improving on their weaknesses. We soap our dogs to assess their structure and inform our own decisions in terms of which ones we may keep, breed and show in conformation. We will share those “soaped photos” of your puppy with you upon request and are happy to discuss your puppy’s conformation, including good points and bad. Please remember that NO dog is perfect, and that a puppy that looks great at 8 weeks may change (for better OR worse) by the time he or she matures! There are no guarantees with biological entities!

Q. Conformation Showing; What’s that all about?

A. Conformation showing started as a way to assess breeding stock. But it’s more than that. It’s fun too! A lot of people find that it’s a wonderful family activity! When I started with Havanese, I really didn’t think I would ever want to show in conformation. I had a wonderful time competing with my “main man” Kodi in performance sports… Obedience, Rally, Agility… you name it and we did it! But then came along my “glamour girl”, Panda. Yes, she also could do the performance sports, but she was so pretty! So we decided to try some conformation showing. What do you know? With her complete amateur mom on the other end of the lead, she stared winning!

Then we got busy with her obedience career, and forgot about conformation for a while, to return to it later, when she finished up her championship very quickly! We believe that most breeding dogs should be “proven”, either in the conformation or performance rings. It is all too easy for breeders to become “kennel blind” and think their dogs are great. It is important to have other people assessing your stock as well! Besides that, a dog with a good disposition should be able to go out and perform in a public setting. I want breeding dogs whose temperaments are tested outside the home.

Especially now, when the advice is to delay spay and neuter until puppies are mature, if you are willing to handle their coats, and you have a nice puppy, I would urge you to talk to your breeder and consider giving showing a try! It’s fun and you might be surprised!

Q. What sports are Havanese involved with?

A. Havanese are involved with so MANY dog sports it’s hard to count! They excel in Obedience, Rally, Agility, Barn Hunt, Nose work. Tricks and Fast Cat. I even know one that does Carting!!! (with a teeny, tiny custom made cart!) I’d bet that you can find one in almost any sport that doesn’t require them to carry or pull something that is too heavy for them! They are game little dogs and always willing to play with their humans!

Q. Should I be buying a dog when there are dogs in shelters?

A. This is a decision that everyone needs to make for themselves. But NO ONE should make you feel bad for buying a purebred dog from a responsible breeder. Every responsible breeder will have a clause in their contract that says that any dog they breed MUST be returned to them if the owner cannot keep it, and that the dog must NEVER be placed in a shelter. So our well bred Havanese will NEVER be part of the “over-population” problem in the dog world. There are good reasons to adopt dogs from shelters, but there are good reasons to buy a well bred, purebred dog from a responsible breeder too. With that purebred dog you are getting a “known quantity” in terms of the kind of temperament you are likely to get, the kind of coat, the size of the dog, and the type of work the dog is likely to be suited for. Of course there are variations within every breed, but not nearly as much as between mixed breed shelter dogs. In addition, you are stacking the odds in your favor by starting with a puppy that has had the best possible breeding and careful up-bringing that the breeder could provide for that puppy. Biology still rolls the dice, but the odds are much more in your favor. So do NOT let people “guilt” you. Make your decision and feel good about whichever decision you make!

Q. I only want my puppy to be a pet. Should I even bother registering him?

A. Yes! In fact, it is written into my contract that my puppies MUST be registered with AKC. I do my best to produce top quality puppies, and it is important to me that these puppies be part of the largest and most complete data base of purebred dogs in the USA. Because all my puppies are also microchipped before they go to their permanent homes, this has the added benefit that AKC Reunite has my information and yours. In the event that your puppy should get lost or be stolen, any vet or shelter can scan his or her chip and get in touch with one of us, making sure that she gets returned to you!

Beyond that, I would love every one of the puppies I produce to at LEAST achieve their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) title because I think this is the basic level of training needed for every family pet! Your dog needs to be registered in order to apply for their title. Of course, you could obviously train to this level without applying for the title, but isn’t it fun to have a dog with a TITLE after his name? (I offer a cash refund to puppy buyers who achieve a CGC with their puppies)

Q. We have a Havanese puppy and we love him so much Should We get him a friend to play with?

A. While Havanese usually get along with each other just fine, no pet dog needs dog companionship.  They love their human family, and actually often are quite jealous of the new dog or puppy for a while.  That is not to say that they won’t adjust, just like children adjust to the arrival of siblings.  But don’t do it for your dog.  Your dog’s initial reaction is likely to be somewhere between “I don’t care.” and, “Are you KIDDING?!?! TAKE IT BACK!” (although just like human siblings, they DO adjust!)

Two dogs are great fun together if you choose wisely. However, let the first one grow up before getting another. I suggest two years between, but NO less than a year. Raising two puppies together is very, very difficult, and even two when one is an adolescent can make the older one back-slide in training.  And if your first is well trained, it will actually be a good influence on the younger one, making it easier to train your new puppy!

So, by all means, if you want a second Havanese, go right ahead! If you have the time and the money, you will love the experience!!!  Just don’t think you are doing it for your dog. AND… This is a guaranteed way to get to the head of the line on one of my litters… Prior puppy buyers ALWAYS get priority, simply because we already know you, and you are already “part of the family”!

Q.What is the official Havanese weight range?

A. I know there is someplace on the AKC web site that it says something about the breed being 7-13 lbs.  That is incorrect.  We have no weight requirement in our Havanese breed standard, only a height requirement.  That is 8 1/2” to 11 1/2" tall (at the shoulder). An 8 1/2" Havanese who only weighed 7 lbs would have VERY light bone structure, and would not really be an excellent quality individual, though I am sure they exist.  There are also Havanese that are "under standard" in height who would be in this weight range.  It should NOT be what breeders are purposely producing, though it happens.

On the other end of the scale, a dog who was within standard, at 11 1/2" who weighed 13 lbs would look... SKELETAL!  So that weight is SO far off to be completely laughable!  An 11 1/2" dog of "medium" bone, like my Kodi, and in very fit weight weighed about 17 lbs.  One who was lighter boned might be 15 lbs, and an "old fashioned" type, who was heavy boned; long and low on leg, but still at or under 11 1/2" at the withers, could easily be 20 lbs, even if in pretty decent shape.  Add a few "extra" lbs, as many people let happen with small dogs, and you easily get up into the realm of 25 lbs. 

I would say that a more reasonable weight range, that covered our entire "allowed" height range would be approximately 8-18 lbs "in standard" (and in good weight), and there will always also be a few who are registered, well bred, and for one reason or another either above or below standard size, and they may be above or below this weight range too. That is exactly why they took the weight requirement out of he standard. Please remember that a Havanese that is above or below standard in size is still every bit as good a pet as one within standard. They can also still be involved in all the performance sports. The ONLY thing that they cannot do is show in the conformation ring and they should not be used as breeding stock. So if, for some reason your puppy matures either larger or smaller than expected, don’t worry! You still have a wonderful pet!

Q.When can I take my Puppy for walks?

A. It sort of depends. If you live in a quiet neighborhood, with pretty much only other well cared-for-dogs, I would allow my dog down on the ground in the neighborhood a week after they have received their first and second parvo and distemper shots. I would not allow them down in the ground in a city, or public park setting, or the floor of a place like Petsmart or the vet's waiting room until AT LEAST 6-9 months of age, and IMO, I NEVER allow even my adult dogs in dog parks.

And when it comes to "walking puppies". What do you consider "walking"? A young puppy has not really learned to walk on leash, nor have their joints yet solidified. If you see an X-ray of an 8 - 10 week old puppy, it is alarming how unformed their bones and joints are! They are a "bag of muscle and sinew" still! Which is why they wobble into sits and downs, and why, if they do (heaven forbid!) have a fracture, it heals so quickly if attended to promptly. Thank you to Zeta Jones of Zaliamstaff New Zealand for permission to use this photo

Young puppies should only be "walked on leash” as in “the puppy walks and you follow it around” as it explores. Your job is to keep it out of trouble. You should keep it off pavement and hard surfaces as much as possible. Between the time you bring the puppy home and about one year of age, you should be playing with your puppy in the yard, and teaching him all the skills he will need in his adult life, which means a good solid foundation in loose leash walking. As he gets closer to the one year mark, this can include short stretches in the driveway and on the sidewalk as his skills improve, but no "real" walks before 6-12 months, and those should be very short.

Here is a great guideline for puppy exercise:

I send all my puppy people home with a copy of this and the Puppy Culture Spay and Neuter book also. (you can find that at the site above also!)

Q. Can we start Puppy K when the puppy is not “fully vaccinated”

A. You should absolutely, 100%, start with puppy kindergarten as soon as you can after you get your puppy home. In fact, you should be looking for a good puppy kindergarten as soon as you know you are getting a puppy and know the go-home date! Good programs fill up fast!  By the time your puppy is fully vaccinated, you are almost to the end of the age when they will even accept a puppy into a puppy kindergarten class. (typically 6 months is the hard cut-off)  Additionally, the “window” for easiest socialization begins to close around 16 weeks.  Not that you can’t get anything done after that, but everything gets exponentially more difficult.

The AVMA has been very clear in its stance that they fully support enrollment in early puppy K classes before puppies have finished their full vaccinations, and that the risks are minimal. 

What you should avoid is taking your young puppy to places where you have no idea what sorts of dogs may have been there before you and what their vaccine status might be.  These are dog parks, pet stores, and for that matter, your vet’s office!  Never EVER put your puppy on the floor in the vet’s waiting room. Do not allow other people to pat your puppy in the waiting room.  You have no idea what diseases their dogs might have.  I would recommend that you not take a dog under 6-9 months into theses settings even if they are fully vaccinated.

Q. I don’t want my dog to be in a crate at home. is crate training important?

A. You can decide how often and when you want to use a crate once they are crate trained.  Some people, especially with just one dog, don't use them much at all in the house once the dog is an adult, and there is nothing wrong with that.  I do think it is a disservice to the dog not to teach them to crate quietly and happily, though, for their own sake.  Sooner or later, the dog will most likely need to be crated; at the vet, a groomer, when boarded, and they should ALWAYS be crated in the car.  So it is definitely important that they be accustomed to it, even if you don't plan to use it much at home!

Q. Why can’t we pick the puppy we want from your litter? (or color or gender)

A. While we are happy to take your wishes into consideration, we need to balance the needs of all puppy owners when we decide which puppy goes to each home. This decision is made at 8 weeks, after physical and temperament evaluations. First and foremost, when we breed a litter, we are doing so, not to produce a “product for market”, but to produce a puppy or puppies for our breeding program and for us to compete with personally. So the first choice is always our “keeper”. We also may give preference to homes that will show our dogs in the future, either in conformation or in performance events. So puppies showing that they will be a good fit for those roles will be placed in those homes first. We also know that the most important factor in matching puppies to homes is the right personality fit. We won’t place a puppy who is a bit sound sensitive in a home with 3 children under ten years old where she might be overwhelmed, nor would we want to place a wild, silly puppy who would thrive on lots of exercise in the home of an older couple better suited with a “couch potato” dog… no matter how much either of these families might like the “color” of the “wrong puppy for them”. Our puppy buyers always have the right to say “no” to the puppy we choose for them. That’s the best we can do. But I can tell you that so far, every one of our puppy owners has felt that they have ended up with “the best puppy”!

Q. Where should My Puppy Sleep?

A. I make sure my puppies are comfortable sleeping in crates by themselves here, in my home, before sending them to their forever homes. They go home with a stuffed animal and a blanket that smells like their mom and littermates. So there is rarely any fuss at all when they are tucked into their crate at night in their new home.

I do suggest that new families start their puppies out by placing the crate on a night table or chair beside their bed, where the puppy can see, hear and smell them during the night.  If the puppy does whimper, just put your fingers through the wire for the puppy to smell, but do not talk to them. They will most likely fall back asleep.

They may need to get up during the night to potty during the first week or two, and I instruct people to do this with minimal talk, gently, but no excess cuddling, and pop them right back into bed. If they haven’t pottied in 2-3 minutes, STILL tuck them back in bed, even if it means you need to get up again! You do NOT want a puppy to get the idea that prolonging potty time gets them to stay up longer! I don’t send puppies home until 10 weeks, so they often don’t need to get up at all at night at that age; certainly, by 12 weeks almost all are done needing it.

Once in a while, a family choses to have a puppy sleep somewhere other than in the bedroom.  If you will want your dog to sleep elsewhere eventually, this should start from the beginning.  Set up a crate attached to an ex-pen in the area that you intend to be the place the dog will sleep as an adult.  If at all possible, plan to sleep near the puppy on a couch for the first few nights so you can hear if he is having any trouble. Most do not, but just in case.

You MUST be either near enough to hear if the puppy needs to get up to potty, or allow the puppy access to a potty tray in an ex-pen, if they are not sleeping near you.  Do NOT force a puppy to have an accident in their crate!  Here is a photo of a good set-up for a puppy sleeping in an area of the home other than the bedroom.  The crate is attached to the ex-pen, with a litter box and a couple of toys.  The puppy can potty himself as needed and go back to sleep.

Q. How Much Exercise is safe for my puppy?  He seems to love running and jumping like a mad thing!

A. I think healthy, well conformed dogs and puppies who are landing on a reasonable surface will self limit in terms of exercise. People can certainly discuss this with their vet. I am of the school that if they can JUMP onto a piece of furniture, it’s probably safe to let them jump off. (assuming a safe landing surface) That is TOTALLY different than smarty-pants Havanese using OTHER furniture to access a high place like a counter and potentially jump off from there. Especially when the landing will be onto unforgiving kitchen tile! THIS has the danger of severe and immediate injury, not just long-term consequences whether it is a puppy or adult Havanese.

I do NOT believe in teaching young Havanese puppies to do long flights of stairs, for a couple of reasons. First, it makes their owners complacent about puppies on stairs, and puppies should not be doing full fights of stairs regularly until their joints close for the same reason they shouldn’t do agility. You risk long-term arthritic damage. In the short run, one mis-step and tumble down a full flight of steps could be the death of a small puppy.  It is one thing for your puppy to be navigating a few steps down into the back yard, or between different areas of the home.  But please carry them up and down full flights of stairs until they are well grown, and then carefully supervise them until they are over a year old.  Consider carpeting or a stair runner on all stairs to make them less slippery for your dog.

Puppies can be wild maniacs playing in the yard, but will quit when they are tired. Out on a leash walk with the family, they will force themselves to keep going, because it’s so much fun to be out and about with the family. They will appear to be having a great time. This is why leash walks should be kept to a bare minimum unless you are just following your puppy around on a leash until late in his first year. ESPECIALLY if walks are on pavement.

Q. I want my puppy to play with other puppies but sometimes I worry about whether she is getting overwhelmed. How much is OK?

Havanese play style is very distinctive in that they definitely prefer the side-by-side “run-like-hell” type of play!  That is why we love doing Havanese play dates!  All the dogs understand that kind of play!!!  MOST Havanese are NOT into a lot of wrassling past the puppy stage. (Thank HEAVENS, because it make mats!!! LOL!)

Whether you allow heavy, continued rough housing depends on a few things.  Are the dogs approximately the same age and same size? If there is a big disparity in age or size, keep an eye out that the smaller/younger one isn’t getting the short end of the stick too often, even if it LOOKS like they are having fun. Just because the smaller one is wagging and seems to be engaging, it may not be because they “like” it. It may be appeasement behavior, because the last thing they want is for that bigger, older, more powerful dog to become aggressive.  You may know (think) that won’t happen, but think about it from the dog’s perspective. They can’t be positive.  So they try to “nice” their way out of it.

If there is a significant size difference, and especially if the smaller one is under a year old, I would be extremely cautious.  You can definitely cause damage to immature joints during this period.  There is less danger of that sort of damage between same-size dogs. But that doesn’t mean that emotional damage isn’t happening!

One really good way to check and see if rough-seeming games are really consensual play, and that both parties are enjoying it is for both owners to separate their dogs for a short (30 second) time out to settle down for pats, cookies and perhaps a drink of water, a little distance apart. Do nOT call the dogs apart. GO GET THEM!!! Calling them allows them to practice ignoring your recall!  Release the non-dominant dog go after their break first.  If she makes a bee-line back toward her buddy, it’s a pretty sure bet that she was enjoying the play.  If, instead, she hangs back by her owner, it is a pretty strong signal that she’s had enough.  Do this “check-in” every 5-10 minutes, and you can gauge how things are going.  This can also teach the more assertive dog that the play session ends when she is too rough.  So in the long run this can lead to a better relationship!

Q. Is it true that Havanese do not shed?

All dogs shed and Havanese are no exception. It is a matter of how much and how often. Havanese DO shed, but they shed like humans, a few hairs at a time, which usually come out in the brush or comb.  The more you brush or comb, the less you get on the furniture and clothes!  Anyone who deals with cleaning out the drain in the shower knows that humans shed too! And just like humans, some shed more than others. But no Havanese shed their entire undercoats twice a year, the way “shedding breeds” do.

They do shed their puppy coat during adolescence. This is known as “blowing coat”, and often leads to a lot of matting and a lot of extra grooming needed during that period. They can also “blow coat” as a result of a serious illness, especially one that includes having a high fever, and females who have puppies often “blow coat” after having a litter. But otherwise, once a Havanese has their adult coat, there is very little shedding.

Q. Do Havanese bark a lot?I am moving into a pet-friendly apartment soon. We are looking for an affectionate, companion dog and considering a Havanese. Since we will be living in an apartment, this is a concern for me. I read conflicting information online. Some people say they don't bark much and some say they bark a lot.

A. Havanese are dogs, and dogs bark. As breeds go, they are not a particularly barky breed, but that does NOT mean they don’t bark. Some bark more than others. There are no guarantees. Most will “alarm bark” and they can certainly become “demand barkers” if that is allowed, so nip that behavior in the bud if it crops up! A lot of it depends on how the puppy is trained.

Like almost any breed, they will alarm bark when someone comes to the door, or when there is a delivery truck in the driveway. They can be taught to stop that when the owner tells them that s/he has the situation in hand.  I don’t mind alarm barking. If this amount of barking bothers you, you may want to re-think whether ANY dog is the right pet for you.

People often get puppies for the first time, when living in an apartment, and while in their mind they may think they are prepared, they are not completely ready for that first year of puppyhood and all the messy bringing-up it entails.  Like the fact that a puppy likely WILL be loud until you teach it not to be. If you are the type who is going to get anxious about what your neighbors might think during that period, your anxiety might very well make the situation worse rather than better.  At very least, it will make your enjoyment of the puppy less. And it wouldn’t really be the fault of the puppy, just a (Havanese) puppy being a puppy.

So think that part through.  Are you prepared for the reality that the puppy will make noise as a puppy, just as a baby human will cry as a baby?  They need to be taught how to behave properly.  If the owners respond calmly and teach them kindly and appropriately, they will learn appropriate “indoor voices”.  But if you think that learning period might be too much for you, a puppy (of any breed) might not be a good choice. One thing that can help a lot is to speak to your neighbors and ask them about their feelings about you getting a puppy. Explain that you will be doing your best to teach your puppy to be a good neighbor, and that you hope that they will bear with you during the process. It’s better to know their attitudes about puppies before you bring one home than after the fact!

Q. I was wondering about purchasing an retired show or breeding dog rather than a puppy. Have these dogs typically enjoyed the same comforts and routines as the other family dogs?

There definitely are breeders who rehome their retired breeding dogs, and also younger dogs who have not worked out as show or breeding dogs for one reason or another. But it does not happen that frequently, and both categories of dogs usually get snatched up quickly, because many people would like a well bred, adult Havanese without having to raise a puppy!. So you have to keep your ear to the ground, and be willing to wait. These dogs should, IMO have been treated as a member of the family! Mine certainly are! But it depends on the breeder, and you need to do your due diligence, just as when you are buying a baby puppy! When buying a retired breeder from a GOOD breeder, you will be getting a dog who has been treated as a cherished member of the family and has much more training than a puppy.

If it is a retired breeder it will often (though not always) be a finished champion, and may have other titles as well. Good breeders just realize that often, their girls (and boys) who will no longer be used for breeding would be much happier in home where they are either an only dog or one of just a couple of dogs, and the "star of the show" rather than competing for attention with a large number of other dogs, especially when some of the younger ones have puppies and they aren't involved. The price of retired breeders will vary widely, but will typically be somewhat less than for a puppy.

In the case of a younger dog/older puppy that the breeder has chosen not to go on with as a show/breeding dog, it is usually a really exceptional quality dog with one minor flaw that will keep it from doing well in the show ring, or that the breeder feels that she needs to choose between two very similar quality candidates of the same age and gender. These dogs may still be quite young, generally under two years old, and because of their age, quality and the fact that they may have had a great deal of training put into them, it is not unusual for them to be sold for the same price as the breeder’s litter puppies.

A stud dog may require some retraining when it comes to marking... It can be very hard to keep a stud dog from marking in a breeding household, and some breeders give up and just have their boys wear a "belly band". (I am SO thankful that my Ducky has learned not to mark in the house!!!) But once the boy is neutered, it is usually much quicker to curb this behavior than it is to completely train a puppy! This is not usually an issue with the girls, but they will still need some keeping an eye on, just because they will be a new dog in a brand new home.

Hopefully, spay or neuter (depending on the sex) should be done well before rehoming, so the dog has plenty of time to recover. But this is something you should definitely talk to the breeder about.

A good breeder may only be willing to place retired dogs in close geographic area to her home, to make the transition easier, and will probably insist that you spend a good amount of time visiting with the retired dog in their home; perhaps taking her for walks, etc. Don't be surprised if it is a longer process than getting a puppy. Even though Havanese are a gregarious, out-going breed, it can take longer for an adult dog to totally bond with new folks, and a good breeder will want to see that happening before letting you leave with their wonderful dog.

Be suspicious of a breeder who is willing to let you pick up a dog days after spay/neuter surgery, or without spending time getting to know the dog well first... Or worse, wants to send the dog to you without having met the dog at their home at all. some breeding dogs spend most of their lives in crates or ex-pens, or in commercial establishment, in groups of dogs, but not in a home. Those dogs will require a lot of work to potty train! That is not the way good breeders do it, but as I said, you do need to keep your eyes open!

On the other hand, it IS common for breeders with multiple stud dogs to either have a separate room for the boys (to avoid unplanned pregnancies!) or to have to "crate and rotate" if they have girls in heat. NEITHER of these are bad practices!!!

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