Q. How long have you been breeding dogs?
A. We raised a litter of German Shepherds in early 1980's then spent the next 10 years breeding and raising registered Tennessee Walking horses. We didn't plan on becoming a Havanese breeder and still don't believe we fit the 'normal' expectation. In fact I much prefer to think of myself as a steward to the breed and not a breeder.
Q. So why did you start breeding Havanese?
A. I actually wanted a show quality female for a companion dog. I wanted to experience the show world and attempt agility. After talking with other breeders who knew nothing of CD in Havanese and seeing some disappointing dogs in the show ring, I was convinced to help my friend provide an alternative. My mentor assisted in selecting a dog that fit into her 5-year program and my passion quickly grew for the breed. I got my first Havanese in 2006 and was required to show her to ensure she was recognized by expert judges that she was a quality Havanese. Also we had to agree to have all the necessary health tests done and certified as passed. We fulfilled all the requirements getting the Canadian Conformation Championship on our female and she passed all her health testing including: BAER, CERF, Hips, Patella and Elbows. We then chose a male that had also received his CKC Conformation title, passed all his health tests and complimented Jenga. Our first litter was born July 6, 2009.
Q. Can I see copies of all the health certificates and pedigrees?
A. MOST definitely!!! In fact, not only will I send them to you in advance, or show them on a visit to our home, I also include copies of the parents certificates in the puppy binder that goes home with every puppy.You can also see the certificates through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals website. I have provided the links for our dogs.
Jenga - OFA results
Raine - OFA results
Cane - OFA results
Ahi - OFA results
Spenser - OFA results
Q. How often do you have puppies available?
A. I work full time outside of the home and don't breed the Havanese to support our income. Also our dogs are family members and competitors so breeding them is a decision we don't take lightly. We plan on only offering one litter of puppies each year and prefer to target for spring babies ready for their forever homes before summer.
Q. Do you breed show dogs, companion dogs or performance dogs?
A. When you purchase a puppy from Seda Havanese you are not limited. Our dogs are from Championship lines and are Champions themselves which gives us every confidence that each litter should have at least one puppy with the conformation and attitude to present successfully to the show ring. However, we also believe that all our dogs should be companions first and foremost as that was what the Havanese was bred for. Our dogs are also very sound with great shoulder layback, short back, short hocks which lend to a balanced and athletic dog. With the proper training, owners can compete in Agility, Rally-O or another sport suitable for the dog and owner. We also have dogs in the Therapy program, family homes, with seniors, apartment dwellers and country homes. They have personality galore and are truly happy, healthy Havanese. That's not saying we don't LOVE to see our puppies and dogs in the competition rings, we just want to see them happy in the companion role they were bred for.
Q. Are you a registered breeder or belong to any clubs?
A. Seda Havanese is a registered kennel name with the Canadian Kennel Club and all litters are registered with the CKC. We also belong to the Hot Diggity Dog Agility Club that performs live demos and organizes NADAC trials. Family and work commitments restrict us from belonging to other clubs at this time.
Q. What kind of activities do you do with your own dogs?
A. We enjoy presenting our dogs to the conformation show but look forward to other arena's once the dog has received their title. We have in agility training 3 of our dogs all at various levels. We also have one dog certified with St John's Ambulance as a Therapy Dog. Since I keep my dog activities limited to twice a week maximum, it takes me a little longer to take outside lessons but I do enjoy attending seminars on various topics and practising at home. My favourite activities are what a companion dog is best suited for though ...walks, camping, hanging around....
Q. Do you train your dogs yourself? Or to what extent do you use professional handlers?
A. My dogs are my fur babies. I enjoy learning with them and the rewards of success are so much greater because we did it as a team. I do take lessons from professionals though and love to learn from anyone who is willing to teach.
Q. What titles do your dogs have? Why are titles important??
A. We put CKC conformation titles on Jenga, Cane, Raine and Ahi ourselves. Spenser was shown by a professional handler while he belonged to his breeder and received his CKC conformation title. Our dogs have done very well in quickly getting the CKC Title we set our sights on. Cane received his CKC Novice Standard Agility title in the summer of 2011 after only two weekends. Our next goal is to continue with Agility titles for Cane and Obedience titles on Raine. Jenga is a Diva and only likes to leave home if we are going camping. Spenser belongs to my friend Chris of Pixc Havanese and is happy being a certified Therapy Dog. We believe titles are important for a couple of reasons. As as potential buyer, you should care that the breeder enjoys their dogs and is always willing to learn with them. We also encourage our buyers to take classes and challenge themselves with their dogs as it gives us confidence that the dog is enjoying life and bonding with it's family members. To encourage buyers to challenge themselves, we give a cash bonus upon qualification of any CKC title.
Q. How many Havanese do you own?
A. I own six Havanese: Jenga, Cane, Raine, Ahi, Ru and Ella. I do co-own a few of our Seda Havanese puppies as they were willing to provide a 'show-quality' pup a wonderful companion home. That allows us to show and retain breeding rights for one or two litters and we can keep our own pack smaller. I do care for a few friends Havanese dogs that occasionally stay with us, but don't have anyone else's Havanese live with us.
Q. Do your dogs live in your home or kennels?
A. Again I stress our dogs are our family. They live in our house with us just as we hope your companion Havanese will live with you. After our evening walk, you'll find us relaxing in front of the TV or computers with our Havanese family surrounding us.
Q. Where do your Havanese sleep?
A. When we first brought Jenga home we decided to let her sleep on our bed with us and she still does as well as loves to sleep under the bed. When Spenser joined our family he was crated trained and I didn't want more than one dog on our bed, so Spenser's crate was kept in our bedroom so he could stay close to us. Since we appreciated the crate training so much, after deciding to keep Cane and Raine for future show or breeding consideration, we wanted them crate trained as well. Today you can find five crates in our bedroom - one each for Cane, Ahi, and Ella. Raine , Ru and Jenga all sleep on the bed...sigh. However Sunday mornings will find us all sleeping in late with everyone on the bed. The Havanese love Sunday mornings. The extra crates we use for meal time as with multiple dogs it's much easier to ensure everyone is getting their full meal.
Q. What other animals, if any, do you have?
A. While our children were growing up we had cats, budgies, hamsters, bunnies, chinchilla's, horses and other dogs. Today all we have left are the Havanese. Our German Shepherd passed away March 2011 and Jenga, Cane & Raine all miss her. Our one daughter has a Samoyed Shepherd cross that has also lived with us for almost a year so the our Havanese are well socialized with large breed dogs that are very gentle. That daughter is very active in rescue organizations and after being a foster parent for several dogs, has adopted her second Husky/Lab cross. Our other daughter has a Boxer that we puppy sit and are teaching Sparta to respect the smaller breed. We do have family and friends that encourage us to bring our dogs when visiting so they get cat and other animal exposure.
Q. Do you ever have older puppies or retired show dogs that you retire to pet homes?
A. We actually have waiting lists for our puppies since we don't breed very often therefore we just never have older puppies. We also won't re-home our retired show dogs as they are family. We're not sure what the future holds but we know that our priority is to the Havanese family we already have.
Q. Where are the puppies born and raised?
A. We setup the spare room next to our bedroom for momma Havanese to deliver her babies. This gives her complete privacy away from the other dogs , but still able to mingle with us. The babies will spend the first several weeks in that room until they are big enough to start being introduced to the other dogs and eventually join us in the living room. We have a special area setup to bring the babies into the living room at an early age for social interaction, however they return to 'their' room every night where we start their crate training.
Q. How many puppies do you generally have in a litter?
A. Our Havanese typically deliver between 3 to 6 puppies in each litter.
Q. Are the puppies paper trained, trained to go outside, or litter trained?
A. Havanese, like many dogs, have a natural tendency to keep their personal space clean and I've seen 3 week old puppies climb out of their bed to piddle on paper. I encourage the puppies to continue their cleanliness by changing their piddle pads OFTEN! It is very expensive as we probably use close to 100 pads every week, but it's worth it for the adopting families. I also have taught the puppies to be comfortable on artifical grass and have worked towards litter training. I'm less successful with litter training as I can't stomach when puppies eat the pine pellets but it's my goal to be more consistent. I also teach the puppies to go outside once they are old enough to play outside - weather permitting. Outside we have a large play area and reward when appropriate. Our adult dogs will ring a bell or get our attention in other ways if they need out.
Q. At what age to you send the puppies to their new homes? And are you willing to ship your dogs?
A. I prefer to wait until the pup is between 10 - 12 weeks of age before they go to their new home depending on the knowledge and experience of the family. The pup must be vaccinated, eating well and fairly consistent with potty training. We will not ship puppies under any circumstances but will work with potential homes for alternate solutions.
Q. Do your puppies come with a health guarantee? If so, how long is your guarantee and what does it cover?
A. All of our puppies come with a written LIFETIME health guarantee against genetic health disorders. We specifically discuss juvenile cataracts but are willing to cover any genetic health problem or loss that a vet or biopsy confirms is the cause of premature death. Depending on your vet, I may request to have my own vets provide a second opinion since they are extremely knowledgeable with the Havanese breed and our line specifically. We don't cover cataracts due to injuries or old age, cancer or other common ailments related to an aged dog. You can view our contract in detail.
Q. Do you microchip or tattoo the puppies before they go to their new homes? What about pet insurance?
A. Since I'm a CKC member, I register every litter with the kennel club. I then microchip every puppy before they go to their adopting family and register the puppy with a name selected by us to keep track of the litter theme. Every puppy also goes home with 6 weeks complimentary PetSecure Insurance with an opportunity to continue the coverage.
Q. Do you have a return policy? Or what if there is a health problem and I don't want to return the dog?
A. We are responsible for bringing the puppy into the world and take that responsibility very seriously. We are also very careful in where we place our puppies with the expectation it's a forever home. However, if your situation changes and you are unable to continue to care for your Havanese, we will help you to find another home or will buy the dog back to re-home. Under no circumstances do we want any of our dogs placed in rescue or shelter organizations! If the dog develops health problems confirmed as genetic, and you want to keep your dog, we will reimburse your vet bills up to the cost of the dog.
Q. How much do the puppies cost? Do you have a difference price for show quality, pet quality, female or male? Do you require a deposit and is it refundable?
A. Our puppies are $1750 plus a $250 deposit. There is no difference for male, female, show quality or pet quality. After all, the litter mates have the same parents, have been given the same care, are all micro-chipped and insured, and given the same health guarantee. We don't ask for a deposit until you have been approved as a forever home and we have selected your puppy - or the puppy has chosen you. We do not take deposits on future litters. The $250 deposit is refunded upon veterinary proof of sterilization.
Q. Will you be available for me to contact you when I have questions on rearing or training for my Havanese?
A. I love to hear from our puppies families and will answer questions to my best of my ability. If I don't know an answer, I have several friends who raise Havanese that I can also get help from. I had a wonderful mentor who is now a close friend and I believe in supporting each other. I also try to introduce my forever homes with other Havanese homes to encompass even more support.
Q. What do you need to know about me and my family?
A. In addition to the short questionnaire I have on my website I also like to call you and find out:
- What kind of activities you enjoy?
- When you holiday, what will you do with your dog?
- Do you have experience with training small dogs? Housebreaking?
- What kind of discipline methods do you use on dogs?
- Do you have a fenced area to give the dog 'off leash' play area?
- Do you plan on spaying or neutering your Havanese?
- As health studies show a higher risk to longterm health, are you willing to hold off sterilization until 12 - 18 months?
- If you had dogs previously, where is the dog now? If deceased can you provide me cause of death and age of dog?
- Do you had a vet you can trust or are you open to suggestions if I know someone more familiar with the breed that is close to you?
- I also want to know if you have researched the Havanese on the Internet. I recommend people wanting a Havanese Goggle 'CD in Havanese' to learn about problems some Havanese are predisposed to. I also encourage you to talk with several breeders and then feel comfortable to come back and ask me questions.
- I'm willing to learn anything else you are willing to share.
Q. How do you decide if we would be a good home for one of your special babies?
A. Trust! We need to feel that we can trust you and that you are sincere in your desire to care for one of our dogs. I also need to trust that you'll be kind and use positive reinforcement training methods. After that, we prefer to meet you in person so our dogs can check you out. If they like you, you must have good qualities that they can sense. I trust my dogs judgment.
