Want pedigree pup - should I only go to a breeder?

[irmacrabbe]

I'm looking for a Havanese puppy and they're quite hard to get hold of, there are only a handful of accredited breeders who won't have any litters for a while now.

There are a lot of ads on the internet though
and these dogs are quite a lot cheaper (for a reason no doubt). Should I steer clear of acquiring a pup this way? What if they have all the papers etc? And if anyone owns a Havanese I'd love to hear about it - we have a cat and I believe they get on well together (or at least don't annoy eachother!)

Is there a specialist online forum for your breed? If there is then I'm sure there will be a section on there for what to look for in a breeder, questions to ask etc.

I wouldn't go to someone from the net unless they are a proper accredited breeder who happens to be advertising through internet 'middlemen'. You could probably work out what they're like quite easily by going to visit.

You have to mentally prepare yourself to be super strong and objective and to be able to walk away from a litter of puppies if it doesn't feel right.

It's vey hard saying no when you are cuddling a gorgeous little puppy. Heart takes over head!

I found it much easier to have a list of questions that I would ask the breeder on the phone. It's much easier to say no thank you on the phone than when you are in someone's house gazing at their adorable puppies.

I can imagine Slubber! And definitely won't be taking DD - she spends all her free-time drooling over pups on the internet! I know some of the questions to ask but would you mind telling me which are the most important ones? I am a first-time would-be dog owner.

Slubber is SO right-I personally would only go to a breeder,where you can at least see Mum if not Dad of the pups. You are so right when you say there is a reason they are cheaper from elsewher"buyer beware" and all that.this pup will hopefully be a member of your family for years to come and a friend to your children-choose carefully and if it costs a little more for some sense of security-so be it....

Take a look on the kennel club website for puppies advertised.

Definitely only go to a breeder. The wait will be worth it, although I appreciate it can seem like a long wait

Even though the breeder we used was KC accredited, I still contacted the breed society to ask if they had any knowledge of her, the bitch and the sire and whether they approved.

irmacrabbe - i was looking for a labrador puppy so I found this thread on labrador forums very helpful, although obviously a lot of the health tests are specific to that breed.

iirc the kennel Club website has some good information on what are the desirable health tests for each particular breed.

I asked lots of questions on socialisation of the puppies, how often they were handled, were there any children in the house etc.

The other top tip that I read several times from lots of different sources is that a good breeder should be asking YOU lots of questions to check that you are going to be a suitable owner for one of their puppies. If they don't ask you anything at all, and only seem interested in your money then walk away

Ta daaa havanese forum with puppy section!

Please go to a KC accredited breeder. Ask them which vet they use then phone the vet for a reference. Too many puppies are from puppy mills and shipped in all over the place.

They look beautiful.

Thanks everyone, and Slubber for the link!

there was a similar thread on this a few weeks ago - the key thing to remember is that there is no short-cut to establishing whether or not the person selling the pups is responsible. even being KC accredited is, in itself, not a firm guarantee.(and advertising on the internet doesn't, necessarily, make them a complete no-no). go to the KC website and find the stuff on how to find a good breeder - there's a long list of criteria and only you can establish whether this paritcular pup/litter/breeder meets them. there are both general ones (like meeting the mum, seeing where they live, etc) and breed specific ones.

Please be aware that the KC accredited breeder scheme is sadly highly flawed, and there are puppy farmers on it. Not to say all accredited breeders are bad, but please do not think that that, or KC registration, is some sort of mark of quality. Sadly, it is not. In fact, a lot of very good breeders (myself included) have decided not to joint the Accredited breeder scheme because it is so flawed. For example, they recommend health tests, but do not insist upon them.

However, KC registration is the minimum requirement when looking for a pup. No-one who chooses not to KC register their KC registerable dogs will have a good reason, although they can probably come up with what sound like good reasons.

Speak to the breed club and ask them to recommend breeders who are planning a litter. You are least likely to go wrong finding a breeder this way. However, do still 'interrogate' them and they should do the same to you.

You are going to be living with the dog you get for years, so finding the right breeders is invaluble, not least as they will offer you support for the life of your pet.

Midori's right, as usual - another vote for going via the breed club, especially for a rare breed like a Havanese. It's easy for unscrupulous types to get hold of a pair of them then breed every season, knowing some owners are too impatient to wait.

Any chance you could get along to Crufts this weekend? There won't be any puppies to tempt your DD! When we were researching our dog, we already knew the breeder but went to Crufts, and saw loooooads of gorgeous dogs, and spent ages chatting to several other breeders who offered us good, practical advice, all of which made a big difference when we did take the plunge and open our house to chaos .

Oh, also - have you thought about rehoming an adult? Breeders who show their dogs often run on a couple of puppies to see if they make the grade; if they don't, they try to rehome them as pets. There's nothing 'wrong' with them - they might be slightly outside the conformation requirements, or might not like being trotted round the ring. The breed club will also have a rescue rep, who might be able to put you in touch with a Havanese in need of a new home. Puppies are cute, but having spent the summer welded to my spray bottle of carpet cleaner and chew-spray, I have to warn you that there are serious advantages - moral and practical - to giving a home to an older dog...

Yes wildfig, would in a way prefer an adult and have already tried to contact the breed rescue rep but not had a response. I can't imagine there would be many Havanese in need of a new home.

And Crufts sounds like a great idea, didn't know it was on, thanks!

My top piece of advice would be to get a crossbred dog, much less likely to have medical problems in the future and need to go to the vets

If you do go for a purebred dog the advice above is excellent but please get it insured.

when u go to see a litter please try not to pick the pup that charges out of the basket and starts yapping as its likely to be dominant equally dont pick the one you feel sorry for cowering at the back as it may not be emotionally mature. Also do not buy a pup from anyone who is selling them under 8weeks, a pup from a good breeder will have their first full vaccine (not just parvovirus)before you buy them.

Do as much homework on the breed as possible.
Look into the health problems the breed suffer with and meet as many adults as you can before you start looking. Most breeds have their own breed club and rescue, so talk to some owners and find out as much as you can about temperaments and personality traits and common reasons for them ending up in rescue.

As has been said the potential breeder, should ask you as many questions as you ask them. Don't be put off by this, it's a good sign ;)

When you meet the mother, she should be a godd representation of the breed in looks and temperament, well looked after and healthy. Ask the breeder about her lines and those of the sire and any problems that you might come across. If possible meet the sire as well, but if not talk to his owners on the phone and ask them the same questions.

Most good breeders will have a waiting list for their pups.