The Havanese Club of America, Inc.

HCA Education for Puppy Buyers

We are happy you have come to us for help in finding your new puppy or dog.  We can help you with questions to ask your breeder to information on how to care for your new puppy once you have it home.  People want to know if they should purchase a male or female and get stuck on a certain color.  Most Havanese owners will tell you that as a general rule with females they “love you” and with males they are “in love with you”.  As to the color part, you will find that a lot of the time your Havanese will change from the color you see as a puppy several times over it’s life time (Link to colors of the rainbow).  The next question usually asked is how much and do you ship?  You will find a wide range of prices for puppies, but the norm for a pet can be from $1,400 to $2,000.  It is not recommended that you pay that much for any puppy who’s parents have not been completely health tested, age appropriate, and the information posted to www.offa.org.  The HCA has become very proactive in helping you locate a breeder close to you.  Please check Breeder Directory and the link to Listing and Location of Local Clubs because it is better to find a breeder close to you so you can meet at least the mother and see how your puppy is being raised.  Some breeders live in more remote areas so it may be harder to access them but do make sure you spend time talking to them and are comfortable with them.  Your breeder should be the first person you can call when you have a problem or question.  If they are reluctant to answer your questions before you purchase a puppy from them they may not take care of your needs afterwards.  You also might ask for references or information on their vet.  You can also find several yahoo groups where you can ask others about their possible experiences with breeders.  After you have your new puppy you will find that there are several fun activities you can experience with him or her.  Check out more information on, Obedience, Agility, Flyball, Introduction to Freestyle, Therapy Dogs, and Conformation.