| What We Learned About the Health of Our Puppies.... |
We fell into this Havanese world by accident. We were in search
of a new pet after our dog "Jaque", a Bichon Frise and a pet
store puppy died at an early age. Had we known then what we
know now, we never would have purchased a dog from a pet store.
You see, nobody ever explained to us about an enterprise known
as "puppy mills" (http://www.nopuppymills.com). We did not
know there were greedy people out there who breed their dogs
merely for profit and have no regard for the health or welfare of
their puppies. If people did not buy dogs from pet stores, back
yard breeders or anybody who either brokers or wholesales
puppies, these beautiful animals would be able to have long and
healthy lives. Our poor dog Jacque died much to early....He
suffered from cataracts, diabetes, and other health related
problems. We literally spent thousands of dollars in medical bills
because we thought the "puppy in the window" was so cute and
loving. Little did we know until it was to late, that he was going to
grow much to large to even be close to meeting the standard for
the Bichon Frise.
But he was a "registered" puppy and a purebred dog. How can
this happen? Thanks to many wonderful Havanese Breeders, we
learned about health testing and proper breeding techniques. We
now realize that the money we spent on our Bichon would far
exceed what we would have spent initially on a healthy Havanese,
bred by a reputable breeder. A good breeder's only concern is for
the betterment of the breed. Puppy Mills and backyard breeders
do not look at things such as breeding out inheritable defects,
improving structure, personality or the overall improvement of the
breed. If you plan on purchasing a Havanese, ask the breeder
why he/she is breeding. We ran into numerous breeders who
breed "as a hobby" and have no real purpose or reason to breed
other than to make money. They simply put two dogs together,
have a litter and make a quick dollar. Most reliable breeders are
seeking only to improve the quality of their own stock.
Believe it or not, most reputable breeders make very little, if any
money on their litters. A good breeder will have both the dam and
the sire tested for things such as juvenile cataracts, hearing,
elbows and hips. These tests can run into the hundreds of dollars.
Many people might ask why these tests are necessary and think
our breed is over tested. One might ask, "why test for hearing."
Obviously the dog can hear. But can he? If it happens that the
dog is only hearing in one ear, what happens if he is bred to
another dog that has the same problem? You get a deaf dog!!
Other expenses for the owners are the cost of getting their dogs to
be "Champions of Record" (which includes entrance fees,
training, traveling and related expenses), the expenses for
equipment, stud fees, and of course Veterinarian bills.
Before you decide to purchase your first Havanese, read, study
and learn about the health and health risks of the Havanese.
These dogs are wonderful and initially can cost a lot of money.
Consider the fact that if you purchase a dog where the parents
haven't had a history of health testing, your costs can become
astronomical. Once you become attached to these little puppies,
no amount of money will stop you from getting the dog any medical
treatment it may need. We paid over $1200 dollars for eye
surgery on our untested, pet shop Bichon Frise, and then found out
the other eye needed surgery. Because we did not do our
homework, we were not aware that eye problems were common in
the Bichon's just like they are in the Havanese. Unfortunately,
nobody told us about CERF Testing (eye testing) of the parents.
Buyer Beware!
of a new pet after our dog "Jaque", a Bichon Frise and a pet
store puppy died at an early age. Had we known then what we
know now, we never would have purchased a dog from a pet store.
You see, nobody ever explained to us about an enterprise known
as "puppy mills" (http://www.nopuppymills.com). We did not
know there were greedy people out there who breed their dogs
merely for profit and have no regard for the health or welfare of
their puppies. If people did not buy dogs from pet stores, back
yard breeders or anybody who either brokers or wholesales
puppies, these beautiful animals would be able to have long and
healthy lives. Our poor dog Jacque died much to early....He
suffered from cataracts, diabetes, and other health related
problems. We literally spent thousands of dollars in medical bills
because we thought the "puppy in the window" was so cute and
loving. Little did we know until it was to late, that he was going to
grow much to large to even be close to meeting the standard for
the Bichon Frise.
But he was a "registered" puppy and a purebred dog. How can
this happen? Thanks to many wonderful Havanese Breeders, we
learned about health testing and proper breeding techniques. We
now realize that the money we spent on our Bichon would far
exceed what we would have spent initially on a healthy Havanese,
bred by a reputable breeder. A good breeder's only concern is for
the betterment of the breed. Puppy Mills and backyard breeders
do not look at things such as breeding out inheritable defects,
improving structure, personality or the overall improvement of the
breed. If you plan on purchasing a Havanese, ask the breeder
why he/she is breeding. We ran into numerous breeders who
breed "as a hobby" and have no real purpose or reason to breed
other than to make money. They simply put two dogs together,
have a litter and make a quick dollar. Most reliable breeders are
seeking only to improve the quality of their own stock.
Believe it or not, most reputable breeders make very little, if any
money on their litters. A good breeder will have both the dam and
the sire tested for things such as juvenile cataracts, hearing,
elbows and hips. These tests can run into the hundreds of dollars.
Many people might ask why these tests are necessary and think
our breed is over tested. One might ask, "why test for hearing."
Obviously the dog can hear. But can he? If it happens that the
dog is only hearing in one ear, what happens if he is bred to
another dog that has the same problem? You get a deaf dog!!
Other expenses for the owners are the cost of getting their dogs to
be "Champions of Record" (which includes entrance fees,
training, traveling and related expenses), the expenses for
equipment, stud fees, and of course Veterinarian bills.
Before you decide to purchase your first Havanese, read, study
and learn about the health and health risks of the Havanese.
These dogs are wonderful and initially can cost a lot of money.
Consider the fact that if you purchase a dog where the parents
haven't had a history of health testing, your costs can become
astronomical. Once you become attached to these little puppies,
no amount of money will stop you from getting the dog any medical
treatment it may need. We paid over $1200 dollars for eye
surgery on our untested, pet shop Bichon Frise, and then found out
the other eye needed surgery. Because we did not do our
homework, we were not aware that eye problems were common in
the Bichon's just like they are in the Havanese. Unfortunately,
nobody told us about CERF Testing (eye testing) of the parents.
Buyer Beware!
