# Which puppy do I choose?



## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

Hi, I am new to the forum and new to the Havanese breed. I am trying to decide between 2 adorable male puppies. I am sure that I will be head over heels about either one and probably cannot make a bad decision.
The breeder is out of state, so seeing the puppies first is not an option, although I will fly there to bring the puppy home. Both puppies are cuddly and playful. One is more inquisitive and the breeder describes him as having the 'Look at me, I have arrived' personality of a show dog. He loves to be the center of attention. The other puppy tends to assess the situation more before joining in, but can also be assertive when necessary. Any thoughts on which one I should choose?
Iris


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## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

Others will chime in but I would explain my home situation (kids, husband, working hours, other pets, etc.) to the breeder and she should be able to guide you to the right puppy. Most breeders do assessments on their pups (and know them intimately after 8-10 weeks with them). Consequently I would rely on their recommendation after taking your lifestyle into consideration...


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

thanks, Donna -- the breeder said that these 2 puppies are so close that she feels either one would be a great fit for us. I am a little more drawn to the markings of the one who is more of a rascal. I was wondering if the inquisitiveness is a sign of intelligence, or whether it would make him easier or mire of a challenge to train.
Iris


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I personally would go for the 2nd pup you described ... more laid back, etc... often times once you get that pup out from his littermates he will blossom! that is what happened with our hav! Her breeder described her as shy and hesitant. We went to meet the puppies and had them 'evaluated' one by one as to how much they paid attention to the breeder, if they would 'melt' when the breeder put them on thier back, etc ... and the one that was "shy" was really just steamed rolled over by her siblings because she was small! She captured our heart and we have never looked back and never regretted taking the "shy" pup. and anyone that knows Tillie, knows she is NOT shy! LOL
anywhoooo, go with your gut for sure!! but know that a more demanding pup is going to test your patience for SURE! LOL


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

The inquisitive one might get into more things! I wouldn't judge by the marking, either, since those change a lot! My four year old is changing yet again right now! It depends, too, if you're up for the challenge. We are older and prefer a more laid back dog so you do have to figure in your lifestyle and your expectations.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

We have an inquisitive one (Finn, the gold sable). Definitely a challenge!  But so full of personality and that is neat too. It is too bad you can't meet them first and see which one chooses you. I haven't done a whole lot of training with him yet to tell you whether he is easier to train or not. And I need to. I think one needs to keep these inquisitive ones very busy. What training I have done with him, he seems to have picked up very quickly. And then some other things he has learned on his own, like getting up on the counter top and trying to stick his tongue in the toaster - that is the latest thing he did. We have had to put child locks on all the kitchen cabinets.

I see where you said the breeder thought either one would do well with you - my suggestion was going to be to ask the breeder after hearing of your lifestyle, etc.


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## precious_tan (Nov 13, 2011)

Is there a way you can watch the puppies play on webcam or video? May be that will help on your decision. When we saw Precious with her 2 other litter mates, we picked Precious. She was the one would let other to get on top of her, the first one to lay down. We wanted a more laid back pup, so we picked her. I am so excited for you, just follow your heart.


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

Thanks so much, everyone, for your great advice. I spoke to the breeder again and she actually recommended the inquisitive puppy this time because this past week, he has also been the one who comes over more often for cuddles. Up until now, I think she was leaning toward the more laid back pup for us. Ideally, if both puppies are still available when I get to the breeder, I will be able to let the puppy choose me. 
However, hearing about Finn getting up on the counter and putting his tongue in the toaster does have me a little worried. We are covered on child protective latches because my 2 year old grandson is here often. This will be my first time getting a puppy without having an opportunity to interact with him first, so it had been a difficult decision. However, I am sure that I will love whichever puppy we get -- how could I not?
Iris


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Welcome to the forum Iris,

I think it's great that you will be able to see the puppies if both are still available and chose. I personally always go for the one with more attitude, inquisitiveness and more potential for getting in trouble. lol I just love the dogs with the "I am here, so look at me attitude". We are also a busy household and a puppy that never met a stranger always worked best for us. 

When are you going to go pick up your baby?


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

I get my baby Jan 23rd and can't wait. Julia, I see that you are in San Francisco. We are in Santa Cruz.
Iris


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awwwwww, she is ADORABLE!!!! Jan. 23rd is an AWESOME day.. it's our anniversary!! LOL


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Hey Iris, nice to meet another northern california gal.  We have regular Havanese get togethers all over bay area. It would be great to meet up once you get your baby.


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Can't wait to see more pics!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

When we went to get Kodi, we had a choice between him or his sister. They looked like twins, except she was a bit bigger than Kodi. We sat down and they both came over to us, but Kodi is the one that jumped up to play and wanted to be held. So, he picked!


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

Michele, that is definitely the ideal. However, each time I speak with the breeder, she and I are both more sure that he is the right match for us, so let's hope he agrees


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

*Puppy is home*

A funny thing happened when I went to the breeder to get my puppy -- Danny, the puppy that I had chosen sight unseen, was not particularly interested in me, but his brother, Walker, kept climbing into my lap and cuddling, then going off to play, then returning to my lap. So, Walker,the laid back puppy whose picture I originally fell in love with chose me, and Danny just did not warm up to me. So Walker is my new Rudi. He is so adorable, sweet, cuddly, and smart. He is doing so well with the porch potty and has only had a few accidents in the house. He has already learned to fetch, and sit and drop the toy on demand. And he sleeps about 8 hours through the night in his crate on a table next to our bed. It seems that he chose us well, because it has been an easy adjustment for him and we are totally in love with him.
Iris


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Iris said:


> A funny thing happened when I went to the breeder to get my puppy -- Danny, the puppy that I had chosen sight unseen, was not particularly interested in me, but his brother, Walker, kept climbing into my lap and cuddling, then going off to play, then returning to my lap. So, Walker,the laid back puppy whose picture I originally fell in love with chose me, and Danny just did not warm up to me. So Walker is my new Rudi. He is so adorable, sweet, cuddly, and smart. He is doing so well with the porch potty and has only had a few accidents in the house. He has already learned to fetch, and sit and drop the toy on demand. And he sleeps about 8 hours through the night in his crate on a table next to our bed. It seems that he chose us well, because it has been an easy adjustment for him and we are totally in love with him.
> Iris


First of all, congratulations!!! Second of all, if I was you, I would start a brand new thread for your announcement of your new puppy - more people will read it probably 

Third of all, I wouldn't say it was a 'funny thing' that Walker picked you and you picked him after meeting all of the puppies - I would actually classify it as fate. Or something, -you know what I mean. You knew what the right puppy was for you and your family, and so did Walker.

So finally, as I said first, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! and good for you for going with your heart.

-Now you know what comes next, we need pictures...


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Iris said:


> A funny thing happened when I went to the breeder to get my puppy -- Danny, the puppy that I had chosen sight unseen, was not particularly interested in me, but his brother, Walker, kept climbing into my lap and cuddling, then going off to play, then returning to my lap. So, Walker,the laid back puppy whose picture I originally fell in love with chose me, and Danny just did not warm up to me. So Walker is my new Rudi. He is so adorable, sweet, cuddly, and smart. He is doing so well with the porch potty and has only had a few accidents in the house. He has already learned to fetch, and sit and drop the toy on demand. And he sleeps about 8 hours through the night in his crate on a table next to our bed. It seems that he chose us well, because it has been an easy adjustment for him and we are totally in love with him.
> Iris


YAY Congratulations! SAME thing happened when we went up to visit pups... I thought we were going to end up with the bigger "outgoing" pup and that one wanted NOTHING to do with us, wouldn't even let us TOUCH her!!!? Meanwhile, the "shy" little girl was snuggling between the kids and coming out of her 'shell' ...  when it's meant to be, you just KNOW it. 
Congratulations on your baby!!!!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Congratulations on your new little boy. This is such an exciting time. I can't wait to hear more.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Iris said:


> A funny thing happened when I went to the breeder to get my puppy -- Danny, the puppy that I had chosen sight unseen, was not particularly interested in me, but his brother, Walker, kept climbing into my lap and cuddling, then going off to play, then returning to my lap. So, Walker,the laid back puppy whose picture I originally fell in love with chose me, and Danny just did not warm up to me. So Walker is my new Rudi. He is so adorable, sweet, cuddly, and smart. He is doing so well with the porch potty and has only had a few accidents in the house. He has already learned to fetch, and sit and drop the toy on demand. And he sleeps about 8 hours through the night in his crate on a table next to our bed. It seems that he chose us well, because it has been an easy adjustment for him and we are totally in love with him.
> Iris


Exact same thing happened to me. The breeder and I had talked a lot, and we were both pretty sure about which pup I would get. But when I got there, it was Kodi who kept leaving play with his brothers to come climb in my lap, and he just melted my heart. I haven't ever doubted my decision.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Yes, it happened with us as well - with Augie. I have told this story before, but.....I had my heart set on the little black and white party girl. We were the first people to visit the litter so none of the puppies were spoken for. Held the little girl and there was no connection. The little black and tan male with the eyebrows was incredibly cute and when I picked him up, he snuggled in, and we haven't looked back. I am not sure people understand when they hear 'let the puppy pick you', until they have gone through it personally. But when it happens, you know!  I am so glad that both were still available when you got there so that you could experience this! It sounds like it is working out great!! Congratulations!


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Can't wait to see pictures!


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Waiting for Walker photographs


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## anaacosta (Sep 1, 2011)

Welcome, Iris. So which one did you get?! I'm so excited for you.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

What a great story! I'm so happy for you and your family. We want walker pictures.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Congrats on the new little pup Walker/Rudi!


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

*Choosing a puppy..hilarious or docile?*

Which one did you choose? We visited a litter of three (at five weeks) and found two of them (females) to be quiet and cuddly (one kept coming on my lap-but alas it was the one the breeder is keeping) while the biggest one, an adorable boy was hilariously running around inspecting things, flopping on his face because of his baby awkwardness and my husband was so charmed and amused by this little big boy (and small dogs are new to us-we've had labs but now are enchanted by Havanese) that I felt we should go for the boy. He seemed more attached to the breeder (loved her rubbing his belly) and less interested in (though polite with) us, but he was just such a bundle of personality that we fell for him. Should I worry that this will be a hyperactive Havanese? Are the girls generally more relaxed and easy? We are both retired and split our time between city and country (more country than city). Any advice would be appreciated. Puppy will not be ready to come home for a month. THank you.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I would not worry about him being hyperactive. He sounds like a typical, curious little guy. Having two boys and a girl, my experience is that the boys are much easier to raise. I adore my Ruby, but the boys were much more laid back and easy going. In the end though, whichever puppy you choose will be the right one.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

*thank you*

Thanks so much for the encouragement. This decision was so much heart (he is wildly cute and funny) over mind (the quieter girls were coming to us to sit in our laps) that I worried. Can't tell you how reassuring your words are.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Alcibides said:


> Which one did you choose? We visited a litter of three (at five weeks) and found two of them (females) to be quiet and cuddly (one kept coming on my lap-but alas it was the one the breeder is keeping) while the biggest one, an adorable boy was hilariously running around inspecting things, flopping on his face because of his baby awkwardness and my husband was so charmed and amused by this little big boy (and small dogs are new to us-we've had labs but now are enchanted by Havanese) that I felt we should go for the boy. He seemed more attached to the breeder (loved her rubbing his belly) and less interested in (though polite with) us, but he was just such a bundle of personality that we fell for him. Should I worry that this will be a hyperactive Havanese? Are the girls generally more relaxed and easy? We are both retired and split our time between city and country (more country than city). Any advice would be appreciated. Puppy will not be ready to come home for a month. THank you.


From what I've been told, gender doesn't matter much in Hav personality... You can have shy, quiet girls and boys, or busy, outgoing girls and boys. I personally WANTED a higher energy, high play drive puppy because that type is also usually better at agility and obedience. Kodi was DEFINITELY a "busy" puppy and, at times, Iw anted to wring his cute little neck. But puppyhood is a short period in a dog's life. If you are willing to put the time into training these more intense little guys, you can end up with an awesome dog. Now, as an adult, Kodi is a total love bug, sleeps under the covers and loves to snuggle, but when he's working, he's ON. We are always getting compliments about his intensity in the ring. IMO, the best of both worlds, if you can live through those puppy months!:biggrin1:


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

*Reassuring*

Thanks. What you say reassures our instinct that his high level of curiosity and joie de vivre suggested an alertness that would pay off in the long run. We are visited fairly regularly by our children's labs (one of which is very high energy) and we think Lucky (our new puppy's name so far) will be able to hold his own with them. He really is also quite beautiful, a nice square head with Irish pied coloring, white eyebrows, striped big paws. I'll post a picture when I figure that out. Not too good an image but a dear one of Lucky and his mom on my husband's lap (such a good mama-we weren't sure if she needed lap time herself or wanted to safe guard her baby-either way she is a lovely dog). Do appreciate this help. What a great forum.


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

*our new Rudi*

Actually, the one that we picked was the one who was less inquisitive. The more inquisitive one cuddled with the breeder, but not with me, and actually was quite shy with me. We had decided on him for the same reasons as you have -- we have a 2-year old grandson who visits several times a week, and he has a very active small dog who occasionally comes with the family for a weekend. My husband felt that the more active, inquisitive puppy would be better able to hold his own. But when I flew up to the breeder, there was no choice. The less inquisitive one was actually more active, repeatedly climbing in my lap to cuddle, then going back to play with his littermates or sit and look at himself in the mirror. I must admit, he is a great specimen. He has great stance, and I adore the way his little tail is always curled up and over his back. He prances around and just always appears to be so happy. Someone else wanted him as a show dog, but luckily I had first choice. We have had him for a little over 3 weeks now, and there is nothing reticent about this little guy. He has been easy to train, but had a 10-minute RLH session with my grandson this morning that was hysterical. Having said that, I think it is also pretty difficult to choose a puppy at 5 weeks because their personality is just beginning to develop. This is my first Havanese, and my first male dog, although I did have a male cat for 16 years. I am absolutely in love with this breed and I really don't think you can make a bad decision. I might have tried my original choice if I had lived close to the breeder, but I felt that since I was taking the poor little guy on a 2-hour flight home, I needed a puppy that felt secure with me. Turned out to be true because he slept on my lap under a blanket the whole flight. I was told by the flight attendant that it was against the rules, but he was just so adorable and quiet that she smiled and let it go.
Was the breeder able to make a recommendation?
Good luck. One tip that worked great was that we put Rudi's crate on a table next to our bed, and the first night when he whimpered a little, i put my fingers through the grate. He put his face against them and went right to sleep. Since then, we haven't had a problem. You are going to adore this breed.
Iris


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

oh my goodness, Rudi is ADORABLE!!! Congratualtions!!! I have a serious soft spot for black and whites!!!


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Thanks Iris. Rudi's coloring looks very similar to the one we've chosen and this is our first Havanese and first male puppy so we're on a similar adventure. Did your puppy wet his crate that first night? Or how did you handle it?


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

*Crate training*

There are probably others on the forum who can answer your question better because Rudi was 15 weeks when we brought him home. The breeder was kind enough to keep Rudi for us for a few extra weeks because we had a 2-week vacation planned for the middle of the month and I didn't want to bring him home for 2 weeks, then leave him for 2. It was a very difficult decision for me to go with an 'older' puppy, but I just felt so comfortable with this breeder that I decided it was worth it, and I haven't regretted it because he is a wonderful, well-adjusted, loving little guy. However, I am sure that there is a big difference between the bladder control of an 8-week-old puppy and one that is 15-weeks. If you do a search on this site you will probably find excellent info. Also, it probably depends on how your breeder has been pottying the puppies. Mine used a litterbox and puppy pads, so I began the first time I brough Rudi home. We have a Porch Potty on our deck, and I bought a ribbon of bells on Amazon and hung it by the door. Every time we take Rudi out, we push the bells with his paw and then put him on the Porch Potty and say "Go Potty". In a little over 3 weeks, he has only had about 6 accidents, and a few times he has pushed the bells and gone to the back door. Knowing the command has come in handy when we've been out for the day and have found a patch of grass here and there for him. 
Good luck!


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## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

Tammy, thanks so much. My goal is to get some pics posted today.. 
I think that Tillie is adorable, also -- I LOVE that white face with black button nose and eyes. She looks so intelligent.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Rudi is so cute, She has a very similar face to my Zoey. Zoeys head now is mostly black the small amount of white sort of faded away.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Suzi said:


> Rudi is so cute, She has a very similar face to my Zoey. Zoeys head now is mostly black the small amount of white sort of faded away.


Same with Timmy. He had a white stripe down his face, now it just looks like a little white swirl on top of his head.


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