# New here!



## Denise

Hello Everyone,

I've been a lurker for while and this my first post. I'd have enjoy reading most of your post and have learn a lot. I've been in touch with a breeder and wondering if anyone has gotten any puppy from her the name is lovelink havenese. This will my first pet ever so I want to make sure i'm doing the right thing. 

Thanks so much,

Denise


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## Havtahava

Hi Denise! Welcome to the forum.

Lovelink Havanese doesn't ring a bell. Do you know the breeder's name or location? Have you verified the health testing of the puppy's parents?


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## mckennasedona

Denise, welcome to the Forum. You are in the right place to find out all you need to know about all things Havanese. What a wonderful choice for your first pet ever. Good luck in your search.


PS - lately none of us has heard of any of the breeders mentioned by new folks. One of these days someone is going to hit on one that we all know and then imagine the responses......


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## Beamer

There is no mention of any health testing on the website, plus no mention if they parents are champs or not. What sort of health guarantee do they provide? That is also not mentioned!

Ryan


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## Julie

:welcome:Welcome to the forum Denise.:wave:


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## whitBmom

Welcome to the group Denise. If it wasn't for this forum I would not have known what to ask the breeders out there to tell the good from the bad. Ask any questions you have, and believe me, nothing is ever silly. You wil find that this forum is a great place to get honest answers. Best of luck to you, your puppy is on its way to you


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## casperkeep

Welcome Denise to the forum...have not heard of the breeder that you mentioned. Where are you located....then maybe we can help recommend someone!!!!!


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## Doggie Nut

Welcome Denise! Glad to have you here with us! Proceed with caution in selecting a breeder! We have many knowledgable breeders and pet owners that can help guide you in your decision, so ask a lot of questions! How exciting....your first pet.....havanese a great choice too!


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## Thumper

Hi and :welcome:

I just looked at the Lovelink site, and honestly...I'd keep looking around if I were you. Some red flags are there isn't any information about health testing, some of those dogs look very small to me (? is that just me?) 

Are you in Washington??

Have you emailed the HCA for a referral in your area? That might be something to do. Take your time and find a great breeder that cares about health...it will be SO worth it in the long run, we hear way too many stories of impulse puppy buying and heartbreak/health conditions 

Nice to meet ya!
Kara


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## ama0722

Welcome to the forum  You will get many answers and opinions so don't be shy. Also there is a great search feature to look over some of the older posts!

Amanda


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## Denise

Thank you so much for all your responses. I spoke with the breeder her name is Thelma and ask the questions that I'd obtain in this forum. According to her she does all the health test and she will gladly provide me with that information....what I found odd is the price that she's selling them for. It's not the market price that anyone will paid for havenese (i'm kind of new at this). She was recomemded by one of my coworkers she got her havenese from her a year ago. I was doing some research on dogs, I was not sure which one I wanted until my coworker suggested on the Havenese once I read about them I felt in love right away. I have four children ages 14, 8, and twin girls that are three. And for the person who ask where I live I'm located in New Jersey.

Thanks,
Denise


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## Beamer

Hi Denise,

Welcome to the forum! (i forget to say before in my last post)

How much does she charge for her Havs??

Thanks,
Ryan


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## Denise

Thumperlove said:


> Hi and :welcome:
> 
> I just looked at the Lovelink site, and honestly...I'd keep looking around if I were you. Some red flags are there isn't any information about health testing, some of those dogs look very small to me (? is that just me?)
> 
> Are you in Washington??
> 
> Have you emailed the HCA for a referral in your area? That might be something to do. Take your time and find a great breeder that cares about health...it will be SO worth it in the long run, we hear way too many stories of impulse puppy buying and heartbreak/health conditions
> 
> Nice to meet ya!
> Kara


I'm sorry for posting this again! She was referred by my coworker. I'm glad I came across this forum so I will know what kind of questions to ask. My coworker did mention that he came with all his shot and is healthy. I"m not sure if she did more research on the breeder.


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## Denise

Beamer said:


> Hi Denise,
> 
> Welcome to the forum! (i forget to say before in my last post)
> 
> How much does she charge for her Havs??
> 
> Thanks,
> Ryan


She's charging $900.00 which is way below the market price. That's when a red flag pop on my head.


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## mckennasedona

Denise, that web site looks a little iffy to me. No mention of who they are or how long they have been breeding. No mention of anything really, just photos. Plus, when I googled the name it said something to the effect that "our company specializes in Havanese......(specializes was spelled wrong). I'm not sure any of the breeders I know refer to themselves as a "company." I'd turn and run from any breeder that referred to themselves as a company. That sounds too much like a business and not enough like a labor of love. Maybe I had the wrong link.


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## Thumper

Hmm..

$900? That's a big red flag to me.

When I was talking to breeders, they would say "YES, we health test". But they didn't. They just mean they take them to the vet for check ups and shots, some breeders define that as "health testing". I'd ask for CERF results, hip xrays of the parents, etc.

Ask for the dam and sires FULL registered name and go look them up on offa.org

You are in NJ? We have ALOT of forum members in that area that can help you find a breeder on the East coast. 

Kara


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## Denise

Kara, 

According to her she does all the health test required, what I found iffy was when I ask her if she can provide that information she said once we go until contract I will provide you with all the details. Trust me the price is very tempting but I don't want to end up with a sick dog that is going to cost me more. Thank you for pointing out "the company part". You guys are awesome!!! If anyone can direct to a breeder around my area I will really apreciated I'm in Northen NJ.

Thank again for your wondeful help!
Denise


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## Thumper

> once we go until contract I will provide you with all the details.


Wow. Too many red flags for me. I ran into a few breeders like that when I was looking, if they said anything that made me slightly uncomfortable, I moved on.

The way I see it, adding a companion pet to your family is a BIG commitment, and I'd rather feel secure than save a few bucks upfront...because the dog will be a part of your family and life for the next 15 years 

I hope some of our NJ peeps will come on this thread or PM you, if not...just start another thread for NJ area breeders, or go post on the NJ playdate thread 

Kara


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## Leslie

Has anyone PM'd Laurie about this thread? She's in NJ and can help w/breeders, I'm sure.

BTW, :welcome: Denise!


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## Denise

Kara, Thanks again for all your help.....I will indeed take my time looking for a reputable breeder. I have to say Gucci is beatiful dog how old is she?


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## Brady's mom

Denise,
I am about to send you a PM. My breeder is in the Philadelphia Suburbs and does all health testing, etc. She even has puppies right now. I will PM you with more information. I don't know anything about the breeder you mentioned, but I am going to check out the website in a few minutes.


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## Thumper

Denise said:


> Kara, Thanks again for all your help.....I will indeed take my time looking for a reputable breeder. I have to say Gucci is beatiful dog how old is she?


She is 10 1/2 months old. Thank you! :kiss:

When I was looking for a Havanese, it was really overwhelming because there are so many different 'looks', if you know what I mean? lol..but after looking at hundreds of pictures, I was really set on a certain structure, I guess you could say.

There are Hav-breeders online that have dogs that don't even LOOK like Havanese to me, LOL...more like odd mixes, so I know it can get tough. But, I think you have good timing, the waiting lists aren't as long as they were last year.

Oh, Yay! Karen is PM'ing you, I hope you get lots of PMs and great leads.

You are lucky to be in NJ, they have these big, wonderful "forum" playdates there, check out the threads when you get a chance! 

Kara


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## marjrc

Welcome Denise! 

I see some have already steered you in the right direction.  We are happy you found this place and choose to read up some more before making your decision. Seeing adorable looking pups on a website, but with nothing about CERF, parent's pedigree, testing, all that stuff..... makes it very hard to decide with your head instead of with your heart. You want to grab one of those babies up right away, they are so cute! lol 

None of her males or females have any championship, which means they've never been shown and awarded points as potential breeding Havs by AKC guidelines. Having "LL" in front of their names makes them sound quite "official", but it only stands for LoveLink so doesn't mean a thing! How can the breeder determine that the adults are healthy? By looking at them? 

As mentioned, there are proper tests to determine that and I would definitely not consider buying a pup from any breeder who doesn't take those tests seriously. Soaped pictures, along with those test results, will allow you to see straight legs too. 

I'm sorry, but you may have to wait longer than you'd like, but it will mean likely getting a much healthier pup. Good luck and hopefully we can be of more help to you!


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## Laurief

Denise, just sent you a pm with some info. Check out the New NJ Playdate thread --- thats what you are in store for!! And you better come once that puppy comes!! 
Laurie


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## Denise

I wanted to thank everyone welcoming here!!! I'm glad I found such wonderful people to help me with my questions. I will keep inform when I get my new puppy. 

Denise


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## susaneckert

Welcome Denise so glad you are doing your searching and if you have any questions you are in the right place.RED flags for sure. If she is not willing to give you the information before a contract run as fas as you can away from it,.There are a few breedersi n your area and you will see from the form just remember you want the testing on the parents then on your dog too. you will have your little fur baby until they are a min. of 15 years old you dont want problems that you can just avoid. what ever question you maybe have even if they seem dumb to you ask them we are all here to learn as much as we can and educate other in this breed.But remember once you get one of these little one you are hooked for life LOL they are a great breed where I live I am only allowed one pet but lucky for me the manager likes me so she said I can have too hee hee. and most important once you get your self a little furbaby make sure you have that digital camera too because we all LOVE Pictures and LOTS of them LOL glad to see you hear and asking questions good luck on finding a "Good " breeder Susan


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## EK8s

Hi Denise and :welcome:

You certainly have come to the right place! These wonderful Forum members have been a blessing to me and other newcomers as we search for our new Havanese. I've never owned one either so it's been a learning experience. I get my puppy in about a week and I can't wait. Good luck in your search!

Eileen


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## Denise

I also forgot to mention I'm only 20 minutes away from NYC so if any of you know breeders in NY please provide me with that information. It's time for me to go home it was a pleasure talking with you. 

Denise


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## Lina

Denise, if you live in New Jersey you know that means that when you get your puppy you MUST come to our NJ play dates! I'm in NYC and go, so you have to go since you live in NJ.

Welcome to the forum!


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## Havtahava

Denise, if you can get the registered names of the parents, we can verify the health testing on OFA's web site directly. If she won't disclose that or won't give you the link to the health testing, then just go ahead and turn and walk away. I'd recommend that for any breeder that won't give you that basic info. I'd also take it one step farther and I personally wouldn't buy or recommend anyof my family to buy from someone that says they do the health testing and yet, it can't be found on the OFA site. (www.offa.org) Once in a _great_ while, there is a reason for the health testing not being up there, but I'm just telling you what I would (or wouldn't) recommend.

The four health tests recommended by the Havanese Club of America (HCA) are: BAER (bilateral hearing), CERF (eyes, tested annually), patellas (can be done by any vet practioner), hips (via x-ray after the dog is 2 years old). I appreciate when a breeder goes one step farther and does cardiac (heart) testing also.

You could get a real bargain with a $900 Havanese. Seriously! Then again, you could be getting a puppy that is deaf and both parents have cataracts at two years old and severe heart murmurs. Is it worth the risk?


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## pjewel

Denise,

I almost bought a puppy from a breeder online but something just didn't feel right. Her puppies were adorable and I fell in love, but . . . Thank goodness I listened to my head and not my heart and I waited. With the help from this group, over six months later I found my perfect little boy, which in itself was surprising since I was set on a girl. But you know how it is. I took one look at him and knew he was the one.

I not only got help from the group, but a significant push in the right direction. You'll find your perfect puppy and I'd be surprised if it took very long at all. Keep us posted.

Another member of the east coast hav lovers.


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## Rita

Welcome Denise. I think everyone already gave you good advise. Always go with your gut instinct, if its telling you something is wrong then run like hell. 

Good luck.


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## Amy R.

Hi Denise~~Welcome to the Forum!! I just checked out the Lovelink Havanese website , and I thought several of the dogs were really unattractive and poor examples of what a Havanese should look like. Furthermore, the breeders didn't even identify themselves by name, or describe themselves, and there was no mention of the dogs being AKC , or of their/the parents being health-tested. 

My neighbors down the street have the most unattractive Havanese I have ever seen, truly a hideous dog, and it resembles some of the dogs on that website. They bought it from an unscrupulous breeder here in California, and the dog went DEAF at a few months of age (or perhaps he already was when they got him). It's interesting that these neighbors went so wrong with their dog because they are two brilliant, high acheivers, highly educated. But they didn't do their homework when they bought this dog. Of course, they love him. But he's like that ugly baby in the Seinfeld episode~~I just cannot bear to look at him! Just an example of what can happen when you choose the wrong breeder. Use breeders recommended by the Havanese Club of America , HCA~~or better yet, by forum members.


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## mckennasedona

Gee Amy, now you are making me want to see this dog. I can't imagine a hideous looking Hav.....  I think I need a clandestine photo...........


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## ama0722

Amy-
I love the Seinfield reference. We went to a hav gathering back in Ohio and there was a woman there and since I brought my maltese as well, my husband walked up to her and said "what kind of terrier is that?" It was too late, I couldn't stop him! If I didn't know, I would have guessed it as a Dandy mix. It had different hair and a short long body!

Amanda


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## Lola

Welcome Denise
Research your breeder carefully. I think Havanese are going for $1800 to $2000 range. $900 does sound a little low. Check the Delaware Valley Havanese Club. I don't know where you are in New Jersey but there are several breeders listed on that website in NJ and a few in Philadelphia area and New York that do all the testing and work closely with the Havanese Club of America. They have information on the their websites and you can call and talk with them directly. It may take a while to find the right dog for you and your family but it is worth the wait and the effort. They are wonderful dogs. This is a wonderful site to share ideas and information as well. Good luck!!! www.dvhc.homestead.com (I think that is the website hope i am right)


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## Amy R.

I am serious, Susan, and I don't mean to be mean. I feel so sorry for this dog. He looks like one big matted crazy hairball, is short, really fat, curly dark mottled coat that looks dry, & you cannot tell his head from his tail, seriously!! He has a really unattractive face. And the poor guy is deaf since puppyhood. He's very friendly to Biscuit, which is nice.

Amanda, that ugly baby episode of Seinfeld is one of my very favorites. It's the one when they go out to a beach house in the Hamptons. A comedy of errors. It was just on again a few nights ago. I was falling on the floor.


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## Guest

Hi Denise,

I am new to this forum also, and I have bought two Hav's from Lovelink and also have a good friend who has bought two.

I came upon the Hav breed 6 years ago and found that this was the only breeder listed in the Oregonian. She is in Washington and sells her dogs as pet quality only. (I think she told me that she used to show). She also states upfront that she does not do health testing as she is only selling pet quality dogs. She does have a health guarantee (I think a year)
I did receive a pedigree on both of my dogs (the Pedigree is of Hungarian origin and I registered with the Universal Kennel Club) I also was able to view both the Dam and Sire on Site, as well as her other dogs.

Overall her dogs are not small. I've only actually seen one that was maybe 8 or 9 pounds. My dog Sophie is 12 lbs and Gabriel is 14. I had one health issue with Sophie when I bought her and that was a small hernia (which the breeder told me about up front and reduced her price by $100 dollars)

My girlfriend's one Hav is 19 lbs though and has IBS..her other dog (same parents, different litter) is totally fine. I have run into other people in Portland who have bought from this breeder and they were very happy.

I am not an expert in all of this, but that is what I know about Lovelink.
BTW...A Maiden's Effort is listed on Sophie's pedigree and I have found that they are a member on this forum...Can A Maiden's effort chime in??

One last thing...I did not seek out buying from a breeder that show's because from my experience with Aussies. I have found they only want to sell to people who will show and breed their dogs. I don't know if this is true of all dog breeders..

Coming to this forum is a good thing, Denise, as I am sure you will receive alot of GOOD seasoned advice!


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## Havtahava

Diane, I'm glad you and your friend haven't had much trouble with your dogs, but I still have a hard time recommending any Havanese breeder that doesn't do the health testing recommended by our parent club. Health testing should be done prior to breeding to ensure we aren't passing along any bad traits to unknowing pet owners that may need to seek expensive procedures down the road. Granted, health testing doesn't guarantee anything because things do happen, but at least it eliminates some obvious problems.


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## Guest

Kimberly,

Well looking back in hindsight, my error. I thought that since I was buying a pet quality dog that I couldn't expect this of the breeder. Well, now having been only on this forum for only a few days, I haved sure learned alot!! And believe me, I sure do apprecaite every one of you!

I still would like another Havanese, and if my husband ever agrees to it, I sure will go forward with a whole new approach. No one wants to pay alot for a dog and chance any health or breeder issues. As someone said earlier, it pays to do the research and not let your heart make a quick pick!

BTW , Kimberly..Do Hav breeders who show sell pet quality dogs?


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## Havtahava

imamurph52 said:


> Kimberly..Do Hav breeders who show sell pet quality dogs?


Absolutely. (I know what you mean to ask, but just for anyone reading, they should all be pet quality.  ) I haven't sold a single one on show contract yet. I'll do that in the future, but up to this point, I haven't been ready for that committment. I even kept a show prospect for myself, but that didn't turn out and had to make the determination that she was "pet quality". I don't know any show breeders that can consider all their dogs to be show quality. Sometimes a whole litter turns out to be pets. You just never know.


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## Lina

Diane, of course they do! My Kubrick came from a Champion as did a lot of the people on the forum. Kimberly sells puppies and she shows her dogs to great success. I personally think it's important that even a pet come from a home where the breeder regularly shows her dogs.


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## Lina

Sorry, Kimberly answered... I just posted at the same time, I guess.


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## Guest

I just went back and re-read this entire thread again, and I must say that I am not in a position to recommend this breeder, I am only telling you what I know. And actaully, what I know right at this moment in time is lying on the bed next to me and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Personally, if I lived in Jersey, I would want to find a good breeder there, as I would not want my puppy to be shipped.

One more thing...you DO want to go and look at the litter (s) available and you DO want to see the parents on site. Other's here can no doubt tell you what in particular to be looking for when looking over a puppy in general.


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## Elaine

Diane,
I am so happy you were as lucky as you were. You sound like you have two nice babies. Those of us that breed Havanese work very hard to try to give you the healthiest puppies we can. We show our dogs and health test the parents so that one day there will be lots of health test information to make wise decisions. 
When you are looking for a quality breeder in your area, the Havanese Club of America is forming more clubs all over the U.S. Go to www.havanese.org and check out the local club section to find a club near you. You will always find someone to contact that can help you in the area you need. Good luck and please know that Breeders who show do not just sell puppies to show/breeding homes, in fact we are very careful with placing our puppies and a wonderful pet home is far to important to loose. Elaine


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## Guest

Elaine said:


> Diane,
> I am so happy you were as lucky as you were. You sound like you have two nice babies. Those of us that breed Havanese work very hard to try to give you the healthiest puppies we can. We show our dogs and health test the parents so that one day there will be lots of health test information to make wise decisions.
> When you are looking for a quality breeder in your area, the Havanese Club of America is forming more clubs all over the U.S. Go to www.havanese.org and check out the local club section to find a club near you. You will always find someone to contact that can help you in the area you need. Good luck and please know that Breeders who show do not just sell puppies to show/breeding homes, in fact we are very careful with placing our puppies and a wonderful pet home is far to important to loose. Elaine


Thank you, Elaine!! This forum has not only been immensely enjoyable, but a real education!

Did we loose Denise??? She got us going then left us...


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