# Seattle area breeders?



## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Is it okay to ask for breeder recommendations here? 

We have had 2 Havies for years but the older one passed away. We're now ready to get our next one but our breeder has moved and it's been so long since we looked that I don't know where to start. We are in the Seattle area. Thanks for your help!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hi Laura! I remember you!!! I'm sorry to hear that one of yours has passed. It's fine to ask, though I don't know any breeders in the Seattle area. (I do know we have some members in that area though) There is also MyLad up over the border into Canada, and I think not too far from you. I don't know them personally, but they seem to have a good reputation.


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## nwhavmom (Feb 2, 2019)

I am so sorry for your loss. A year and a half ago I transitioned my Hav baby of 11 years as well.

Bill Burns of Burns Gardens is wonderful!!! He is in Port Ludlow, but I know his wait list is quite long. Ludico has a good reputation as does Wysteria. I have noticed that many of the Washington breeders rotate their dogs.Grandview has been around a long time and do not keep a wait list; however, they are less meticulous.

Hope that helps a little.


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## nwhavmom (Feb 2, 2019)

Please PM me if you would like more details.


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

krandall said:


> Hi Laura! I remember you!!! I'm sorry to hear that one of yours has passed. It's fine to ask, though I don't know any breeders in the Seattle area. (I do know we have some members in that area though) There is also MyLad up over the border into Canada, and I think not too far from you. I don't know them personally, but they seem to have a good reputation.


Lauren and Doug of Mylad are great! That's where we got our second pup. They have moved further away but offered to meet us in between somewhere. We may go that route but I also was hoping to look closer to home. Thanks, it's good to be on the forum again.


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

nwhavmom said:


> I am so sorry for your loss. A year and a half ago I transitioned my Hav baby of 11 years as well.
> 
> Bill Burns of Burns Gardens is wonderful!!! He is in Port Ludlow, but I know his wait list is quite long. Ludico has a good reputation as does Wysteria. I have noticed that many of the Washington breeders rotate their dogs.Grandview has been around a long time and do not keep a wait list; however, they are less meticulous.
> 
> Hope that helps a little.


Yes it does thanks! I met Bill a decade ago and he was doing a great job then. Good to hear he still is. I've filled out his online forms and am waiting to hear back. Am bummed about the wait but understand that's part of it.

Thank you for the references to Ludico and Wysteria. I will check in with them.

Happy Holidays everyone, Laura


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurasch said:


> Yes it does thanks! I met Bill a decade ago and he was doing a great job then. Good to hear he still is. I've filled out his online forms and am waiting to hear back. Am bummed about the wait but understand that's part of it.
> 
> I won't ever go back to Grandview.
> 
> ...


With what you've said about MyLad, it might be worth traveling for a puppy from them. I traveled a long distance for two out of my three, and haven't regretted it for a moment. I'd do it again in a heartbeat to work with the right breeder.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

How nice to see you back Laura! I totally agree with Karen. The right breeder is most important. Look forward to hearing about your journey for a new pup.:smile2:


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

I agree with travelling. MyLad was my second choice if things at Seda didn’t work out for whatever reason and they weren’t very close for me either!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Hi - sorry to respond so late but I just came across your post. Willow came from Rolling Heather Havanese and I think they are in the Burien area. I don't believe they have a website but the are on Facebook. I really don't know a heck of a lot about them as I am Willow's 2nd owner. I know there is another breeder in Arlington that I was considering. Found her on the Cascade Havanese Club website, among other breeders in the area. I was also checking with My Lad and but the timing wasn't right as he was dealing with some issues in trying to help with an elderly friend or maybe a relative. I didn't know he moved. At the time about 4 years ago he was willing to meet me in Blaine since I don't have the enhanced driver's license or visa. Do you know where he moved to? If I ever was looking for a breeder, I would want to contact him again. Let us know how your search is going.


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Hi - sorry to respond so late but I just came across your post. Willow came from Rolling Heather Havanese and I think they are in the Burien area. I don't believe they have a website but the are on Facebook. I really don't know a heck of a lot about them as I am Willow's 2nd owner. I know there is another breeder in Arlington that I was considering. Found her on the Cascade Havanese Club website, among other breeders in the area. I was also checking with My Lad and but the timing wasn't right as he was dealing with some issues in trying to help with an elderly friend or maybe a relative. I didn't know he moved. At the time about 4 years ago he was willing to meet me in Blaine since I don't have the enhanced driver's license or visa. Do you know where he moved to? If I ever was looking for a breeder, I would want to contact him again. Let us know how your search is going.


Thanks Jackie! I don't remember where they said they moved to, somewhere further east, but still in the province I think. They did offer to split the drive. I'm on Bill's waiting list and am checking in with Doug and Lauren about their timing too. I sent off one other application to a breeder, but haven't heard back yet. Will look into your suggestions. Thanks!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Welcome back to the forum! Sorry to hear about your loss. So sad. I'm looking forward to hearing about your new puppy and to seeing photos of both dogs when you are able ...


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

ShamaMama said:


> Welcome back to the forum! Sorry to hear about your loss. So sad. I'm looking forward to hearing about your new puppy and to seeing photos of both dogs when you are able ...


Thank you! It's really fun to be back. I have been in touch with several breeders and am getting so excited. You all know how that feels!:grin2:


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## Zenith360 (Mar 17, 2019)

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I went through the same journey recently of trying to find a good breeder in the Seattle area, and hope my experience can make it easier for you! I was looking for a breeder who:

-- Raised their puppies in their home
-- Did early neurological stimulation
-- Had an appropriately stimulating environment
-- Did not have any other job except to raise puppies and show dogs (in other words, they weren't a school teacher and the puppies were a side job)
-- Worked on beginning crate training, potty training, basic obedience
-- Helped to appropriately socialize the puppies
-- Used only positive reinforcement
-- Went above and beyond required health testing requirements 

I looked EVERYWHERE. From Canada to Oregon. There were only two breeders that fit my criteria, and one that stood out among the rest. The two are: Diane Tomasevich of Ludico Havanese (Bonney Lake) and Bill Burns of Burns Gardens (Hood Canal area). I met with both, and would have been happy with puppies from both. Diane to me represented the very best of the best-- what she is doing with her puppies in terms of stimulation and socialization is amazing. I also prefer that she matches you with a puppy whereas Bill operates on a "first come first served" choose-your-puppy method. While the latter can be exciting, Diane has lived intimately with her puppies for their first few months, and can tell you which one has the perfect temperament for your family.

Ultimately, though, I feel I can recommend both breeders highly.

Best of luck to you, and feel free to message me about this!


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Thank you!!!


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## Zenith360 (Mar 17, 2019)

I had heard good things about Mylad so I called them when I was looking for a breeder. They dodged all my questions about the conditions in which the puppies were raised. They also told me that the puppies would be dropped off in a central location in downtown Vancouver so that it would be more convenient for those of us who live in WA-- we wouldn't have to drive "through the traffic" all the way to their kennel. They had puppies available immediately and kept emailing me with photos of different puppies-- did I want to buy this cute little one, available now? It all seemed sketchy to me. :shrug:


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Thank you. I'm sorry they gave a bad impression. 10 years ago, when they lived closer, I visited them and their dogs had a a great home environment - living in the house, fenced backyard with toys, etc. Lauren is the president of the National Hav org of Canada and the chair of their health committee. I had a great experience getting my pup from her. She read their temperaments well and helped us make a perfect match. I know Doug is willing to drive the puppies down in order to split the travel. My friends (also looking for a Havi pup) are very interested in them and we may all drive up to Kamloops to see them in their new environment. If we do that, I'll share the news. 

Also, now that I understand neurological stimulation and various early exposure and training are so important, I'm interested to have that conversation with them. I can see it being very important, especially for some breeds, and also wonder, knowing how awesome Havis are, if it's less so. What do you think? 

Meanwhile, thanks to your advice, I put in an application to Diane (I was already on Bill's list). It's just hard to accept the idea that I might have to wait up to a year!


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

My breeder did ENS/ESI and I couldn't say if it made a difference or not - but many of her dogs do nosework and the ESI is supposed to be good for that. I couldn't really tell you if ENS made any difference as I don't have another pup to compare it to. They say it makes them more alert, more able to deal with stress, etc.. and Denver is definitely all that but that could be due to other factors as well. My breeder also followed the Rules of 7 once the ENS/ESI was complete. And I know that that made a difference. At puppy classes he was the only one who didn't have an issue with different surfaces or sounds. He will eat out of whatever, whenever. That early socialization is so important.


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

I just caught a couple videos on ENS (early neurological stimuation) and (ESI) Early Scent Introduction, one was - 



 and am going deeper.

This has really captured my attention. Thank you!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurasch said:


> Thank you. I'm sorry they gave a bad impression. 10 years ago, when they lived closer, I visited them and their dogs had a a great home environment - living in the house, fenced backyard with toys, etc. Lauren is the president of the National Hav org of Canada and the chair of their health committee. I had a great experience getting my pup from her. She read their temperaments well and helped us make a perfect match. I know Doug is willing to drive the puppies down in order to split the travel. My friends (also looking for a Havi pup) are very interested in them and we may all drive up to Kamloops to see them in their new environment. If we do that, I'll share the news.
> 
> Also, now that I understand neurological stimulation and various early exposure and training are so important, I'm interested to have that conversation with them. I can see it being very important, especially for some breeds, and also wonder, knowing how awesome Havis are, if it's less so. What do you think?
> 
> Meanwhile, thanks to your advice, I put in an application to Diane (I was already on Bill's list). It's just hard to accept the idea that I might have to wait up to a year!


I think for some puppies, they are going to turn out great if "drug up through a knothole".  I think for others, ENS and all the other early puppy training that GOOD breeders do can make the difference between a slightly shy puppy that is hard for a pet person to handle and a confident puppy who has a good solid start.

I've also SEEN how QUICKLY puppies with this sort of start learn. They have been "pre-programmed" to learn. Since I am specificically looking for dogs for sport, I wuld lean heavily in the direction of breeders who gave this sort of head-start to their puppies.

It's sort of like saying, "Can someone become a neurosurgeon without having gone to pre-school?" Sure! But laying the proper foundation for a good education from the ground up sure can't hurt!


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Thanks Karen, that makes great sense. I too want to continue dog sports with my next puppy. Went to visit a breeder today who uses the techniques in Puppy Culture, plus the rules of 7 and more. We had a great discussion. After reading online, watching videos, and now meeting her and her pups, I am really hoping to find a puppy that has been given a big Head Start


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Spoke with another great breeder tonight. She talked to me about her choice of early neuro training She is advocate of Avidog. So I looked into that as well. here is a link talking about the two - 
https://www.cosmopolitandogs.com/what-are-puppy-culture-and-avidog

It's wonderful how much breeders are looking into working on early development for the long term health and happiness of their dogs. Love it.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurasch said:


> Spoke with another great breeder tonight. She talked to me about her chose of early neuro training She is advocate of Avidog. So I looked into that as well. here is a link talking about the two -
> https://www.cosmopolitandogs.com/what-are-puppy-culture-and-avidog
> 
> It's wonderful how much breeders are looking into working on early development for the long term health and happiness of their dogs. Love it.


Yes, some breeders really like Avidog. BuT it is a really expensive program, so many opt for the MUCH less expensive, and also excellent Puppy Culture program. Puppy Culture is inexpensive enogh that one of my breeder friends actually buys the DVD's and gives them to each of her puppy buyers before their puppy is ready to go home. That way they understand how their puppy has been raised and can continue the good work. I bought it just because I was interested in it. Avidog is just too expensive for that.


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

What a good idea, to give them the DVD. I just looked on Amazon, it's $70 there. Our library also has it and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. No such luck with Avidog, either on Amazon or in the library system. They definitely have a bigger, more expensive program. They claim it's scientifically based, but I haven't found any published papers or anything, yet.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurasch said:


> What a good idea, to give them the DVD. I just looked on Amazon, it's $70 there. Our library also has it and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. No such luck with Avidog, either on Amazon or in the library system. They definitely have a bigger, more expensive program. They claim it's scientifically based, but I haven't found any published papers or anything, yet.


Well, for that matter, They lady who wrote the Puppy Culture program cites lots of the scientific literature behind her methods so that people can read the original papers themselves too. And from what I've heard, although there are, of course, differences, there is a LOT of overlap between the two programs too.


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