# New member and The Wait



## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Hi all,

I am a new member of this great and informative forum.

My wife and I were searching for a pet dog and decided we wanted a Norwich Terrier since they are hypoallergenic and my wife is allergic to some pets.

It turns out that there is 1 breeder of the Norwich in our area and that this breed of dog is really rare (about 80 pups born a year in Canada). We quickly filled out an application form online. Sad to say we haven't hard back in over a month. 

A couple of my friends from out east came to visit and we had a conversation about dogs. They told us about thier sisters pet dog who was friendly, hypoallergenic and overall best dog they have ever met. The dog turned out to be a Havanese.

So after they left, my wife thought about it but never really seen a Havanese except online photos. My first thought was...it's like a Shih Tzu and I don't like Shih Tzus because they are too yappy. 

My wife and I were in a shopping mall that had a pet store and I always like going into the pet store to see the dogs (yes I am fully aware puppy mills are BAD, expecially the Hunte Corporatiom). Low and behold, they had a black havanese with white socks. We asked to see it and it was soooooooo soft. I have never felt such a soft coat on a dog before. The coats reminds me of a chincilla coat. My wife IMMEDIATELY fell in love. I told her pet store are bad becuase of puppy mills and we asked and this dog did come from the US.

Once we got home we started to search for Havanese and read up about them online...well at least I did as my wife isn't really a good researcher. I just had to regurgitate what I have read 

We found a breeder and emailed her if we can come visit...we get an immediate response saying she would love to have us.

Time cannot move any slower.

Now we make the 45 min drive out to see her. As we drive up through the gated house, two havanese come to greet us..I was scared of running them over in my car and out it in park once I saw them running for us. We got out the car and the two were so friendly.

The breeder came out and greeted us and has the litter outside soaking in some sun. All the puppies were spoken for except 1 black puppy with a little white on his chin, chest and socks on 1 leg. The puppy was a male and was pretty laid back. The breeder showed us that he is growing in white eyebrows and that the root of his coat seems to be blue and that he would possible grow up to be a pewter color.

The breeder open the x-pen door and all the puppies poured out tripping over each other and running around us...except 1 sable boy who could not get over the little part of the pen. I ended up picking him up and put him down outside the pen.

The breeder is not a full time breeder but was a hobby breeder..in her own words. She does have champion dogs under her belt.

While all the puppies were playing, the one that was available wanders off by himself..he went exploring. The breeder went through with us all about the breed, the father and mother are both CKC registered and have been checked for genetic problems. The father is a champion but the mother was not as how dog but came from show lines (I have checked the lineage and health records on OFA online). We did meet the mother but not the father.

What I find interesting is that this litter was 6 boys. 1 sable and 5 black and that the father is light tan/cream color and the mother was pur chocolate.

We played with the puppies for awhile and when they were all back in the pen, the one we were looking at was playing with us behind the cage...so cute.

Anyways, as we left, the two Havs that greeted us also said good bye.

My wife and I went to lunch to discuss whether we wanted to take the little pup and discussed for the rest of the day and night. Next day we decided he had to be our.

We have chosen Oreo as his name and here are the pics of him..second one is at 5-6 weeks (not sure). We won't be able to take him hime until 12 weeks as my wife and I won't be in town until then...it won't be fair to the puppy to get him early and then have to go on vacation. The breeder was more then happy to take care of him for that time.

We are so eager to get this little guy and can't wait until October 14th to get him.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Welcome , he is adorable. Is this your first dog.?:canada:


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

OMG he is adorable!!!! The wait is really hard!!!! My breeder sent pictures every week. Enjoy your vacation and know it's really good for the puppy to stay with it's mom and learn dog behavior. Atticus is 5 months it is SO worth the wait!!!!


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Hi Dave..GO CANADA!

This won't be my first dog but will be for my wife.

Previously my family has had a pekinese, A mini pomeranian (we were a show home) and a german sheppard.

The vacation we are going on is to Toronto to visit my parents and sister. Currently my Parents/Sister have 2 mini schnauzers, a Shiba Inu (rescue) and 1 cat.

Thanks for the welcome


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Congratulations. Waiting is hard for sure, but still part of what makes it all fun.

He's a cutie.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Welcome to the group. Waiting is the hard part, but it really does go fast. You can use the time to buy some of his essentials and hang around here to learn more about this wonderful and loving breed. Oreo is absolutely adorable. I look forward to hearing more about him as the weeks go by.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awwww, what a wonderful story! Congratulations and welcome to the forum!!


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## Momo means Peach (Jun 7, 2011)

Welcome! :welcome: I stumbled onto this website recently and found the people kind and informative. You chose a terrific breed and the wait will be well worth it.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Congrats on your new puppy, yes the waiting is hard and so worth it. Also congrats on holding out and finding a breeder...Pet store dogs are so cute and I can understand how hard it is to resist but they can come with problems and down the road can end in heart ache.

As for yapping I use to show Shih Tzus and a well bred one should never be yappy and generally they have a deep bark that resonates through their chests often causing them to jump. My Havanese who I love because they are born clowns, I have had to train not to be yappy and their bark is more high pitched. You will need to train your puppy not to bark, they are not a silent breed, they more then make up for it in their happy willing to please attitudes. They are very trainable. 

Welcome to the forum, when your pup gets home don't forget the pictures we love pictures and all the details, yes most of us are a bit crazy when it comes to anything Havanese and pet in general.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

So cute! Congrats!


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

Congratulations and welcome! He will be worth the wait, make sure you can plenty of sleep before he gets home


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Welcome! It sounds like you researched well, and found a good puppy. SO good you resisted the pet store!! (And checked out the OFA records.) He's a doll! 

I hadn't liked any shih tzu's I'd ever met, either, (apparently I've never met a well-bred one,  .) My Hav has been wonderful and doesn't bark much at all. He never did, in fact, until we moved in with my brother's yorkie/poo, who taught Tucker how to bark. But, still, at four years of age now he'll bark to alert us to someone coming to the door at times, but stops when told to. Since I don't like barking, I taught him from tiny puppy age not to, and had previously checked his "family" at the breeders to make sure that wasn't a tendency there. 

Thanks for sharing your story. It is so fun to read about other people's havs.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Congratulations and welcome to the forum! Your little Oreo is adorable and I'm anxious to see and hear more of him!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Welcome! What an adorable pup! Looking forward to more pictures and watching him grow.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

What a happy story.You were very lucky to be able to find such a sweet little fellow so quickly!I understand how hard the wait can be,but enjoy the anticipation,it's a bit like being a child waiting for Santa!One of the many fun things about Havs is never quite knowing how their colour is going to turn out!Can't wait to hear more about this little chap.


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. I enjoy see your videos, pictures and hearing your stories on this site. You all have beautiful and cute Havs.

My wife has been on a shopping spree but I tell her that let s not get over our heads and buy everything 

So far I've managed to control her and we only bought a collar and a air tight tub for dog food.

It'll be hard waiting. We actually get back on the Tuedays of that week but scheduled pick up for Friday since we both work during the week.

We have already gone through who is reponsible for what since we are both aware that the Hav can't be left along for any long period of time...at least for the first while. I'm lucky my mother in law lives down the street and she would be also be happy to come over and dog site since she is retired and can spend the time.

There is so much to prepare for but I think i have it all down pat.

As for training, the clicker training method looks promising and I think I will have a go at trying this method out compared to traditional training methods.

One thing that bothers us is we have told a few close friends how much we purchased Oreo for and they gave us this look 'are you serious? you spent that much on a dog?'. We didn't spend much relative to whatinfo I have gathered about how much other have spent and we are on the average. I guess they are just use to Kijiji sub $1000 priced dogs. Wife and i have decided not to tell anyone how much we spent.

Of all the research my wife has done, she has research the colors of a Hav. We have found all the websites pertaining to havanese colors (yes the rainbow site is amazing). It is so helpful yet not because each dog is different. My wife and I are happy to have a healthy puppy and don't really care about what color he turns out as we will both love him just as much.

Can't wait to visit Oreo again which will be in 2 weeks as we will be away this weekend.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

We don't tell people how much Jack was. We just say that we went with a reputable breeder which always cost a little bit more than a pound dog. Our family has allergies which is why we had to know what we are getting. If they give you grief about not rescuing a dog, tell them that you signed a spay/neuter agreement and aren't contributing to puppy mills.


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## tcollins (May 1, 2011)

Welcome to the forum! Oreo is very cute I don't blame you for not wanting to tell people what you paid for him-it's noone's business. However, I can't help but think about the sweet little one with the white socks 
I wasn't looking for any particular breed, in fact, like you, I had never heard of a Havanese until I "adopted" mine. He was a year old when I got him and had ALOT of bad habits. While there may be truth to knowing about the family of your hav (I have his history, AKC, etc.) it will be up to you to train him. I joined this forum because although my dog was supposedly bred to be this "perfect" showdog- he was BAD! He had never been trained well and had developed the worst of habits. So really, even though it's probably best to do it the way you did, but my heart goes out to all of those sweet little doggies that are just as precious, waiting for a loving home and would be AWESOME if someone took the time to train them. Havanese are wonderful dogs! Their personalities are so comical! 
Anyway, congratulations on your new addition-it's nice that you have a mother-in-law who will help in the early care of your baby That will be a big help and will be a good bonding experience for her and Oreo as well.
Good luck- the senior members are very kind and helpful with any questions you may have!


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## lanabanana (Jul 2, 2011)

Well, I'm glad you have found the forums so that "we" can keep you occupied with Havanese talk while you wait! I know I had a million questions when I got my puppy and wish I had found these boards sooner. Start laying in a supply of brushes, combs, harnesses, leashes, shampoos, conditioners, nail clippers, ear cleaner, scissors (of every size and description), mink oil, flea and heartworm treatment, crate, beds (winter and summer!), toys (squeeky is best!).......the list goes on and on....... We just can't "get enough" or "do enough" for our furbabies!!!

Alanna


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## Momo means Peach (Jun 7, 2011)

When someone asks me how much I spent on Momo (like it's their business), I just kind of say "Don't ask" in a kidding manner. My husband, on the other hand, feels like every question needs to be answered. Most people go into shock if they find out. But, I feel that she is worth every penny.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Welcome to the forum! IF you are trying to control your spending, this forum could be a dangerous place to hang out, however!  Part of the fun is the 'preparing' and purchasing equipment. I am sure forum members would be happy to help you out with ideas!! :biggrin1: 

Clicker training works great! Having started puppies with training by two different methods - the trainer for Augie did not use clicker, while the trainer for Finn does - there is a world of difference. Much faster results with the clicker. After that first class with Augie, we switched to a trainer who uses the clicker method.


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Some new pics as of 9 weks old.

His feet looks funny because he was running around in wet grass.


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

There are two lites a couple weeks apart..hre ar some of them being lazy.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

He is beyond adorable. Can't wait till you get him so we can hear more. It's not long now.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Oreo is so cute and I just love the little pink tongue in that black face! I know you're getting excited!


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Oreo is so cute,he looks a good size for 9 weeks,and his siblings,and the other litter are also lovely,can't wait to see more of him as he grows up.


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