# Looking for Chocolate Breeders



## Cody's Mom

I am looking to purchase a show quality (that will be a pet first and foremost!!)chocolate puppy. Can anyone recommend a few breeders to contact? I've read numerous things about breeders not wanting to sell "show quality" puppies but figured there had to be some!!


----------



## Thumper

I suggest you go to local dog shows and meet local breeders and perhaps find someone to mentor/co-own the dog with.


----------



## Scooter's Family

Educate yourself! Happy, healthy Havanese come from reputable breeders!

To find Reputable breeders:
Visit: 
http://www.havanese.org/

You can meet reputable breeders at AKC Shows and visiting events arranged by official local Havanese Club.

Please help and adopt from:

Havanese Rescue: 
http://www.havaneserescue.com/
__________________


----------



## Cody's Mom

Thanks for the info...
I have a rescued Havanese, I rescued the mom and litter of 3. He is a light colored chocolate (that will be neutered!!!)and an absolute doll. 
I will keep looking!!


----------



## Havtahava

Where are you? If you are wanting to get into showing, you will want a mentor. If you are getting into chocolates, it is even more necessary to have a mentor. Keep in mind that a lot of judges don't like chocolates so you're getting into one of the most expensive avenues possible. I had a dark brown chocolate male and have had experience at showing and he still took a long time to finish. I had a lot of compliments on him by experienced breeders and people with great reputations for high standards (including Havanese breeders and judges), but chocolates are not held in high regard by many in the show/breeding arena.


----------



## mimismom

Please PLEASE make sure that you read some of the threads and posts about reputable breeders and doing research properly to find the right breeder and right havanese for you. 

There are many threads right now that have been hot topics lately because some people have failed to do their homework before purchasing a dog. 


Welcome to the forum.


----------



## hartman studio

I have a chocolate female I love dearly. I also went looking for a chocolate because I met one at a show that I fell in love with. What I found out is that there are alot of backyard breeders and worse who "specialize" in chocolates. Be careful who you decide to buy one from.Also, I didn't meet any reputable breeder who didn't want to co-own a show female(although I'm sure there may be some). As I wasn't interested in showing or breeding it wasn't an issue for me. Have fun looking!!!


----------



## AgilityHav

I second Kimberly in that a choc. will be MUCH harder to show and win with, especually if you are new to it. Before I got my first Hav, I thought I wanted chocolate....then the more I was around them, the more I realized that I didn't. You can have more problems with pigment, and a MUCH harder time showing them.

I think the most important thing would be finding a breeder who can mentor you, and who has dogs with whom you stand a fighting chance with in the ring. Go to shows. Talk to breeders. See who wins(although Handlers can play a BIG role in this, if a dog is winning consistantly, w/o a handler, proabiility is that it is a nice dog)


----------



## karin117

There is so many things to say about chocolade, so I do not have the space...lol..
I love them, but am the first to say that if you are looking for your first showdog, walk in a other direction...
Learn about the breed, and find a breeder you thrust with a filosopy you chare. 
You will have a much easier start in to showing with a black pigmented havanese, and will probably have easier to find a breeder to mentor you...


----------



## Havtahava

AgilityHav said:


> I second Kimberly in that a choc. will be MUCH harder to show and win with, especually if you are new to it. Before I got my first Hav, I thought I wanted chocolate....then the more I was around them, the more I realized that I didn't. *You can have more problems with pigment,* and a MUCH harder time showing them.


(Emphasis mine.)

Yes, pigment is a problem and so is eye color. It is very hard to get a chocolate with an eye color that will do okay showing.


----------



## Julie

Cody's Mom--

If I were you I'd focus on finding a good quality breeder to mentor you and a breeder that health tests all their havanese instead of focus on a color. 

If you are wanting to get into showing and breeding--you need a good quality breeder behind you....research-research-research


----------



## Posh's Mom

Depending on where you live there are reputable and responsible breeders who will arrange a co-ownership contract with you.

This is the arrangement our breeder wanted us to make with her and Miss Thang.

Meanwhile, with two kids under age 8, we decided it wouldn't be a good fit for our family and were honest that while we loved Posh we couldn't do the whole show thing.

It all worked out of course.

However, co-ownership is a great way to get into breeding under a guide/mentor.

Choose wisely.


----------



## jillnors2

You know people right on the board have gotten into trouble looking for a specific color. I know that would never be my priority especially in a Show Dog.


----------



## hartman studio

Two years ago I posted on this forum also looking for chocolate breeders and I felt "jumped on" about looking for a specific color. I had seen and fallen in love with a chocolate dog I had seen at a show (he was made into a champion). Having been on the forum for 2 years I understand why people say not to look for a specific color- but it may be that is what she really wants. I agree if I were planning on showing I would not want to get a chocolate as they are so much harder to finish. In my case that was not an issue. I was patient, did my homework, and I have a wonderful, healthy, beautiful, well adjusted, chocolate havanese. Hopefully, if she decides a chocolate dog is what she wants-she will do the same. But I don't want her to feel that she was "wrong" by asking for chocolate breeder suggestions- after all she is asking for our help!


----------



## tamchev

My Trixi & Oreo are chocolate/white. Go to www.europeanhavanese.com This is the breeder I got mine from and she ships all over the world.


----------



## TnTWalter

*I know there were a few reputable breeders who liked*

chocolates...back in '06 or '07. Anyone remember? It was popular then as they were 'rare' and good breeders were introducing them into their breeding program. Perhaps because of the trouble showing they stopped?


----------



## Leslie

Chocolate Havanese come in a variety of coat colors. "Chocolate" only refers to the color of the nose leather and eye rims ~ brown rather than black.


----------



## hartman studio

Trish, I think it goes deeper than that. Since chocolate is a recessive gene, if a breeder is specifically breeding for chocolate, then there may be too much line breeding resulting in many more health problems surfacing. That doesn't concern the "backyard" and unscrupulous breeders, but is of major concern to reputable breeders. In Cuba at one time they "destoyed" chocolate dogs as they were considered undesireable. With many of the good breeders a chocolate will occasionally surface(as there is a recessive gene surfacing every now and then) and there are some breeders who are very careful with their "chocolate" breeding-not breeding chocolate to chocolate every time. It gets complicated and requires alot of knowledge about genetics and dedication to the breed. Add to that they are difficult to make into champions and it is not something many show breeders want to pursue.


----------

