# Adopting an Adult Havanese



## storybookstory (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, and would love some info and advice. We're are considering adopting a Havanese or Havanese mix dog. We would probably do better with an older (9 months or more) dog. They seem hard to find though. I can find puppy ads everywhere, but where do you find dogs that are older? I'm in CT, and there many (or any) Havanese listed on petfinder in the northeast. 


I've put in an application with havaneserescue.com, but that was just a couple of days ago. 

Any other suggestions of where to look? I'm patient (sort of) and I know it might take several months. 

Any ideas would be great!

Sally


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Sometimes breeders will have older pups for sale. It might be one they were keeping to show and it just didn't turn out as expected. You can try emailing some breeders with your request. And you are right - not too many breeders on the east coast. You will have to travel a little.


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## storybookstory (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks irnfit. We would be willing to travel probably up to 8 hours, maybe more if we could time it with a trip to see family in Charlotte. 

We visited a breeder last weekend, but she didn't strike me as overly reputable. She had something like 14 dogs in her breeding program.


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## Moko (Dec 11, 2007)

*Connecticut breeder*

We were so very blessed to find our Molly at Renaissance Havanese in Beacon Falls, Connecticut.

They are a family-breeder, so the pups are born and raised in the home with an incredible quality of care.

Occasionally they offer older pups, but if you contact them I know they would be most helpful.

They have an extraordinarily good website

www.renaissancehavanese.com

Good luck in your search. Havanese are amazing!

Maureen and Molly


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

We got Dusty at 7 months. She was kept by her breeder until then as a show prospect. I'd suggest you contact several breeders and let them know what you are looking for, as well as pursuing the rescue option. Then be patient! It may take some time.

We had been looking for a puppy and contacted several breeders. We were on a waiting list for an upcoming litter with one breeder when one we had spoken to previously made the decision not to show Dusty and contacted us. It was great for us to get her this way. She came potty trained, well-behaved, and easy to groom, as well as big enough to stay out of reach of our young son until the two of them worked out terms of friendship!


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I agree - you can find dogs .. Just keep contacting reputable breeders ..
Things change and there are dogs out there .. 
Some breeders have it on their website - adult dogs for sale .. 
Also check at dog shows and maybe some breeders on the forum have some information they could share and PM you .
I think one thing you may have to be is not quite as picky as some people are when they are gettting a puppy as to color etc .. 
I know I found Ahnold and he was not quite a year . He has been a joy to us ..


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## mom23girls (Nov 26, 2007)

Hi Sally,
I live in Upstate NY & we just adopted a 4 year old Havanese about 2 months ago. I contacted the AKC & got the name of registered breeders in NY (there was one! He's in West Nyak) I can look up his # for you if you're interested. Well, he didn't feel comfortable sending one of his puppies to a home with a four year old & I mentioned that I really wanted an older dog. He put me in contact with a woman in VA. That's how we got Amy. She's a retired show dog. We drove to PA and they met us there. I also know of a woman in Burnt Hills who is a breeder. I have no idea how reputable she is, but she seemed very nice when we spoke. I can get you her info as well. I don't think CT is more than 2 or 3 hours from here (my husband travels there on business all the time). Let me know if you want me to dig up that information for you. Amy is a great dog, with a few issues, but we're devoted to working it out! I think that's one of the challenges of an older dog. On the other hand, you don't have to deal with housebreaking and chewing, which is why we opted for the four year old! Best of luck to you!!


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Sally, 
Older dogs are out there. I would think that often they are like Amy, retired show dogs that were a part of a breeding program that are now ready to be spayed or neutered and go to homes where they can make new owners very happy and become beloved pets. It's just a matter of finding breeders who have them available. I'd suggest going to some dog shows and talking with breeders if you can. Meet the dogs in person whenever possible to be sure you get one that will fit into your home.
Good luck! Havs are the BEST!


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## KristinFusco (Jun 5, 2007)

Hi Sally!

I am also originally from Connecticut, in fact my DH and I just moved from CT to Philadelphia a few weeks ago! I have 2 Havs who I love to pieces, Carlito and Nico. Lito I adopted when he was almost 2 years old as a retired show dog. Nico I just adopted as a 13 week old puppy.

When I went through the process of looking for an adult Hav, I found two things:

1) It wasn't too difficult to find breeders with adult dogs available on their websites BUT
2) It was a VERY long process for me personally to find breeders who performed ALL of the recommended health testing, participated in AKC conformation events, were in good standing with the Havanese club, and were willing to discuss adopting their adult Hav with someone who had never owned a toy dog and who worked 7 hours a day.

From my limited experience, I think there is a higher level of attachment of the breeders to their retired dogs because they have raised them, loved them, and cared for them for so long that they are part of the family. It took me 10 months from the start of my search until Lito came home to live with me, and that was even with the help of a very reputable breeder who befriended me and put out the word to her fellow club members that I was in search of an adult Hav. I ended up flying to San Francisco to pick up Lito, and it was the best decision I could ever have made :biggrin1:

I am sure everyone's experience is different depending on which area of the country you live in, the time of year you are looking, etc., but that is how it went for me.

But I have to say, Lito was worth every second of the wait and more. Getting a good adult Hav from a loving, educated breeder means that you have a dog that is already trained in good manners, pottying, has a health tested pedigree behind them, and has been socialized to live with other dogs and humans.

By the same token, I would be wary and ask a lot of questions as to why the adult is available/being retired. You will need to determine all of the same information that you would if it was a puppy being offered. Sometimes, a dog or bitch develops a minor or major conformation fault, and that is why they are spayed/neutered and looking to be placed. Most of these faults don't affect their health or temperment, they just make them unsuitable for the show ring, which wouldn't matter to a pet owner. Other times, the bitch has to be retired from the breeding program due to age/number of litters and the active show homes can't maintain retired dogs due to ordinances on the number of dogs in a house and things of that nature. However, it could also be a temperment, health or training issue that has caused the adult to be offered to a new home, and you definitely want to determine if that is the case before you sign the papers to bring them home.

Sorry for the length of this post, I'm not sure if this was helpful at all. But I would recommend contacting the Greater NY Havanese Club (GNYCH) and getting breeder contact info from them since they are local, and going from there. One thing I learned through all that research, don't be fooled by fancy websites and the word "Champion", I would say that researching the kennel and dog name on www.offa.org is the most important thing you can do to verify the health testing performed.

Good luck!


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## KristinFusco (Jun 5, 2007)

I also wanted to add that if you want to guarantee yourself a better chance of your dog having the wonderful Havanese temperment and physical traits, I would go with a purebred Hav as opposed to a Hav mix. Due to genetics, when you purchase a mixed breed pup you won't know for certain which breed characteristics the pup (or even the adult) will express. With a purebred Hav, you increase the probability that all of the traits you appear to be looking for in a dog will be inherited by your new baby.


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## Squirt (Oct 10, 2007)

We adopted Squirt when she was a year old. I had been talking to a breeder about a puppy, but my husband wanted an older dog. So I asked the breeder if he had any older dogs for sale. He had several including Squirt who he had just quit showing because she didn't grow enough and was too small to show.

It worked extremely well for us, we didn't have to go through much of a potty training/chewing phase, and Squirt is a joy.


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## Squirt (Oct 10, 2007)

I just wanted to add that I emailed several breeders asking if they had any older dogs for sale, and every single one emailed back that they did have older dogs.


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

Hi Sally-

I would echo everything Kristin said. I got my Maddie when she was 7-8 months old. She had been kept as a show dog, but her bite turned out not to be perfect for show. She's an absolute doll! She's gorgeous, happy, comes from health tested parents, and has a wonderful temperament. But she was raised as a member of the family and had wonderful socialization. If I were you, I'd contact as many reputable breeders as possible, and get the word out to them. They may know of a good prospect, even if they don't have one. The great thing about an older Hav is that you can see their temperament immediately. The breeder should be open to your coming and spending time with the older pup before buying. I think I hit the jackpot when I got Maddie and couldn't be happier.


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## storybookstory (Dec 29, 2007)

KristinFusco said:


> With a purebred Hav, you increase the probability that all of the traits you appear to be looking for in a dog will be inherited by your new baby.


That's one of the reasons for going with an adult dog - the temperament is known already.

But that said, I probably wouldn't get a Hav/ Lhasa mix, due to Lhasa's tendency to nip. Might like a Hav/Coton mix, or Hav/Maltese mix.

Sally


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Sally,

Why not just go for a purebreed Havanese? These other mixes (or designer dogs how they are advertised these days) will just end up costing your more money? Well in my area they cost more anyhow... lol

Ryan


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## storybookstory (Dec 29, 2007)

Beamer said:


> Sally,
> 
> Why not just go for a purebreed Havanese? These other mixes (or designer dogs how they are advertised these days) will just end up costing your more money? Well in my area they cost more anyhow... lol
> 
> Ryan


Well, as I'm thinking of rescue I was trying not to be too picky. There's a little guy that showed up on petfinder http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=9983313 that looks cute. I'm getting more info.

Thanks -

Sally


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I just put it another post but if I were thinking of adopting a shelter or rescue dog, health is likely going to be very unknown. I mean you can kind of tell structure but that is about it. Personality is going to really be your only factor. I would go there and meet the dog, take a toy, see if the dog will interact with you and your family members. See if you can take the dog past other dogs and how he reacts, how he reacts when strangers walk up, etc. Obviously the dog might be frightened but this is going to be your best bet, especially that cute little guy that looks like he was picked up.

Also, don't be afraid to ask the shelter workers all kinds of questions, the first two I talked to knew nothing about the dog, but the last one I found knew all about her- where her microchip came from, how she had been acting, what shots she had done, what was wrong with her leg, etc. Just ask as many questions as you can and take a notepad!

Amanda


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Another thing in the case of adult from breeder v. shelter. Be aware, you are probably going to have to put in a lot more training- for instance if this dog was running around for awhile, it probably isn't potty trained at all. I would train it just how you would a puppy and go back to the basics. 

Amanda


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## storybookstory (Dec 29, 2007)

ama0722 said:


> Another thing in the case of adult from breeder v. shelter. Be aware, you are probably going to have to put in a lot more training- for instance if this dog was running around for awhile, it probably isn't potty trained at all. I would train it just how you would a puppy and go back to the basics.
> 
> Amanda


Thanks - I hadn't thought of that. I'll look into it some more.

sally


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## allie (Dec 28, 2012)

*Adult or Older Pup*

Hello,

I am also interested in adopting an adult or older Havanese pup. I am located in Philadelphia and started my search a few months ago. Any additional suggestions, tips or referrals would be most welcome and appreciated!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I know Brady's mom's mom got her older pup from Yuppy Havanese.

I looked at her website and she has an older boy.

http://www.myyuppypuppy.com/havanesepuppies.html


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## allie (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi Linda!

Allison here from UHS! Of all the people to reply to my post, I can't believe it was you - so cool! Do you remember when you first got your babies? You were the first person to introduce me to the Havanese breed and convinced me to get one. How many years ago was that??? I never forgot our conversations and vowed that one day, this would be my next pet. Looks like you've added more to the family since then!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Wow, this is crazy Allison!!!!! How ironic is that?! That was so many years ago, because I haven't worked with UHS in many years!! You came to the right place if your looking for a Havanese. You will find a wealth of information on this forum. If you need help, you can always call me. I'd be happy to help you look for the perfect pup. Be very careful, there are a lot of bad breeders in our area.....puppymills etc. If Havanese are bred incorrectly, their temperaments can be really bad. You are also welcome to swing by and meet my guys if you want. It would be nice to see you. I live about 2 miles from UHS. Great to see you here!


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## lanabanana (Jul 2, 2011)

This breeder has one male and one female available.

http://www.renaissancehavanese.net/apps/photos/album?albumid=14342014


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Allison, 
I just reread your post. If you are looking to adopt, try the havanese rescue. I think they have several on their site.


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## allie (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks for your replies! I will look into all options and Linda, would love to come by and meet Bella, Freddie and Scudder and catch up with you as well. Send me a private message with your phone info.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

Hi Allie,
If you have Linda helping you, you are on the right track. Havanese Rescue is a great place to start. Also, like Linda said, my Mom got Bacca from Yuppy Puppy when he was a year and half old. He was a showdog who she decided she was not going to breed. Janet flew him into Philly under the seat on the plane and met my Mom outside of the security with him. Good luck!!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Allison,
Wanted to make sure you got my PM. I sent another PM at the same time and the other member never got it.


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