# New puppy - does color matter?



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

I'm choosing a puppy and I'm trying to decide what color. The breeder currently has a mostly white little boy, a black and a bit bigger one that is creme. 

I've been thinking that I want a 10 to 11 pound dog since they are easier to lift and I'm not all that big. 14-15 pounds would be heavy for for me.

I'd really like a puppy by the spring but I'm stuck as far as the color goes. Do I wait for another litter and hope for the color I want, maybe a gold or black and white parti? Or in the end - does it not really matter? 

The whites are gorgeous but obviously they show dirt more. AFter all this time I've been looking and waiting I want to make the right choice. 

Any suggestions?


----------



## whitzend (Dec 1, 2011)

Cooper is white and cream color. I like the lighter color for: easier to find ticks/fleas etc. His nails are white easy to cut. Yes, he gets dirty faster but he's still a pup and i do comb him everyday. Do you have a specific color in mind? Me, I love them all and our next one (still saving) I might go with a darker coloring. Many times it is the pup that makes the choice and you will fall in love no matter what color.


----------



## ClaireVoyant (Jan 26, 2012)

Because the color they begin life with isn't necessarily the color they'll be in a couple of years, in my opinion, no. However, having said that, it appears important to you, so I'd wait for the one you really want 

But what I'd be more concerned about is SIZE . . .what do both parents weigh? Since some Havanese DO grow larger than the "standard" you could possibly end up with a size you can't manage . Good luck with your decision


----------



## unjugetito (Jan 2, 2011)

"Why do you care what color they are when they are puppies? They all end up white" ound:

That was my husbands verdict upon being forced to sit through hours of puppy before and after pictures. With all the color changes unless you start with black dog (who may silver anyways) you really never sure on how much color they will retain. I got a chocolate hoping she'd keep the brown but even this young at 14 weeks you can see her roots lightening up considerably so we may end up with a white chocolate dog Poor hubby LOL

Seriously though take a good look at the parents and if you are comfortable with their size you'll probably end up with right fit for you.


----------



## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

Yep, mine is chocolate and white. I am told she will end up with a little chocolate, and silver and white. The chocolate silver is beautiful though. She is constantly changing. Good luck.


----------



## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I think temperament is #1. Colour is really iffy and can change dramatically. My baby is a black and white, but the black is starting to overtake the white (and his white is really laced with black now (ticking), so he's actually darker now than when I got him (or at least his white isn't nearly as pronounced).


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I would say, health & temperament should be your first priorities. That being said, it's not impossible to get a healthy pup in the color, sex and temperament you want. You just have to be patient and sometimes that means waiting. When getting a dog that can live 15 or so years, having patience is a good thing I have a small Hav at 7 lbs and 2 big boys at 15 & 16 pounds. The small one was my first and the boys grew bigger than I thought they would be. Funny thing is, I now prefer the larger Havs. I don't need to worry about stepping on them or a hawk flying away with them. 

Decide what temperament you want. This is very important. I always leaned towards the laid back pup, go with the flow hav. All my Hav's are easy and calm. My brothers hav is off the wall with energy. His dog would have never fit with my lifestyle. These are just things to consider. Good luck!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I agree with what everyone has said, temperment and health should be #1 when choosing a breeder/puppy.
I have an "Irish Red Peid" who is now, at 20 months almost completely white and though I CAN and DO see her apricot especially when she is wet, no one else does! LOL
I never wanted a 'little white dog' .. and that is exactly what I got! ha ha ha ha
I'd say, choose a great breeder and go from there. For me, personally, if/when I get a second hav, I REALLY want a black and white, or even a BLACK with a little white just to garanteeeeee that he/she will NOT end up all white! ha haha
ALTHOUGH, all that said, I DO LOVE that I can see every speck on her and I can clip her nails because they are clear ... I do NOT love tear staining though.


----------



## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

Ditto to what everyone says. I'll just add one thing. The breeder believed Eli would weigh between 11-12 lbs. He's about 15 lbs and not fat at all. I wouldn't call him a big boy but he's hard to hold for long periods of time (I'm average height and weight for a woman). Size will likely trump color for you (all other things like health and tempermant being equal) so you'll need to find a breeder you trust to direct you to smaller puppies. However, even that may not be a guarantee.


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I can understand color being a consideration but it should not be final in your decision. For myself I have stayed away from black and whites, I think they are beautiful but one of my heart dogs Mr. Singh was a black and white and I just don't want to go there. I have never based any of the dogs I have on color. As for red in this country it is iffy and even overseas there is no guarantee they will stay red.


----------



## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

I wanted a black and white parti but as you can see that's not what I ended up with. We actually rescued Kipper from a shelter a couple hours away from where we live and the choice was him or his brother whom was white with red and black splotches. I can NOT imagine not having my Kipper now and could care less what color he is. My sister chose her dog (a black and white parti) for temperment and size to go along with her Westie, he is now about 9 months old and his is starting to silver quite a bit in his black areas. 
That being said make sure your breeder knows your lifestyle and what you are looking for and let them guide you to the puppies that will best fit you and your family, it might not be the right color you are looking for but hey it could be the start of MHS....... it is very contagious and seems to run rampant on the forum  . Good luck with your search and keep us posted.


----------



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

thanks everyone for your input. it's really straightened out my thinking about this. In other words, I wouldn't pick a friend based on hair color I shouldn't do it with a dog. 

really really helpful. thank you again.


----------



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

by the way, what does MHS means?


----------



## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

loriabigail said:


> by the way, what does MHS means?


It means "Multiple Hav Syndrome". I have just the one fur baby and struggle weekly with the desire for more. Any new puppy post sends me into a tailspin; they're just so darn cute! If you can't decide on color you may just want to get two at one time and be done with itound:.h


----------



## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Lori,
I agree with everyone else, however, you can always mention your color choice to the breeder. I know that you can't select a friend by hair or eye color, but then again, you don't buy your frieds!


----------



## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

I have to say I love the black and whites I see on the forum! My mom recently got a beautiful sable puppy, but when I look at pix of sable adults, most of the color has gone.

Baxter is cream and apricot. It just happened that way. Even with so little color, it has changed and lightened, and looks different depending on whether it's long and short. And he's such a loveable character, I just don't care.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

loriabigail said:


> thanks everyone for your input. it's really straightened out my thinking about this. In other words, I wouldn't pick a friend based on hair color I shouldn't do it with a dog.
> 
> really really helpful. thank you again.


I can tell you FOR SURE, that whatever color your puppy ends up being, it will soon be "the BEST" color ever!:biggrin1:


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

loriabigail said:


> by the way, what does MHS means?


...and it's is EXTREMELY contagious if you hang around this forum for long. I'm still holding out, but I have to wear a mask and use Purell every time I get on the forum!ound:

BTW, the first symptom of MHS is "IWAP" (saying or thinking "I Want A Puppy") every time a new little babe is introduced on the forum. The MINUTE that happens, you're doomed!:biggrin1:


----------



## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

krandall said:


> ...and it's is EXTREMELY contagious if you hang around this forum for long. I'm still holding out, but I have to wear a mask and use Purell every time I get on the forum!ound:
> 
> BTW, the first symptom of MHS is "IWAP" (saying or thinking "I Want A Puppy") every time a new little babe is introduced on the forum. The MINUTE that happens, you're doomed!:biggrin1:


So true... IWAPMHSOMG


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> ...and it's is EXTREMELY contagious if you hang around this forum for long. I'm still holding out, but I have to wear a mask and use Purell every time I get on the forum!ound:
> 
> BTW, the first symptom of MHS is "IWAP" (saying or thinking "I Want A Puppy") every time a new little babe is introduced on the forum. The MINUTE that happens, you're doomed!:biggrin1:


I have found an extremely effective antidote to MHS. It is called 'Finn'! ound: When you feel the urge start to get the better of you, give me a buzz! (j/k, of course!)


----------



## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I agree, a good breeder, health testing on the parents and temperement are the important things. If you don't want a big puppy, don't pick the big one. Color shouldn't matter. I originally wanted a black and white parti but got a black, who now is silver. I could care less, she's our "baby girl" and alpha dog. All our other Havs are either black Irish pied, black with white markings and two black partis. I love all of them.


----------



## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

I had MHS while I had IWAP. I agree with Karen that once you have it you have it and every time I see a new puppy on the forum I say "ohhhhhh IWAP" (and mine just turned a year old so the puppy woes are still fresh in my mind). The other day DH (dear husband) was talking with my children and I and they asked if I would ever get another Kipper (meaning Hav) I said of course and that I was just waiting a bit to let daddy adjust before I brought another one home...... and saving up because I know who I am getting my next puppy from. DH just looked at me and I said, oh it's happening in about a year so prepare yourself. ound:


----------



## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

There is one thing about color my vet told me. The darker the pigment of the hair, the less problems with skin. She says that white and light colored dogs have skin that is more sensitive an more proone to problems than skin od the dogs with dark hair pigment. She compared that to albino people or people with very light skin who have a lot more skin problems than people with more pigment. Roki is light and he had so much skin problems. Wea are litteraly all the time walking on the edge.


----------



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

thanks again everyone. I am so over the color issue. your eally helped. here's the picture of my little puppy just 3 weeks old. I think I'm in love. I met him the other day - smaller than the cordless phone. he gave lots of kisses and slept in my hand. I'll see him again in 3 weeks and by then he'll be developing his little personality.


----------



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

you're all the best. I love this forum. It's made such a huge difference for me. it helped me walk away from my first puppy that wasn't right for me and now I'm back hoping for this next one. I would have never have known what to do. 
thank you again.


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

My first was Dexter (black & white), I really did not feel he would change color and I was right. My next was Jack (sable), he was dark as a pup and I wanted to see the color changes, it is amazing to see the color changes. It is like a "box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get!" I love them all.


----------



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

loriabigail said:


> thanks again everyone. I am so over the color issue. your eally helped. here's the picture of my little puppy just 3 weeks old. I think I'm in love. I met him the other day - smaller than the cordless phone. he gave lots of kisses and slept in my hand. I'll see him again in 3 weeks and by then he'll be developing his little personality.


The breeder let you choose one before the temperament is really known? Do breeders vary greatly on how they work that?


----------



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

I have chosen one but the breeder knows that if the personality is not right - that I will not take this particular dog. breeders all work so different. it seems that if you don't choose a pup one won't be left.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

angiern2004 said:


> The breeder let you choose one before the temperament is really known? Do breeders vary greatly on how they work that?


Breeders do work differently. Many good breeders maintain a waiting list. if they have, say, 5 puppies, they wait until they know the temperament of the puppies, then match them up to the top 5 families on the list, taking into consideration, of course, preferences for gender, color, etc. Just because you are at the top of the list, doesn't guarantee you a puppy, if there isn't one suitable for you in that litter.

Obviously, the more specific your criteria are, the longer you might have to wait. For instance, if you want a male, on the smaller side, who is black and tan (or worse, red!!!:biggrin1 and has show potential, you will wait longer than someone who doesn't care about gender or color, is happy with a healthy, pet quality pup with a good disposition. (most of them have this last!<g>) I was lucky getting Kodi... I was very particular about wanting a puppy with good potential for performance activities, but I didn't care at all about either color or gender. It so happened that most of the people on my breeder's waiting list at that time wanted females, and they had a litter of 5 male puppies. So I jumped from the end of the waiting list to #3. And in the end, I got EXACTLY the puppy I wanted because the two families ahead of me were only interested in a good family pet, not a performance dog.:whoo:


----------



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

Right, I understand about waiting lists and criteria and all that. 

I was asking if breeders match them at different ages. A local, awesome breeder won't even start talking about which puppy will go to which family for another week or two at least, and the puppies are 3.5 weeks old.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

angiern2004 said:


> Right, I understand about waiting lists and criteria and all that.
> 
> I was asking if breeders match them at different ages. A local, awesome breeder won't even start talking about which puppy will go to which family for another week or two at least, and the puppies are 3.5 weeks old.


I don't think you can really have any firm idea of what a puppy's personality is going to be until they are about 6 weeks. Tom King could probably answer this better. I know Pam carefully temperament tests all their pups.


----------



## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

Temperment testing? I'm wondering what that is?


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

There are some structured temperament test protocols, with scoring systems, that some breeders use. Others do it in a more casual manner, but if they have a lot of experience with their dogs, they will still know, at that age, which are the shy puppies, which are outgoing, which have a high play drive (important for competition dogs), which are curious to always be getting in trouble, which are cuddle bugs... you get the picture.

This doesn't mean that ANY of these are "bad"... it means that that particular puppy will fit best in a particular type of home. A shy puppy will do better with an older couple than with a family with 3 very young children, for instance, while the curious, "busy" puppy might do best with a family who likes to take a lot of long walks in the woods. It also doesn't mean that, with the proper training and exposure that a shy puppy can't come out of her shell, or that a curious, high play drive puppy can't learn to settle and cuddle. But it will take more work.

Fortunately, we have a breed that was BRED as companion animals, so it is unusual to see puppies at the far extremes in this breed. But a good breeder will still take the temperaments of the puppies into consideration when pairing them up with their new families.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I like the cuddle bugs


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lfung5 said:


> I like the cuddle bugs


Yeah, Kodi was a very busy puppy. I think he would have driven a lot of people crazy! But he has calmed down now, and is all business when it's time to work, and ready for a good long snuggle every evening!


----------

