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A Reputable Breeder

 

We pride ourselves at Kerris Havanese in always putting the welfare of our Havanese above all else. We do all we can to ensure they are raised in a loving environment filled with mental and physical exercise, lots of attention and hands on touching. They are all health tested so we know all is well, or when all is not well. One cannot be a responsible Breeder if you don’t know the good and the bad.

As a potential owner you want to know all there is to know about not only your potential new puppy, but their parents, the environment where the puppy grew up and how they were raised.

You may read and hear stories on the Internet about ‘what the Breeder did’ and as with all things, don’t be too sure what you are hearing is truthful or factual. Often an hysterical view is permeated by an owner who wants the impossible, hears only what they want to hear or are an attention seeker and will say anything to get their 30 seconds of fame. Even when they have veterinary proof all is well, they still seek to cause mischief and mayhem.

Ask as many questions as you can, ask permission to speak to the Breeders Vet and previous puppy Buyers and if you still have doubts, purchase your puppy elsewhere.

 

The following was shared on Facebook with permission. It sums up why you should purchase only from a Responsible Breeder:

April 6, 2018

Please read……and then share!!!! This was posted on the ANKC registered Breeders Group by a 14 year old girl who did this as a class presentation. Well done Catriona Vickery and thank you for allowing me to share it.

“Thank you to everyone who gave me more information on why responsible dog breeders are important. Here is the speech I presented today and I couldn’t have done it without you. Have you ever wondered why responsible breeders are so important ? Well today is your lucky day. I’m going to be talking about the relevance of registered, ethical breeders of purebred dogs and their importance to not only a dog and its welfare, but why they are so vital to society and everyday life, their contribution to modern science, and their amazing work put into breed preservation. This matter hits very close to home for me as my Mum is a registered breeder of Rough Collies – a breed of sheepdog originating from the picturesque highlands of Scotland. Whether you wish to believe it or not, ethical breeders, just like my Mum, affect everyone in this room. If you have a relative with a service dog, if you have seen a border security dog, if you know someone with special needs, or if you take for granted happy, healthy dogs, then it does actually have an impact on you! As the next generation of people, it is extremely important to me that I address the misconception that breeders are simply “useless”.

First and foremost, the dog’s welfare! The most crucial part of breeding is prioritising that the dog will be happy and healthy. Show dogs and pets alike, it is about making sure our companions are safe by temperament, genetically sound, and have conformation that does not limit their ability, which is constantly seen in irresponsibly bred dogs, crosses, mixed, and unknown breeds. For example, brachycephalic, or short nosed breeds, when bred incorrectly or bred by people lacking knowledge, become unable to breathe properly. Or when two Merle dogs are bred together, puppies are born deaf and blind, and live to a grand total of a week or born dead purely because of the ignorance of an inattentive breeder. Or, when a poorly bred dog has bad front and rear angulation, they cannot move properly. This makes for a restrictive and poor quality of life. A breeder of German Shepherds recently reached out to me. She stated that “health testing of breeding stock is eliminating things like hip dysplasia.” And it most certainly is – along with other issues found in different breeds. This and many other physical and genetic factors contribute to a dog’s health. Crossing two breeds actually doesn’t make the offspring any healthier; instead, it actually puts them at risk of even more issues. And yet another significant misconception is that a bitch will benefit from having a litter before being desexed – again this is an absolute myth. A bitch cannot and will not benefit from having a litter. But what covers the dog underneath can and does also pose as a huge issue to their welfare. Here is a quote from a breeder and former groomer, “as a former groomer, you will find they see horrific cross bred and inbred animals with deformities, skin issues, behavioural issues and the list goes on”. That’s right, badly or incorrectly bred dogs are prone to many issues, but focusing on coat, the skin issues and coat deformities are the usual result of crossing two types of coat together. For example, a poodle and a Labrador. While your beloved poodle crosses are indeed very cute, they go through hell to carry that fluffy coat you all love. The way a dog looks on the outside to the standard is very important to long term health. Poor welfare to the dog only occurs when unethical breeders have a lack of knowledge. For this reason and many more, breeders push to produce animals where their welfare is paramount. Keeping the dog’s welfare as a top priority is the reason our best friends can be happy and healthy by temperament, genetics and conformation.

As well as this, there is yet another reason registered breeders are so significant to everyday life. For those who are visually impaired, to those who are protecting our country, for the rescuers, the therapists, the companions – intelligent, well-bred dogs are required. And of course, they don’t come from just anywhere! Labrador Retriever breeder Pauline Gill had this to say; “I prioritise health, ability to retrieve, temperament and drive equally as conformation. These dogs need sound conformation to do their job.” Pauline Gill has been a member of Dogs New South Wales since 1986, and has been a breeder with Dogs New South Wales for 27 years. Over this time, she has bred service, drug detection, diabetes alert, autism support, post traumatic stress disorder support, truffle hunting, stress disorder and obedience dogs. Service dogs are the dogs that you see walking and guiding those with disabilities, such as visual impairment, hearing impairments, mental disorders, seizures, mobility impairment, and diabetes. The dogs are trained for 1 to 2 years and with the completion of their training, are able to lead and guide people in public, detect diabetic spikes and drops, and support a panic attack, a product of mental disorders like anxiety. Drug detection or “sniffer dogs”, as you may call them, are trained for an astonishing 2 to 3 months! These dogs have been bred with such an ideal genetic and conformational background that they are able to be trained in a tiny amount of time. After the initial training, dogs are then qualified to protect our country! They can smell drugs and other dangerous goods and alert their handler simply by sitting when a scent is identified. These amazing canines are the ones you see at airports and police stations, and are absolutely essential for the stability and safety of our country. These dogs are the reason you can sleep at night. Without people like Pauline Gill, and her properly bred Labradors, people could and would die, and our country would be at a constant risk. It is important to not merely dismiss registered, ethical breeders who breed intelligent, sound dogs for this reason.

Furthermore, registered, ethical breeders have, in fact, contributed to modern science. Karen Galbraith, a breeder of Japanese Spitz, told me more: “The Border Collie breeders in Australia spent 20 years and tens of thousands of dollars having a DNA test developed to eliminate Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, which is the same as Batten’s disease in children, and the research done in Border Collies has, in turn, contributed to the study of the disease in children.” So first – what is Batten’s disease? It is a fatal disease which is an inherited disorder of the nervous system. Battens disease is inherited from a recessive gene that must be carried by both parents. The fatal result is a child of both genes combined, a child with Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. The breeders in Australia had to hand any dog they bred with the mortal illness to scientists. It was here that, over a span of many years, a DNA test was evolved to detect the gene in both parents, and now we have the ability to prevent the disease. As well as this, those who cared for the special needs dogs also made some findings in the way that the disease could be managed, and they found that physical therapy actually helped to lessen the amount of and severity of seizures caused by the disease. Along with this disease, the overall part of breeding and genetics has harboured a favourable amount of information for modern science and the way that genetics affect dogs and how they can be dangerous. Breeders did indeed help in the prevention, diagnosis and management of the disease, as well as gather vital information that we use everyday.

And last but not least, one of the most overlooked reasons breeders are important, is for the preservation of breeds. Without these breeders, some beloved breeds would no longer exist. But why is breed preservation important? Well without some breeds, we wouldn’t have dogs to help herd livestock on our farms. Without some breeds, we wouldn’t have dogs to protect our homes. To rescue and guide people. To protect our country. To be our companions. For these reasons and so many more, breed preservation is a very real and relevant aspect of dog breeding from registered, ethical breeders. You may not know that the Maltese is an almost extinct breed… yet we see millions of Maltese crosses and mixes – the typical result of backyard breeding – irresponsible breeding of animals from those who have little to no knowledge about genetics and health in the likes of the welfare of the dog. At a Maltese specialty show in Melbourne, a striking total of nine dogs showed up. Nine. In the whole of Melbourne and its surrounds. Without breeders, the Maltese would truly be an extinct breed. Here is what Tracey Bassett, a Great Pyrenees breeder, had to say; “You may want to mention that some breeds are rarer than the Panda (for example the Skye Terrier or Otterhound). Good breeders are essential for their existence. And Tracey Bassett is absolutely right. These breeds have survived for hundreds if not thousands of years, yet they cannot survive modern humanity, down to the selfishness of careless, immoral people who breed for “cute” and/or for money. And one thing registered, ethical breeders certainly do not do, is make money from breeding. So due to the nonsensical minds of self-absorbed people, breeds have and are being destroyed and lost. With the absence of proper breeders, your best friend may not have existed.

Ultimately, the ethical breeding of purebred pedigree dogs are extremely vital. We want our best friends to be happy and healthy, and that is taken care of by the responsible registered breeders. With the dogs produced by our breeders, lives are saved, and our country is protected. Diseases are prevented and managed, and scientific findings are paramount in the use of modern science. And of course, they keep breeds alive. These reasons are just a small piece of so many other reasons which render the purebred ethical breeders in our society a necessity for everyday life”.

The Havanese Fanciers Canadian website has some wonderful information on all things Havanese. One of the articles on the below link talks about what to look for when searching for a Havanese Breeder. I recommend reading prior to making your choice of where you will purchase your special puppy.

http://www.havanesefanciers.com/havanesesearch?q=choosingabreeder

What can you expect from the breeder?

You would expect:

  • That the breeder provides full vaccination and any microchip records
  • That the puppy is healthy and should be free from internal and external parasites
  • That the breeder provides you with written information on the care, feeding and training of your new puppy
  • Find out if the breeder has a policy to undertake to take the puppy back for re-homing if you are unable to keep it in the future
  • That the breeder will offer advice about the best age to get your puppy de-sexed
  • That the breeder has experience in more than Conformation Showing of their dogs: that they can assist and support you with training, dietary health, long term wellness and have raised the puppy in the best possible environment for that puppy to thrive