INTRODUCTORY LETTER
©deborah owens
Deborah Owens Beloved Havanese Box 70, Waverly Hall, GA. 31831
706 577-5733
email: BelovedHavanese@aol.com
Copyright 2010 deborahowens information contained herein is protected by US copyright law, none of the Beloved materials, writings or photographs may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Beloved Havanese, Deborah Owens
HELLO,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Here are the colors we produce:
1. Solid Snow White,
2. Cream [the color of evaporated milk, a creamy white] with Blonde Ears, and some with small and only occasional blonde spots
3. Black and Whites are called White Partis. Our White Partis are Snow White with 2-3 Black Spots.
4. Silver Sable Partis. We occasionally have these. They are Snow White with 2-3 Silver Gray Spots.
For young pups under 6 months of age: Males are usually $700-1200 and Females are $700-1200. Deposits are generally $500 to reserve a young pup. Once in a while, we will have a slightly older pup available, one that we have saved until he was old enough to evaluate for our program. These pups are from 26-52 weeks of age and males are usually about $400-700, less than our normal prices. These are usually pups that we kept for our breeding program that have been eliminated for a subtle breeding flaw, or because we have several in the litter we saved for our evaluation and we could not keep but one, though all were near perfect. In this way, we can offer a near perfect pup, for much less. They are all still sold on spay/neuter agreements. Often they are already neutered, have had all of their shots and well on their way to being housetrained. We can ship for $350 to select destinations.
We will reserve a young pup for you with an application and a $500 deposit. When we reserve a pup for you, we remove it from the availability of others who are seeking pups, and miss out on other potential good placements for our puppy, therefore, deposits are non refundable, but are transferable to another pup.
QUICK NOTES: Internet-Cheap-Priced pups are usually not Havanese. They are usually crosses that look like a Havanese to the unsuspecting. We have seen hundreds of crosses sold for $400-1000 that are not Havanese, but are sold as Havanese. Crosses will show a huge difference from true purebred Havanese as they grow. Crosses do not have the same gentle and calm personality that have made Havanese so famous.
Cross Breeds that are sold as Havanese will usually disappoint their new owners as they will not have the gentle disposition of a purebred Havanese or the refined look of an adult Havanese.
We have a nearly 50 year commitment to the dogs, and we sell PUREBRED HAVANESE.
One quick note, imported pups do not have to meet any standards, at all, to enter the country, and you have no redress if they are genetically defective, carrying contagious illness, or cross breeds with phony papers. I get calls every day from people who have purchased a sick pup from a pet store or a broker who was selling imported pups - usually on phony papers.
Your only assurance that you have a Havanese is the breeder's longstanding commitment to the breed. Do not mistake breeder commitment to mean a show person who wants to show and make a name for herself while keeping the dogs locked in cages on the show road for 4-5 weeks at a time.
If you want a real Havanese, buy from a real breeder who has plenty of dogs. If a breeder has a selection of dogs, the breeder can select the best of all to breed. Conversely, a back yard breeder or pet owner, who has a couple of dogs, will probably breed them, even if they do not typify the best of the breed. In that way, unhealthy and unattractive attributes are passed on in the pups.
We breed only the best dogs, who not only typify the breed, but are healthy. We want to pass on the best characteristics of Havanese.
When you buy Havanese, you are buying temperament. The imported cross breeds that are being sold as Havanese, are not the same type or temperament as that of a true Havanese.
Our Update Pup Pics Website: http://belovedhavanese.net
Please visit our web site and even bookmark it, but please come back to this letter and read about the Havanese breed to see if it might be the proper choice as your pet. If you are interested in a pup, please do not hesitate to return our application.
About Us: We are located deep in a Hickory Forest, in the true back woods of Georgia, USA, about 70 miles south of Atlanta, in a country area, with lots of space for the puppies. Here in our country home, we have 4 plus miles of woods around us, and our forest floors are covered with ferns as well as crises crossed with crystal clear creeks. It is quiet here, and the air is clean. Our place is the former site of a 19th Century dairy and cattle ranch. It is also an Indian Burial Ground, circa 500 AD. As Botanical Guardians We propagate and protect endangered plants in our mature hardwoods areas. We have a number of endangered and protected animal species as well. We consider Cloudstepper to be a gift from God and as such it is a gift of hallowed ground. This is a slower, kinder & gentler place than most, with almost zero crime and 95% of our county covered in forest. The pups have their own yards, doggie playgrounds and areas of the house as well. Their home, in our home, rivals a pediatric intensive care unit with delivery/nursing Mom room with incubators and isolettes. We have a weaned puppy room equipped with precision puppy pens and exercise pens, and adult rooms, separating girls and boys. The dogs have 7 rooms that are their very own. The dogs even have their own breeding room and bathroom, for bathing and grooming. May I begin by saying, BREEDING IS A WAY OF LIFE, IT IS NOT A JOB OR an AVOCATION.
We do not provide pups with breeding rights. We do not provide pet pups to show homes or back yard breeding situations or to those who want to have "ONE" litter to show their children what having puppies is like. We are sorry if this disappoints you, but it is our intent to protect our animals to the extent we can do so. Our line is completely closed, meaning no one breeds them, ever. We have developed our own look, and when we go, it will go with us. This is unfortunate, but true. It is better than allowing even one of our babies to end up in a puppy mill. Please do not ask us---NO BREEDING WITH OUR DOGS.
Now Let us get to our Beloved Havanese INTRODUCTION
We are presently accepting proper applications for PET ownership. We do not produce a lot of puppies, but we try to produce top quality puppies. All pups are given chose scrutiny with regard to immunizations, and health care. We breed only healthy, socialized dogs that have sound minds.
We have some very special Darlings that have brought tremendous joy and hope to our lives.
We wish that everyone could experience the great blessing of owning, or being owned by a Havanese. There simply is no other breed like them on the planet. The Havanese have a very endearing communication technique they stand up on their back tippy toes, stretch their front legs up above their head, and bounce their front paws up and down in a begging motion. What body language! It is irresistible! It is "Havanese" for "Please, Please, Please, Please, Please."
They greet you with oodles of "Hav Kisses". When held, some Havs will place their paws on each side of your neck and give you a big "Hav hug," They dance and twirl, and are unsurpassed in their playful showmanship. Their keen intelligence, easygoing temperaments, desire to please their master, and friendly dispositions make them a welcome sight to their owners, and to guests as well.
They have an intense desire to please their master, and they tend to be submissive. They are very influenced by the ambiance of the home.
With these Hav Facts in mind, perhaps you can understand why we are careful with our placements. We sincerely intend to provide Special Puppies To Special Families. We sometimes prefer to place our puppies in homes where there has been a recent pet loss, a special needs child, a traumatized person, a disabled person or a lonely person. We feel the Havanese fill their highest calling in these situations. We know they can help facilitate emotional healing and stability. We do, of course, place pups in homes without "Special Needs" when the Puppy and Home are a good match.
We would like you to be totally informed about the breed before purchasing a Havanese, so there are several very important points of discussion, which we would like to bring to your attention:
We have found that the Havanese are such nice dogs that many people have some very unrealistic expectations of the breed. Many promoters of the breed have been so in love with the little Darlings that they have unintentionally misrepresented the breed as totally angelic creatures that do not poop or fight. The global communication of the Internet has blown these myths into hyperspace! The Havanese are nice, but please remember, they are still dogs!
Havanese Myths and The Truths Behind Them:
1. All Havanese are perfectly calm, and do not bark. They bark much less than any other toy breed.
2. Havanese are never aggressive toward children or other animals. They love children and are non-aggressive, but they have very sharp teeth and are very oral. They can non-maliciously mouth a child's hand with their very sharp little teeth.
3. Havanese are low maintenance dogs. Their coats take 18 mo. to grow out, so they do not need constant grooming. They do need to be combed weekly and even shaved down twice a year.
4. Havanese are easily house trained. They are trained easily by a person who is consistently training correctly.
5. Some lines of Havanese do not have cataracts, and breeders can guarantee against eye problems including cataracts. All lines have cataracts and no one can guarantee the pup will not have them.
6. Havanese are perfect for apartment dwellers. They are lower activity than most dogs, but must go outside to do their business, unless a litter box is used. They sometimes do not do well on paper.
7. Havanese are low activity dogs. They do their own exercise inside and do not need to be walked.
8. Havanese do not fight or bite. With proper training, Havanese do not naturally fight or bite.
9. Havanese are totally hypoallergenic. They are among the most, if not the most, hypoallergenic.
10. Havanese can be companions to all other breeds of dogs. NOT TRUE. MANY BREEDS WILL DOMINATE THEIR PASSIVE NATURE.
Havanese Facts:
Male Havanese
1. Neutered males make great pets. Most people think they make the best pets. When they are neutered prior to six months of age they have a slightly different personality than they would if they are allowed to reach sexual maturity. Neutering before six months decreases cancer risks. Neutering prior to six months prevents the males from learning to lift their leg when they urinate. Neutering at six months of age also preserves the puppy personality, resulting in a more compliant adult.
2. Neutering also prevents the male from tracking down neighborhood females in estrus. In summary, neutered males are more compliant, have a decreased cancer risk, and are less likely to roam.
3. And, oh, so importantly, it prevents them from ever learning to lift their leg when they urinate. This makes the males more attractive to most pet owners. And, neutering may make them more affectionate than unneutered males. You can totally change a male's behavior by neutering him at an early age, such as five and one half months. Males are usually calmer than females.
Female Havanese:
1. This is a truly kissy face critter, a female Havanese. They are sometimes considerably smaller than the males, perhaps 20%. They are very enthusiastic and quite gentle. They may be more inclined to be more emotional than a neutered male. They are very bouncy and kissy, perhaps more so than a male. They are more impulsive than the males, and this is sometimes interpreted to mean that they are sometimes less calm than a male. They want to kiss and if you do not want to be kissed you do not need a female Havanese.
2. Many people ask us for female Havanese for breeding purposes. Some ask for Show females, some ask for breeding quality females, and some ask for female pets that they can breed just once or twice. We do not provide for breeding purposes. Both the male that is neutered, and the female that is spayed, are truly kissy face little critters and are adorable pets. They are BOTH very affectionate.
Many of the people who are seeking female Havanese have asked all the Havanese breeders they could find if they can purchase a female often to no avail. The unavailability of breeding females has brought a new wave of deceptive practices by a few who have called us. We have had people call and misrepresent their intentions about the purposes for the female that they seek. Many Havanese breeders have sold a female to someone who they thought was a reputable family person, only later to learn that a disreputable breeder got their female.
Please do not be insulted if we confirm your identification. We are doing everything possible to prevent the Havanese from going into bad breeding situations. Our contract specifically allows us the option to have the dog back if the purchaser has misrepresented himself, and is really a breeder or the representative of a breeder.
3. Many people want to allow a Pet quality pup to produce one or two litters, to show the children what having babies is like.Well, we suggest you try that with another breed not with these rare Darlings. There is very much to be learned to breed properly. Please understand that we consider the Internet to be a valuable tool but not one through which we could selectively choose an appropriate person for tutelage in breeding. We are quite sure after many years of breeding that breeding is a matter for professional breeders, only. It is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, job! One must devote almost every hour of the day to bathing, grooming, training, showing, feeding, immunizing, worming, preventative medications, teeth brushing, contagion control, trips to the vet, education on whelping techniques, whelping, saving at-risk newborns at whelp, caring for premature births, hand feedings, tube feedings, incubating babies, guiding the dam to nurse and care for her young, monitoring of young for illness and unsoundness, raising and training pups, learning proper conformation, assessing the pups for Show potential, proper record keeping on every pup and its whereabouts for its entire lifetime, informing prospective purchasers and new and old Havanese owners of training and breed characteristics, health issues, learning heritable diseases and testing for those diseases, learning modes of inheritance, working with novice breeders to promote good breeding practices, rescue, studying pedigrees for the best genetics.
The list could go on for pages, but perhaps you get the point: it is a very demanding and tiresome job for the professional who has devoted almost all of his or her time, money and patience to the raising of good Havanese pups. Additionally, it takes at least $10,000 to start breeding Havanese properly. The dogs and the specialized supplies and equipment necessary for whelping and raising dogs are above and beyond that cost. Breeders need at least $10,000-15,000 in supplies and equipment. Breeding dogs is very expensive, if it is done the right way. Let us see, at this point we are at about $25-$30,000. This is what is needed to get started after that, it really gets expensive, it takes all of your loving patience and every moment of your time!
Breeding is a full time activity which often, in order to protect the lives of potential pups, pups in utero and infant pups, must take precedence over any and all other activities. It is not a decision to be entered into lightly! I am always on-call for my dogs and they are never left alone. They have a caretaker or a family member with them at all times. BREEDING IS A WAY OF LIFE >>> IT IS NOT A JOB OR an AVOCATION.
Our major health concerns are heart problems, liver shunts, juvenile cataracts, and patella problems. These are normal issues found in toy dogs. We do not believe juvenile cataracts or PRA to be a big problem in this breed, though some websites state that it is. There are some cases, but fortunately, not many. We try to avoid every possible heritable disease, but we cannot promise that one of ours, or any other breeder's dog, will never have a heritable disease. We will replace a dog that develops genetic disease that substantially impacts the dog's life in the first year of life. The statistical odds of any good breeding program producing at least some dogs, at some point, with genetic disorders, does exist. It is not just a possibility, if one breeds long enough one will see some issue eventually. The question is, will the breeder replace the puppy.
The possibility of genetic disorders exists, regardless of our intense screenings and attempts to do good breedings. In humans, the possibility of a genetic disease expressing itself always exists. Every living creature has some genetic potential for unfavorable heritable illness. We are always alert to and aware of the current research in the breed and very happy to comply with all verifiable research findings in developing a good breeding program.
We have enough Havanese in our breeding program to survive, even if we found a known genetic problem in our line. If we saw a problem develop, that we thought was genetic in nature, we could easily remove those affecteds and still maintain our breeding program without impacting our breeding program goals. In short, we are straight talking, straight shooting people, and we do not breed dogs with problems, we do not need to, we have plenty more from which we can select our proper breeding choices.
We will replace a pup that develops a genetic disorder, which substantially alters the pup's quality of life within the first year. We do require proper verifiable documentation of the illness. Having said that, in general, we have a "no questions asked" policy. Our pups can always come home again, no questions asked, for their entire lifetime. We may not refund, but we will always accept one of ours back. We would even accept one of ours back if there had been a case of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, and the animal was in bad shape. We will accept our own back even if they have developed a disease due to improper care or neglect. They are always welcome to come back to their home.
We are very careful in our Havanese Placements. If, after all of this, you are still interested in owning one of our Havs, please fill out our pet ownership application and allow us the chance to know something about your family, and your family's needs in a puppy. This way we can feel comfortable allowing our family member to become your family member.
PETS: They go to their new homes at 11-12 weeks of age. Our contract requires that they are to be spayed/neutered, by the purchaser, by 6 months of age. Our PET females are ONLY SOLD TO PEOPLE THAT WE TRULY TRUST, IMPLICITLY.
Sometimes people say they want to come and view the little pups. Well, due to contagion control, we do not show them until they are 10.5 weeks old, and they are sometimes all gone, reserved, by that point. Many times people try to reserve a pup prior to birth. We cannot do this. We can show the pup at 12 weeks, easily, and that is the age we start to let them go to their new homes.
We only show pups to potential new owners after the pups have been vaccinated twice. This is the safest breeder practice, because little pups can catch diseases from the prospective owners.
Sometimes we get busy and do not have time to email Pics and will then have pups that are 9 weeks old and almost ready to go and available. However, they do go very quickly after putting their Pics on the website.
OLDER DOGS: We sometimes have older dogs for adoption, particularly if one has been returned to us. They are offered for substantially less cost. We are very careful with these placements.
RETIRED DOGS: We will have some retired dogs available in the near future. Please send an application and give us a call, if you are interested.
If you haven't guessed by now, we are rather fanatical about our babies and we only give them the best of care. We believe they should go to their new owner and be treated like children, where they sit beside the new family on the floor, near the couch and are treated with the utmost love, protection and respect. Please only apply for one of our pups if you can treat them as if they were your children. Here they are always loved, groomed, well fed, given proper veterinary care, supervised and cuddled.
Quick Summary:
1. Available pups: Whites, Creams with Blonde Ears, White Partis, White with 2-3 Black Spots
2. PET Males are generally $700- 1,200 and Females are $700- 1200. Older Male Pups- 6-12 months of age are less expensive. Adults are $400-$1200. These prices are general rules of thumb and there are exceptions. Retired dogs are generally $200-400, and are spay/neutered prior to placement. Prices can differ from these. Prices are subject to change.
3. We can ship to large cities, for $350 and this includes everything: Airfare, Airline Crate for Travel, Veterinary Certificate, Veterinary Exam, and Transport to Airport. We prefer to ship with Continental Airlines.
4. All pups have a contract, shot record, health certificate, guarantee and written guarantee of replacement if serious genetic problem occurs in the first year. We, or any other breeder, cannot guarantee against eye problems.
5. We generally must get an application from anyone wanting a puppy. We will accept a $500 deposit to reserve the puppy of your choice after accepting the application. We send PICS of pups until pup delivery/shipment. If pup is not available then we will provide a pup from a subsequent litter, that meets your satisfaction.
6. We are very serious breeders, with decades of experience and we intend to produce a certain look. We produce a leggier dog than the old fashioned one that might, to some, resemble a long, low Daschund. We generally produce excellent black pigment in eyeliner, nose, lips. All in stunning white-white coats! We produce a shorter muzzle, a squarer muzzle, no snippy look here.
Our dogs are more square and less rectangular than the older style Havanese. Ours are generally thinner, taller, shorter backed, more square muzzled and lighter in overall color than many Havanese. This is the look we prefer and it is our signature. We have finely honed our signature look as a sculptor sculpts statuary to suit his eye.
For your information, we have further questions and answers below, but if you have read enough you prefer you may proceed to the Application, which is on the website. Please send the application in an email. We do not open attachments or stationery. Further questions and answers:
7. Do you ship outside the US? NO.
8. Do you own all purebred parents? YES. All are purebred Havanese. No cross breeds here, why would we cross breed when we are one of the oldest Havanese breeders in the world, and we have a fairly large collection of Havanese. We let a whole lot of dogs grow up here so that we can decide which are worth breeding, and which should be "petted out." I have been around this breed for 40+ years!
9. How long have you been breeding/what is your preparation for breeding? I grew up around the Havanese, [since I was 10 years old]. After the Cuban Revolution some Cubans moved to our area and they had Havanese dogs. The dogs have been here in small numbers since, at least, about 1930. My family, coincidentally, had rare breed dogs. I have been around rare breed dogs all of my life. I have been breeding since my college days, which was 30+ years ago, and I have a solid background in animal husbandry. I have taught art classes, and am a fourth generation portrait artist and designer. I spent a great part of my life in school, and have advanced education in anthropology, psychology & philosophy. My husband, a retired Government Man, and I, live in the country in a very remote area, and we have given our lives over to life on the ranch: the dogs and our animals here on the ranch. We lead a very quiet life.
10. Do you keep them inside? Yes, we keep them in the house and they are spoiled like human toddlers. The house is designed for them and they are kind enough to allow me to live here with them. They always have someone, a human someone, with them. They are never left alone, and they are guarded by larger working animals, trained animals. And, they are guarded by Smith & Wesson, guarded from human intruders, and guarded from the animals in the forest, boar, bear, puma, and hawks.
11. Do you show your dogs? Yes, we have had dogs that were shown, under close supervision. However, now we feel that the show world has become a cruel world for dogs.
12. Do you EVER sell show dogs? We have many show quality dogs, however we do not sell them as such. One note: anything can win in the ring in Havanese as they are rare, with little competition. We do not sell to most show breeders, as some are puppy mills. They tell the tale that they do not produce "pets", and that they are only breeding for "show", while they laugh all the way to the bank. We do not like the confined and unnatural setting of SHOW dogs. We consider some show breeders to be cruel, back-bitingly competitive and greedy, all at the expense of the health and emotional well being of our precious Havanese.
13. Do you groom your own dogs? Yes, we do all of our own grooming.
14. Do males and females run together? We have separate rooms for males and females and separate outside play areas. They never run together. They are never in the same room together.
15. How do your other dogs guard the Havanese? They patrol and sound the early warning system. The Havs are guarded by more than one level of protective trained animals surrounding them. They defend to the death, against forest and urban predators. This, perhaps, best explains our priorities.
16. Do you assist in the deliveries or do the animals deliver their young alone and do their own thing? I not only assist, I assist, mostly all night long. I take the pup from the Mom, as it is being produced, break the sac, suction, shake down, suction, give oxygen, and resuscitate if necessary. Then, I incubate them until their body temps are normal. Sometimes they must be in the incubator for up to six hours. The delivery rooms and nursery areas are much like a pediatric intensive care unit, with a near sterile environment, limited entree, and constant nursing supervision.
17. The world wide web is fraught with misinformation. Many Havanese sites, as well as many club sites are fraught with many mentions of Havanese that are incorrect. Please remember, individuals who stand to profit from a study on a disease do not necessarily have the objectivity to ascertain truth in the scientific investigation of a disease. We have seen more than one fraudulent study on disease in dogs. The studies often pay the salary of the "scientist". We have seen $100,000 studies that were nothing more than a sham.
18. There are several clubs with bitter rivalries, as well as mutually exclusive financial interests, directions the breed should take, etc. No one has the perfect answer. No one has the perfect dog. When you buy a dog, you stand the chance that there can be something wrong with the dog. The protection for the Buyer is a written guarantee from the breeder that she will take the dog back and replace the dog, if the defect is thought to be genetic and serious.
19. What about other breeders ? Will you tell us which ones are good and which ones are bad? That is a most definite "NO." WE know that most breeders are eager to criticize other breeders, who are often their competition in the show ring, as well as in selling puppies to prospective buyers. Many times breeders refer prospective puppy purchasers to a breeder with whom they breed, and who owes them a puppy back as stud fee payment, therefore they are selling their own puppy through the other breeder. Breeding is controlled worldwide by women. Many are very excellent breeders. Many of the women are highly competitive, and eager to discredit their competition. Defamatory, even slanderous remarks, are quite common. Make up your own mind about a breeder and do not believe what a breeder says about another breeder. Many of the top show people claim not to be selling "pets" while they are breeding 50 litters a year, at $2000 dog, and laughing all the way to the bank.
20. We do not comment on other breeders and if you hear one breeder remark in slanderous terms about another, my suggestion is, find another breeder who will not defame others.
Breeding is a way of life. When breeding there is never a time when pups can be left without supervision. That means breeding is like having a special needs child, your time is no longer your own. The needs of the dependent must be given priority.
We do not sell to highly skeptical people. We must have a relationship of trust with a family/person in order to sell them a dog. We must feel the person trusts us as well. We do not want our puppy living in a home where the people are so skeptical that they are bordering on coldly paranoid.
Thank You for your inquiry, and if you are interested in a puppy may we suggest you return our application. And, again, thanks for reading! If you email, and we do not get back to you, please call us. Call anytime. We have the call times on the website to keep people from other areas of the world from calling all night long. You can call and leave a message and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Calling is usually better than email.
Deborah Owens
Beloved Havanese
Email: BelovedHavanese@aol.com
Website for new pup Pics:
www.BelovedHavanese.net
Cloudstepper Ranch Box 70 Waverly Hall, GA. 31831
706 577-5733
CALL ANYTIME or send your phone number and best time to call! If you do not get a response from us, please try us again as our phone messages are sometimes deleted when our frequent power outages (brown outs) occur, and emails are a bit overwhelming as we sometimes get thousands per year.
