Need recommendation for a good breeder near New York

KatherineS · 01-09-2013, 09:13 PM

We are looking to get a puppy this spring. We are in the suburb of NYC. We are willing to drive up to 3-4 hours to get the puppy from a reputable breeder.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

I have read through a lot of the posts here and learned a lot! I have sent a request to a local Havaneses club. I just want to get more personal recommendations from you guys/girls here.

Thanks!

Katherine

krandall · 01-09-2013, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatherineS

We are looking to get a puppy this spring. We are in the suburb of NYC. We are willing to drive up to 3-4 hours to get the puppy from a reputable breeder.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

I have read through a lot of the posts here and learned a lot! I have sent a request to a local Havaneses club. I just want to get more personal recommendations from you guys/girls here.

Thanks!

Katherine

I strongly recommend that you not limit yourself to (fairly small) geographical range in your search. A Havanese puppy is an investment that will (hopefully) last you for the next 15 years or more. If you can find the right puppy from the right breeder nearby, great. If not, don't be afraid to expand your search. I live in MA, and talked to breeders as far away as Texas. I finally chose a breeder first, then a puppy, in NC. Yes, I had to fly down to pick him up, but it was the best decision I ever made. He is everything I could have dreamed of in a dog and more.

KatherineS · 01-09-2013, 09:26 PM

Thank you for your reply. We are thinking (dreaming) of getting one close by so when we travel, maybe we could board the dog at the same place? That maybe too idealistic. But we are trying to minimize the sadness for the dog.

Thanks

Katherine

dodrop82 · 01-09-2013, 10:45 PM

That is a good goal to have....my breeder of my second pup is happy to take care of my 2girls if we go away, and that is a lovely option to have available! I'm sure people will chime in, who know of great breaders in your area! Good luck with finding your precious future pup!!!!

krandall · 01-10-2013, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatherineS

Thank you for your reply. We are thinking (dreaming) of getting one close by so when we travel, maybe we could board the dog at the same place? That maybe too idealistic. But we are trying to minimize the sadness for the dog.

Thanks

Katherine

Some breeders will board the dog back, but many won't. Also, I travel frequently, and I think you will quickly find that several hours round trip, in the midst of trip preparations (or just after you get back!) quickly becomes a very poor option. I have a good friend who is a trainer, and actually went with me to help pick Kodi out. In the beginning, I left him with her when I traveled. But she lives about an hour from me, and even that 2 hour round trip became onerous when I had to do it a few times. I now use a lovely woman who lives closer, has a couple of small dogs that Kodi enjoys playing with, and (bonus!!!) is a groomer, so knows how to properly maintain Kodi's long coat. (my trainer friend didn't, and I came back to a matted mess!)

As far as minimizing sadness... I truly don't believe the pup has any idea how far they are from home, and very little concept of time, except in the very shortest periods. My personal experience is that how well they separate and settle in is largely related to two factors. First is the puppy's inate personality, and second is the time and care that the breeder has taken in preparing the pup for the transition. By the time I picked Kodi up, he had been on car rides, slept in a crate overnight, met and played with many people, knew how to use a litter box, etc.

Taking Kodi home was pretty much a non-event for him. He charmed everyone in both airports and slept in the plane. (and during the lengthy car rides on each end) He played with my sons as soon as we let him out of his crate after getting home from the airport. Either my son or I slept beside his crate for the first two weeks, but there was never a peep out of him. I have friends in MA who have gotten puppies in California (obviously a MUCH longer trip than Kodi had) who had no more problems than we had with Kodi.

I'm certainly not telling you to avoid local breeders. If there is a GOOD one, with the RIGHT puppy local to you, by all means go for it! But if not, don't limit your options!

lfung5 · 01-11-2013, 06:12 AM

Try to Delaware Valley Havanese Club. They are the local breed club in the North East.

luv3havs · 01-11-2013, 08:07 AM

Regarding your idea of buying the puppy from the breader nearby-I had the same idea and bought my puppy from a breeder who lived 10 minutes away. She met all the requirements about health testing, socialization etc. The real clincher was that she offered to care for the puppy when we traveled. She did it twice and then changed her mind!
I was upset about that. She stopped breeding after that litter and I have no contact with her!