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Loss of Senior Havanese

1141 Views 29 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  krandall, 
BoosDad
The past three months, we have lost four of our cherished Seniors, who were active on the forum (Boo, Bugsy, Dusty, and Kodi). I hope those few with Seniors will continue to post in the older Havanese section of the forum. Keep reminding us that our older Havanese are just as important as the youngsters.
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Tere
I love the oldtimers! Just today, I was looking through my pictures and found so many pictures of my previous dogs. I often think that maybe I should have tried harder with them to extend their lives but after looking at the pictures of them in their last days, I feel better knowing that they were off to a better place. They were 14, 15 and 18. Shadow is now 6. He will be a senior soon. The time passes so fast.
While I have never met anyone who is on here, I feel so sad when we lose a dog. I feel like I knew both Boo and Kodi. It was easy to see how much they were loved and how much they are missed.
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BoosDad
Tere said:
I love the oldtimers! Just today, I was looking through my pictures and found so many pictures of my previous dogs. I often think that maybe I should have tried harder with them to extend their lives but after looking at the pictures of them in their last days, I feel better knowing that they were off to a better place. They were 14, 15 and 18. Shadow is now 6. He will be a senior soon. The time passes so fast.
While I have never met anyone who is on here, I feel so sad when we lose a dog. I feel like I knew both Boo and Kodi. It was easy to see how much they were loved and how much they are missed.
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I totally agree. The oldtimers are the best. They just grow up so quickly, and their lives are so short. Every day I tell myself that I am so lucky that Boo lived for over 20 years. He brought great joy to my life.
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krandall
BoosDad said:
I totally agree. The oldtimers are the best. They just grow up so quickly, and their lives are so short. Every day I tell myself that I am so lucky that Boo lived for over 20 years. He brought great joy to my life.
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when people contact me about puppies, I ask them to come meet the parents, before the puppies are born if at all possible. ALL puppies are cute, and everyone falls in love with unformed puppy personalities. I want them to meet my ADULT dogs and know how wonderful THEY are in their range of personalities. (And some mothers are distant and pre-occupied once their puppies are born, and that SHOULD NOT be held against them, though it is a plus if they are STILL super social) Because THAT is what they will be living with, not that cute, fluffy, bumbling puppy-thing. That is gone in a few months. It is the dog that you are buying… one that HOPEFULLY will be living with them for 15 years, more or less. Meeting the parents (and other relatives if they are around) is the best window into the temperaments of the puppies.

Honestly, a person who isn’t interested in making the time to do this goes lower on my list of potential puppy homes. Because they really do NOT understand what they are doing, or value what I am doing as a breeder.
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BoosDad
krandall said:
when people contact me about puppies, I ask them to come meet the parents, before the puppies are born if at all possible. ALL puppies are cute, and everyone falls in love with unformed puppy personalities. I want them to meet my ADULT dogs and know how wonderful THEY are in their range of personalities. (And some mothers are distant and pre-occupied once their puppies are born, and that SHOULD NOT be held against them, though it is a plus if they are STILL super social) Because THAT is what they will be living with, not that cute, fluffy, bumbling puppy-thing. That is gone in a few months. It is the dog that you are buying… one that HOPEFULLY will be living with them for 15 years, more or less. Meeting the parents (and other relatives if they are around) is the best window into the temperaments of the puppies.

Honestly, a person who isn’t interested in making the time to do this goes lower on my list of potential puppy homes. Because they really do NOT understand what they are doing, or value what I am doing as a breeder.
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Well said!!
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C
What a great idea. I would have jumped at the chance. But as a new dog owner, I didn’t even think to ask.
krandall said:
when people contact me about puppies, I ask them to come meet the parents, before the puppies are born if at all possible. ALL puppies are cute, and everyone falls in love with unformed puppy personalities. I want them to meet my ADULT dogs and know how wonderful THEY are in their range of personalities. (And some mothers are distant and pre-occupied once their puppies are born, and that SHOULD NOT be held against them, though it is a plus if they are STILL super social) Because THAT is what they will be living with, not that cute, fluffy, bumbling puppy-thing. That is gone in a few months. It is the dog that you are buying… one that HOPEFULLY will be living with them for 15 years, more or less. Meeting the parents (and other relatives if they are around) is the best window into the temperaments of the puppies.

Honestly, a person who isn’t interested in making the time to do this goes lower on my list of potential puppy homes. Because they really do NOT understand what they are doing, or value what I am doing as a breeder.
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Sdeek
I think an In Memoriam section would be wonderful.
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CarolineS
krandall said:
Honestly, a person who isn’t interested in making the time to do this goes lower on my list of potential puppy homes. Because they really do NOT understand what they are doing, or value what I am doing as a breeder.
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You could look at that from a different perspective. 😉

I have had 5 purebred dogs (four different breeds) and only ever visited the breeder beforehand with two of them. It was actually more that those two breeders were friends first so I already knew them before I’d even considered getting one of their dogs.

My second Rottweiler came from Texas (I’m in Canada) so there was no chance of me meeting the breeder beforehand. The airfare money went to the puppy’s flight. 😉 My Miniature Poodle came from a highly reputable breeder 3 hours away. After he interviewed me very extensively on the phone, we met in a parking lot midway. 🤣 Ollie’s breeder is about 5 hours away and we did all the communication via email. She thought his temperament would suit my lifestyle but I could tell she wasn’t too sure of me because I didn’t need to meet her and her dogs before putting down my deposit. In the end, she decided I was on the level, based on my past experience with dogs and the breeders my other dogs had come from.

Personally, I have always felt that if I’m dealing with a highly reputable breeder, there is no need to meet them and their dogs before getting a puppy. The fact that they are successful and have an excellent reputation speaks volumes about their breeding program and their integrity. I have never cared about the colour or sex of a puppy, I care about health and temperament. I will fall in love with any ball of fluff I am presented with. The breeders are the experts and I trust them implicitly to pick the right puppy for me. This approach has always worked for me and I have been blessed with wonderful dogs from equally wonderful breeders. 😀
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krandall
CarolineS said:
You could look at that from a different perspective. 😉

I have had 5 purebred dogs (four different breeds) and only ever visited the breeder beforehand with two of them. It was actually more that those two breeders were friends first so I already knew them before I’d even considered getting one of their dogs.

My second Rottweiler came from Texas (I’m in Canada) so there was no chance of me meeting the breeder beforehand. The airfare money went to the puppy’s flight. 😉 My Miniature Poodle came from a highly reputable breeder 3 hours away. After he interviewed me very extensively on the phone, we met in a parking lot midway. 🤣 Ollie’s breeder is about 5 hours away and we did all the communication via email. She thought his temperament would suit my lifestyle but I could tell she wasn’t too sure of me because I didn’t need to meet her and her dogs before putting down my deposit. In the end, she decided I was on the level, based on my past experience with dogs and the breeders my other dogs had come from.

Personally, I have always felt that if I’m dealing with a highly reputable breeder, there is no need to meet them and their dogs before getting a puppy. The fact that they are successful and have an excellent reputation speaks volumes about their breeding program and their integrity. I have never cared about the colour or sex of a puppy, I care about health and temperament. I will fall in love with any ball of fluff I am presented with. The breeders are the experts and I trust them implicitly to pick the right puppy for me. This approach has always worked for me and I have been blessed with wonderful dogs from equally wonderful breeders. 😀
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It may work for you as a puppy buyer. As a BREEDER, it doesn't work for ME, when vetting homes for my puppies. I don't breed a lot of dogs, and it is very important to me that I make the best choice possible for them in terms of their future homes. So while I would not rule out someone in your situation, as I said, it would put you lower on the list. Because I don't breed a lot of dogs, (basically, when I am looking for something for my own program, and then sell the others) I can afford to be choosey.

And, honestly, as a puppy BUYER, buying from an un-known breeder, you may be more experienced than a lot of people on the forum. Many people here are not so discerning about breeders. Many are first time Havanese buyers, often first time PUPPY buyers. Many cannot tell a good breeder from a bad one from a website and a phone conversation. Many haven't got a clue what to ask. We've seen that time and again. AT LEAST if they go to the home and meet the parents, they can see if they are the kind of dog they want to live with. They can see where and how the puppies are being raised. Is it clean? Are the puppies in an enriching environment? These are two big ones to check off the list in terms of getting a pet puppy that will actually BE a good pet.
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CarolineS
krandall said:
And, honestly, as a puppy BUYER, buying from an un-known breeder, you may be more experienced than a lot of people on the forum. Many people here are not so discerning about breeders. Many are first time Havanese buyers, often first time PUPPY buyers. Many cannot tell a good breeder from a bad one from a website and a phone conversation. Many haven't got a clue what to ask. We've seen that time and again.
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All very valid points. Truthfully, it just got my back up a bit when you said anyone who didn’t visit didn’t understand what they were doing or didn’t value what you, as a breeder, were doing. That’s not me. It is because I value what good breeders do so highly that I’m happy to leave it up to them. On the other hand, I can see where parts of my post probably came across as a bit flippant (although I was trying for humour) and probably put your back up a bit. The joys of “talking” online.

You’re also right, because of my friendships with some excellent breeders, I’ve had an inside look at the kinds of things they do and don’t do with their dogs. And because of my absolute mania for research, I know how to do a deep dive into show results, health tests and breeder reviews online.

I joined a few Facebook Havanese groups before I settled on this breed. Most people in these groups seem to be first time buyers or questionable breeders. Some of the posts are truly horrifying. I’ve read everything from people advising others to spray a dog in the face with vinegar to stop unwanted behaviours to a woman who posted her Havanese was pregnant and wanted to know how many weeks it would be before the puppies were born! 🤯 Obviously you really need to be on your toes about who is buying a puppy.

So I’m guessing I’m not on your waiting list? 😉 If I were in the US and in the market for a puppy, I’d buy one from you in a heartbeat. I’d even visit you. 😀
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krandall
CarolineS said:
All very valid points. Truthfully, it just got my back up a bit when you said anyone who didn’t visit didn’t understand what they were doing or didn’t value what you, as a breeder, were doing. That’s not me. It is because I value what good breeders do so highly that I’m happy to leave it up to them. On the other hand, I can see where parts of my post probably came across as a bit flippant (although I was trying for humour) and probably put your back up a bit. The joys of “talking” online.

You’re also right, because of my friendships with some excellent breeders, I’ve had an inside look at the kinds of things they do and don’t do with their dogs. And because of my absolute mania for research, I know how to do a deep dive into show results, health tests and breeder reviews online.

I joined a few Facebook Havanese groups before I settled on this breed. Most people in these groups seem to be first time buyers or questionable breeders. Some of the posts are truly horrifying. I’ve read everything from people advising others to spray a dog in the face with vinegar to stop unwanted behaviours to a woman who posted her Havanese was pregnant and wanted to know how many weeks it would be before the puppies were born! 🤯 Obviously you really need to be on your toes about who is buying a puppy.

So I’m guessing I’m not on your waiting list? 😉 If I were in the US and in the market for a puppy, I’d buy one from you in a heartbeat. I’d even visit you. 😀
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Honestly, I don’t keep a waiting list. I don’t breed enough puppies to make it worth while for me or those looking for a puppy. People interested in one of my puppies can check my website, or best of all follow my FB page, which is where I announce when I plan a breeding. Then get applications in fast. When you figure that a BIG Havanese litter might be 7 or 8 puppies, and an “average” on is 4 or 5, and I am unlikely to breed if I don’t want to keep one for myself, and also unlikely to breed more than one litter in a year or so… you can see how few puppies I have to place. It doesn’t make sense to keep a “waiting list” for another year or more. (This time my co-breeder also wanted one, so there were only 3 puppies to place, and I think I had about 15 applications)

And yes, I’ve (briefly) visited a few of the FB pet Havanese groups and immediately left. The signal to noise ratio is much too low for my taste. :)
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