BREEDER’S FORUM HAVANESE
by MicHEllE N. SoAVE
1. Tell us Three conformaTion charac- TerisTics you consider criTical in your breed- ing program. There are actually four conforma- tion characteristics of Havanese that I consider critical when breeding. First is a reverse topline, which should be a rise from the shoulders to the tail set; this is not a man-made comb over. Sec- ond, head carriage such that the head will be held naturally high on a drop loose lead. Third, a happy-go-lucky tem- perament which shows with a springy gait. A Havanese should never move like a Sporting dog given that a proper Havanese has a short upper arm. Last, but not least, it is critical that a Havanese have a correct coat, which is a double and profuse coat of silk, not cotton. 2. WhaT dogs ThaT you oWn have you been mosT exciTed abouT? I have a few dogs that I have been very excited about, but I must say that the one that is my heart is Angus! He finished as a baby and has being going strong as a spe- cial since then. He excels in showman- ship, with his undeniable love of the ring and his arrogant and clownish ways! I have other Havanese that have won sweepstakes at nationals over 85 puppies (my dear Madison), that have gone Best in Show at Toy shows, and that have won groups. Chanel, whom I bred and that is Madison’s daughter, followed in his foot- steps and won the Sweepstakes at the New York Specialty two years after he did. That was a very rewarding moment as a breeder. Then there’s darling Glitter who, at her first show at 7 months old, was Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best Puppy at the HCA National. We also fondly remember Geronimo finishing at the 2015 National as a baby. We’ve had much more success with others along the way, but those are a few that come to mind.
3. WhaT are your ThoughTs on imporTing and exporTing? I have never exported my dogs, and am not sure that I ever would. As for importing, I have not done it yet, but I can envision instances where one might find it necessary in order to incorporate a certain characteristic, such a particu- lar color that is not common domesti- cally, into a breeding program. 4. To daTe, WhaT has been your high poinT as a breeder? I consider my high point as a breeder as having produced healthy, quality and very competitive Havanese with very limited breeding, and never breeding for quantity. My pet peeve in the breeding/show world is breeders and exhibitors who forget that our dogs do what we ask of them—it is not the dogs’ choosing. Dogs do what they do for us, so we must be kind and caring for them at every level, all of the time. 6. is There a grooming secreT you Would like To share? My grooming secret is a secret! 7. do you inbreed, line- breed or ouTcross? I think linebreeding is the way to go, provided that the dogs are healthy. This is how we set our stamp on our dogs, set our style. But we do need to go out of our lines from time to time. 8. is The currenT sTandard adequaTe? 5. WhaT is your peT peeve in The shoW/ breeding World? “Adequate” is the perfect word for it. It is merely adequate. It is not clear or specific enough.
9. Where do you house your dogs and Whelp your biTches? My dogs are in my house. They are all house dogs and my pets first! My bitches whelp in my bedroom at the foot of my bed, and that’s where they and the pups stay for several weeks. 10. aT WhaT age do you deTermine a puppy To be shoW qualiTy? It is hard for me to say a specific age at which I determine a puppy to be show quality. It depends on the breed and the line. I look at my Havanese pup- pies at around 6 weeks and then don’t evaluate them again until the bite is in, normally in the 5-6 month range. I usu- ally keep all of my pups at home for sev- eral months (longer than many breed- ers), therefore I have even more time to evaluate them for show potential. 11. WhaT is The greaT- esT healTh concern for your breed Today? Patellas are a concern in Havanese, as well as in many other Toy breeds. The breed in general is a healthy breed. 12. if you Were noT involved WiTh shoWing dogs, WhaT Would you do? If I wasn’t involved with showing dogs, I would be involved in the art world or fashion industry!
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