Avonlea Havanese is a small, home-breeder based in the country near the Pennsylvania/Delaware/Maryland border (NOT in Lancaster County). We are located about 30 minutes north of I-95; a 2 hrs. drive from Washington, DC, a 3 hrs. drive from NYC, and a 2 hrs. drive from Harrisburg, PA.
All our puppy owners drive to our home to pick up their puppy. We want the owners to meet the parents of their puppy, the environment in which they were raised, and let the puppy have a chance to get to know their new owners in their comfort zone before going to their new homes.
Puppies are raised inside our country home, with our other dogs, and are socialized with all ages of people: small children, older children, and adults. Puppies are seen by our own vet for complete health checkups and initial vaccinations, and are ready for their new homes at 8 wks. of age.
Because of the risk of parvovirus, to which newborn and young puppies are susceptible, visits to see puppies in person are prohibited until the puppies have seen the vet and received their initial vaccinations. After that time, or when no young puppies are in the house, visitors are welcome. The health of our puppies is paramount to us! Therefore, we will post weekly updated pictures on our website to let future owners see their puppies as they grow. Owners have told us that they love to print out these pictures to make a scrapbook of their new puppy. We also try not to be late in our weekly updated pictures, as we have learned that people are eagerly awaiting them!!
Puppy reservation procedures, availability, prices, policies, contracts, and waiting list options can be obtained by contacting AvonleaHavanese@aol.com. We try to accommodate everyone as best we can.
We are always asked about health guarantees. The term "health guarantee" is an oxymoron which gives the buyer a false sense of security. It is meant to reassure the puppy buyer that the responsible breeder has done all they can to insure that their breeding dogs don't pass along genetic diseases or adverse conditions to their offspring. The concept is terrific, and the responsible breeder should be commended. However, as my own vet told me, - "NO MORTAL PERSON CAN GUARANTEE THE HEALTH OF ANOTHER LIVING THING". Think about it. We humans do our best to insure the health of our families and our pets - but only God can give them a health guarantee. In Havanese, the problem is, there are only a few diseases and conditions for which the mode of inheritance is known, identified and isolated through careful breeding. The vast majority of conditions, including hip dysplasia, liver shunts, Ockham's Syndrome, or CD (chondrodysplasia), are still being researched, and the research has not yet identified the exact number or combination of recessive genes that are involved. Therefore, until there ever is an accurate, fool-proof way of breeding dogs that ensures that no genetic diseases or congenital defects occur, a "health guarantee" will remain an oxymoron. A recent ad spotted in our local newspaper was from a puppy mill offering many designer mixed breeds with "lifetime health guarantees." Really?
However, responsible breeders' worst nightmare is that a puppy they sell should develop an inherited disease. Therefore, they will stand behind their puppies by offering the puppy buyer either their money back or a replacement puppy if any devastating inherited disease should become evident and the sick puppy is returned to the breeder within a reasonable length of time - breeders' policies all differ. However, remember that by the time some illnesses becomes evident, it might be months or years down the road, and owners have already formed a very tight bond with their puppies and be unwilling to give them back to the breeder -especially if they are worried about the fate of the dog once they relinquish it. That's why health guarantees are virtually useless. Also, environmental, nutritional, and social variants could contribute to developing health conditions - that which are not in control of the breeder (see hip dysplasia, below). If this makes you uneasy and you still are thinking a breeder who offers a 1-2 year or even lifetime guarantee produces a superior dog to one who doesn't offer a guarantee, think of it this way: when you or your loved ones decide to have children, can YOU guarantee they will all be healthy and not develop cancer, diabetes, seizures, or other lfe-altering conditions?
So, if we humans admit that we cannot "guarantee" the health of any living thing (even our own children) then what is the answer? Are certificates for performing various health tests in breeding dogs necessary? This gives a good snapshot of the dog's health at that moment, but doesn't necessarily insure that dog's good health in the future for all the diseases and conditions for which it has been tested. Right now, the CERF, OFA, patellas, thyroid, and cardiac test all evaluate the PHENOTYPE (outward expression of the genes involved) of the dog - we don't as yet have a genetic test for the genotype. In fact, OFA certified "good" dogs still have a 25 % chance of passing on bad hips to their offspring. Therefore, until there is a better way, breeders will try to breed good phenotypes with other good phenotypes, hoping (bear with me now, as this is BIO 101 genetics) that they will pair two homozygous genotypes for all the genes involved in these conditions. With just a few conditions to watch for that each may involve as many as 113 different genes (see the "Hereditary Evaluation of Multiple Developmental Abnormalities in the Havanese Breed"), one can see that this quickly becomes a statistical impossibility! Add to that difficulty, many of these health tests need to be repeated yearly to be valid, and can have a false positive or negative result, depending upon the tester & testing facility, the consistancy of the testing procedure, and the general condition of the dog on that specific testing day (bloodwork especially is very volatile in its results). Also, according to the AKC, a congenital defect is one that is present at birth, but not necessarily inherited. AKC also knows that PRA (progressive retinal atrophy)a deveopmental condition that afflicts many breeds, is inherited from at least seven different genes that are responsible for its expression. However, PRA also can have non-inherited causes, according to the AKC, because genetic testing exists, and negative results still do not guarantee that the dog won't get PRA as it ages.(still with me?) Also, genetic predisposition to a disorder may be affected by environment. AKC: "hip dysplasia has a complex mode of inheritance, and the expression is strongly affected by the 'environment' in which the puppy grows, including growth rate, adult weight, footing, and many other factors." According to the experts, hip dysplasia is caused by at least eight different genes!! As of now, no one knows what are the exact genes involved in CD or liver shunts, or even how many genes are involved. Research is ongoing at TAMU and Cornell University specifically relating to Havanese, and Avonlea dogs have participated in both studies to help find an answer. Therefore, until an absolute answer is found, a dog who passes every health test might still be a carrier of "defective" genes. No one knows for sure - yet.
What does all that "scientific stuff" mean? Well, in my opinion, it means every breeder needs to try and do their best to try and breed the healthiest puppies. Because there are no definite guarantees (there's that word again...), each breeder should develop their own policies according to what they feel is best with regard to available health testing and its limitations. No breeder should feel secure based on health testing alone - but just like producing our own children, we try to start with the healthiest adults, give them the best medical care, and provide the best nutrition and nurturing environment that we can. It is understandable that puppy owners investing good hard-earned money would want some reassurance that their chosen puppy will turn out to be healthy, and a "health guarantee" comes with the puppy. Who wouldn't? And most well-meaning responsible breeders intend the health guarantee as a way to communicate to their customers that their adult dogs are as healthy as they can determine them to be.
Many good and well-meaning breeders and Havanese owners will tell people not to buy any Havanese from a breeder who doesn't do ALL possible health tests on their dogs. The thinking is that someone who will perform all these tests is breeding dogs free from risk of passing on (unknowingly, of course) genes that could cause potential illness or problems, and that any breeder who doesn't perform ALL these tests is being negligent. WRONG!! Education is the key - education of ALL breeders, and education of the public as to the benefits and limitations of health testing results. (Even though here at Avonlea we are trying to take advantage of all available health testing, we know of very responsible breeders who don't - and we don't think less of them for that.) Before these "defective" genes are identified, even the best breeder in the world can't guarantee with certainty any dog's health - period.
The answer to the health testing quandry will eventually lie with responsible breeders who will keep up with ongoing health research pertaining to the Havanese, learn all they can regarding inherited and congenital diseases, and try to breed the healthiest, happiest dogs they can. This will involve as much health testing as the breeder feels is relevant and and reliable to help make responsible choices in breeding. As new research becomes available, the good breeder will adjust their program to breed away from known risk factors and towards positive health outcomes. Our beloved Havanese deserve no less!
last updated 4/8/08