Wincroft's Puppy Philosophy

Our litters are planned far in advance, breeding only when we have a special need to fill. It may be a new show puppy for ourselves or we have some super folks looking for a special pet.

Our babies are very special to us. They are born in my bedroom, and moved to the living room at 2 weeks where they are raised amidst all the wonderful household goings on.  

We strive to socialize our pups to be wonderful companions for each new family. It is not unusual for us to have several "Meet the pups" parties! We invite all kinds of wonderful people that enjoy and play with the pups. This ensures our babies get used to women, men, and kids of all ages.  (All styles of people; noisy, quiet, young, old, tall, short, thin and fluffy!) Amanda, my 11 year old granddaughter and Junior Handler, has been our most valued in socializing for several years. She is gentle and confident so they get a very secure feeling.

We've attended many seminars on growth & development and try to adhere to some of the good things we've taken from the lectures (newborn stimulation being just the start).  Our pups are touched and loved constantly; they in turn expect love and are very confident. We have other pets that are also important in our family.  Aunt Mollie, a large and gentle Lab that is a chew toy and favorite "hill" to climb. Smokey, an African Grey Parrot that loves to call the pups and toss them pellets when they are "good dogs". We even borrow back our cat from my daughter Heather, a very mellow yellow Tabby that was among our rescue animals.  "Just take her home and find her a good family, Mom" (that was over 8 years ago!).

Household manners are very important and, we've also discovered dog litter!  At about 4 weeks we open up the play yard and make spaces for the beds, food, and litter pan. Our Havanese have taken very well to the litter and by 10 weeks when they go home, are practically house trained! They are also taken out to the yard where they learn to "go" on gravel and grass. Our puppy buyers rave about this wonderful head start and we get many glowing reports on how easy they are to train at home!

Why ten weeks to go home you ask? Well, just by accident we discovered that it seemed ideal for our babies. Bite inhibition (gentle mouthing) is learned from mom and siblings between 8 to 10 weeks. And, although mom is no longer nursing she is still training them to behave. Litter training is reinforced and we seem to have almost no accidents.

Pet or show? Male or Female? What is the difference??  All of our pups are pets first and foremost! We do try to place the pups most closely adhering to the standard into show homes. We believe in breeding the best pups and healthiest pups to improve the Havanese breed. We evaluate pups for show PROSPECT at 8 weeks and watch carefully the personalities that are developing. We then try to match up the new families and their pup. That cute pup you think you may love at birth may be cut out for a busy agility home and you would rather have a love muffin! Matching families to pups is very important so please do not be offended when we say that we will help you pick the perfect pup for you! It has worked for us, and the pup you bring home will still have time to bond well with its new family and readily accept new things.

A show prospect pup is one we believe will achieve its championship in a reasonable amount of time and has no features that would eliminate it from a breeding program. We do not guarantee that a pup at 10 weeks will grow into a world class special! No one can do that.  Which is why older show pups will cost a great deal more since the element of surprise is eliminated. We do replace any pup that does not fulfill the promise of their youth. We would not place a pup into a show home that we did not feel would be a good addition to our own show lines. Actually we place more "show" pups into pet homes! Which bring us to those wanting "just a pet" we hate that term!! Pet pups are wonderful healthy, happy babies that are just short off the mark. (They may have a tail too curly or a stop too short or maybe an eye too round but they are still wonderful babies!) We'd challenge any pet buyer to tell us why that particular pup is pet and not show pup. Being a little off standard we do insist that pets be spayed/neutered, as they are sold as companions only and should not be bred. There is little difference in a neutered male (no marking or straying) and spayed female (no heat cycles and cramp days). Some people love their boys best and some just like girls. So, please do not allow sex to be a high priority on your list. We find that neutered pets are the best. The boys may seem a bit more cuddly and girls more independent but, that varies in each pup.

Color in a Havanese is a strange thing!! Most of our black pups are very tricky. They can stay black, go silver or blue. The white parts have been known to freckle with age. The sables can fade, and even change back to sable later! Red can come and go, and dark brown can become almost white. That cute mask that you just had to have? Well, it can fade completely or get darker! But they are never dull, and always entertaining!! We can give you a good idea of what you will be getting but, even we've been surprised on occasion.

We do all the health testing (and then some) that can be done on our breeding Havanese. OFA hips & patella's (hip/knee abnormalities) & annual CERF (eyes), BAER (hearing).  Buster is a frequently used stud so he also has his SA, LCP, thyroid, liver and heart certifications. All this to ensure that we are breeding the best possible pup you can buy. We also BAER test the pups before they go home so that you know they can hear you even if they pretend they can't!! We cannot promise a health issue will never come up but, we do guarantee that we will replace any pup found to have a genetic defect.

What do we do for you and your new pup? First, we will buy back any pup (purchase price) at any age that you can no longer keep.  No questions asked. We must be the first and only person you ever need to discuss giving up your pup to should the need ever arise.

Next, we are just a call away for any question you may need. For those that are close to us we also keep our pups while you go on vacation for Just $10 aday when we are available (That is a selfish thing, so do not be surprised!) This way we get to play with the babies and evaluate our breeding program! Also, if you have a pup that may be show material we will show the pup for you (no handling or boarding fees). Just entry and a portion of expenses.

What do we expect of you? That you will provide a loving and caring environment.  Healthy food, constant fresh water and a place to get away from it all (crate). We encourage puppy classes and at least basic obedience classes. Good veterinary care as needed and an annual check up. We also need annual CERF's and copies of that report.       We encourage OFA of hips & patella's and report that to us also. These test determine the success of our breeding program and is of great value to all of the owners that have gotten pups from us. This way we can contact you should any issue ever come up.  It also helps the breed as a whole to stay healthy. These are very special dogs and we want to keep them that way.