Alegria Havanese
Responsible Breeder of Genetically Diverse, Health-Tested, CKC Registered Havanese
About us
My family of four and I live in in Muskoka, Ontario with our dogs, cats, and a few chickens. In 2014, I researched dog breeds in order to find a hypoallergenic breed with a happy temperament that would thrive in our busy family household. I came across Havanese, and it checked off all the above. I loved the breed's small but sturdy size, happy temperament, adaptability, and good health. My first Havanese, Suki, solidified my love for this breed.
A few years later after bringing home my first Havanese, I purchased my first show prospect from Rita Thomas of Sonrisas Havanese. Rita has been breeding for over twenty years and has been an amazing mentor, introducing me to the world of showing and breeding havanese. We clicked over our desire to preserve the genetic diversity and overall sturdy health of this amazing breed.
I currently breed one or two litters per year. I show my dogs in CKC Conformation shows and am a CKC member as well as member of the Havanese Fanciers of Canada.
Breeding Philosophy
I health test all of my dogs for OFA patellas, thyroid, cardiac, hips, CERF (eyes) as well as test them genetically through both Embark and Betterbred to ensure the genetic diversity of my pairings. I also show my Havanese in CKC conformation shows.
When raising my litters, I use the Puppy Culture Protocol to ensure they get all the early socialization required so they grow up to be balanced, social dogs. I am far from a large scale kennel. All our dogs live with us, and the puppies are raised in the home with us. My young children (and their very happy-to-help friends) ensure they are exposed to a busy family life from a young age. I only have one or two litters per year, and as such they all get a lot of attention.