At Alegria Havanese, we are dedicated to carefully placing each of our puppies in a loving, well-matched home. Here's an overview of our adoption process and what you can expect when bringing an Alegria Havanese puppy into your life.
Step 1: Submit a Puppy Application
The first step is to complete our Puppy Application. This helps us get to know you, your lifestyle, and what you're looking for in a companion.
Step 2: Join the Waiting List
Once your application is approved, you'll be placed on our waiting list. Wait times are currently estimated at approximately six months, though this can vary based on your preferences and our upcoming litters. Occasionally, puppies may become available sooner, but this is rare.
What’s Included with an Alegria Havanese Puppy?
Each of our puppies comes with:
First Set of Vaccines
All of our Alegria breeding dogs are CKC-registered and have full OFA and genetic health clearances, including:
How We Raise Our Puppies
We only breed a few litters per year, which allows us to devote our full attention to each puppy. The puppies begin life right next to our bed, snuggled with their mother and kept warm with a heating pad. During this critical early stage, from day 3 to 16, we introduce Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), which helps support healthy brain and nervous system development.
Even before their eyes open, we gently expose the puppies to a new scent each day, encouraging their early sensory development. Once their eyes are open, we add a variety of textures, shapes, and walking surfaces into their environment to stimulate their growing minds. At around four weeks of age, the puppies move from our bedroom into the main living area of our home. Here, they’re exposed to the normal sights and sounds of daily life—kitchen activity, vacuum cleaners, television, music, and the laughter and noise of people and children.
Socialization is a big part of our program. Friends, family, and future puppy families are invited to visit and interact with the puppies, giving them valuable experience with different people and environments. As the puppies grow, they continue to follow the Puppy Culture protocol, which includes confidence-building games and enrichment activities that we share via video.
Beginning at around six weeks, we take the puppies outdoors to begin housetraining. They leave our home with a strong foundation in housetraining, along with clear instructions to help their new families continue their progress.
At seven weeks, we conduct temperament evaluations using the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test. At eight weeks, we do structural evaluations to assess the puppies’ conformation. These steps help ensure that each puppy is matched thoughtfully and intentionally.
Matching Puppies with Their Forever Families
Matching puppies with their new families is one of the most rewarding parts of our process. While we always consider preferences for colour and gender, our top priority is matching based on temperament. A puppy’s true personality begins to emerge around seven to eight weeks of age, which is why we wait until this point to make final placements.
Around five weeks, we invite families to meet the puppies either in person or through a virtual FaceTime call. This early interaction helps you get a feel for the litter and allows you to share your top picks if you have favourites. For those who live far away, we make sure to provide plenty of updates, photos, and videos on our public Facebook page so you can follow the puppies' progress and development. You don’t need a Facebook account to view the page.
Once temperament evaluations are complete, we take time to carefully consider each puppy’s qualities alongside your family’s lifestyle and goals. Whether you’re looking for a gentle companion, a performance dog, or a show prospect, we use this thoughtful, individualized process to find the best fit.
Our goal is to set both puppies and their families up for a lifetime of happiness, success, and love.
Learn More
For details on current and upcoming litters, visit our Upcoming Litters page or email alegriahavanese@gmail.com.