How to Find a Reputable Havanese Breeder Through the Havanese Club of America

Updated

The Havanese Club of America (HCA) is the official American Kennel Club (AKC) parent breed club for the Havanese, and its website is a starting point for finding breeders rather than a place that sells puppies directly. If you want a well-bred Havanese from a source that follows breed standards for health, temperament, and type, the HCA site gives you two things: a "Find A Breeder" entry point and educational material to help you judge what a responsible breeder looks like. The main condition to keep in mind is that the club connects you to its members — it does not screen every transaction or guarantee any individual puppy.

What the HCA Actually Provides

The HCA was established in 1979 to encourage and promote quality in breeding purebred Havanese. Its members agree to act as "thoughtful stewards of the purebred Havanese as defined in the breed standard and approved by the HCA and AKC."

That matters for a buyer because it tells you what membership signals:

  • A shared standard. Members commit to breeding toward the HCA/AKC breed standard, not just to producing puppies.
  • Emphasis on health and temperament. The club frames good breeding as combining "true breed type, good health, and sound temperament."
  • A directory, not a storefront. The site's "Looking For A Havanese Puppy?" section leads to a "Find A Breeder" page. There is no indication the club sells dogs itself.

Step-by-Step: Using the Site to Find a Breeder

  1. Start with the breed itself. Before contacting anyone, read the HCA's educational materials. They are described as suitable for "all levels of interest" and cover well-considered breeding for breed type, health, and temperament. Knowing the standard helps you ask better questions and spot mismatches.
  2. Go to the breeder directory. Use the "Find A Breeder" link under the "Looking For A Havanese Puppy?" heading. This is the club's route to its member breeders.
  3. Check the breeder against the club's own criteria. A member has agreed to steward the breed per the standard. Ask how they apply that in practice — health testing, temperament, and how they match dogs.
  4. Verify independently. The HCA is the AKC parent club, so AKC registration and pedigree information can be checked through AKC channels. The club's role is to point you toward its members, not to certify each sale.

What to Ask a Breeder Once You Have a Name

The HCA's stated priorities give you a natural question list:

HCA priority Question to ask
True breed type How do you select breeding pairs against the breed standard?
Good health What health information do you share on the parents?
Sound temperament How would you describe the temperament of your lines?
Stewardship Are you an HCA member, and what does that commit you to?

Common Pitfalls

  • Treating the directory as a guarantee. The HCA connects you to members who agree to certain standards; it does not vet every puppy or transaction for you.
  • Skipping the education step. The site deliberately pairs the breeder search with breed education. Reading first makes the breeder conversation far more useful.
  • Assuming the club sells dogs. It does not. Expect to work directly with an individual breeder.

A Reasonable Path

Read the HCA's educational material, use "Find A Breeder" to get member contacts, then interview each breeder using the club's own priorities — breed type, health, and temperament — as your checklist. That sequence uses the site for what it is designed to do: connect you with breeders who have committed to the breed standard, while leaving the final judgment to you.