Three Tips on How to Spot Puppy Mills

Having studied finance at the University of Miami, Marguerite Cassandra Toroian served as a research analyst at Emerald Assessment Management, Lancaster. She has engaged in business presentations on several topics, and one such is- What is Artificial Intelligence? Marguerite Cassandra Toroian also believes that the government should render puppy mills illegal.

Puppy mills refer to barbaric facilities where dogs breed in high numbers, particularly for profit. So, puppy mill owners do not usually care about the well-being of the dogs since they ensure the animals breed until they cannot do so. In addition, these mills do not meet the behavioral or physiological needs of the puppies, making them suffer extended behavioral and health issues.

As a result, it would be best to purchase your dogs from shelters instead of puppy mills. And here are three ways you can identify these inhumane facilities:

1. Online Adverts: Puppy mills typically display puppies via online platforms such as Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. The breeders can also sell them at markets and car boot sales.

2. No Parental Access: The facility makes female dogs breed in each heat cycle, even after giving birth. And if these dogs are already pregnant, the facility may debar you from meeting them. Otherwise, it would help to search for signs that the female dog had just given birth; lucid control over its puppies and enlarged breasts. Doing so would help you ascertain whether the dog is the actual mother of such a puppy. You can always ask to meet the puppy's mother, and a responsible breeder will permit such a request without any hassle.

3. No Evidence of Veterinary Care: Puppy mills often avoid vet care to cut costs, making the animals miss crucial vaccination deadlines. So, before you purchase a pup, you should request proof of vet visits.

History of the Havanese Dog Breed

The Havanese dog breed is Cuba's national dog and is an ancient breed from the bichon family. The ancestors of this ancient local breed are said to have descended from a lengthy line of now-extinct canines that thrived on Tenerife, a Canary Island.

Tenerife dogs first arrived in Cuba with Spanish farmers and noblemen in the early 1500s. They gave birth to the now-extinct Blanquito de la Habana (the little white dog of Havana). And the Havanese evolved from this breed of Blanquito dogs. The Blanquito is said to have been crossbred with various bichon breeds, including the poodle, to create the Havanese.

Because of the Spanish trade procedures surrounding Cuba and Tenerife, it was simple to view the captain's log indicating the origins of these canines, revealing a limited gene pool. Some believe the entire bichon family may be traced back to the Tenerife dog. In contrast, others say the roots are in Malta, citing Aristotle's writings and other archaeological evidence of the early existence of such dogs in Malta.

The Havanese, a descendant of Tenerife, has a long, double coat with a silky, flowing outer coat. The coat comes in a variety of colors. The Havanese, small yet strong, has a lively nature and a curious demeanor and is known for speed, which separates the breed from all others. It is also hypoallergenic and non-shedding.

The Havanese dog was a favorite of Cuban elites. By the 18th century, it had evolved into a product of the empire and its class system. It became popular among important Europeans such as Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens, as well as Europeans on holiday in Havana.

The Havanese bichon was the lapdog of the local elite in Cuba. Cuba was one of the Caribbean's richest islands, attracting visitors in their numbers. The small dog swiftly gained popularity among the elite of Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. Tourist trophies of Havanese circulated. They became gift dogs, given to prominent visitors as a token of appreciation. They became a fashion accessory in Early modern court society, particularly at the royal court of Francis 1 of France (1515-1547), and appeared in Titian's paintings.

With the Cuban revolution in 1959, the social roots of the island's famed lap dog breed were disturbed. As the defeated upper class fled the island, the breed deteriorated, and many dogs were left behind. Only a few upper-class Cubans were allowed to carry their dogs with them when they escaped to the United States.

Only two families have been identified as having fled with their Havanese. Their canines are regarded as the first Havanese in America. When American breeders gained interest in this unique and endearing dog in the 1970s, only 11 dogs remained to preserve the breed from extinction in the US gene pool. They were able to gather enough dogs to create four unique lineages.

The Havanese breed was only formally recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1996. The Havanese has made a great comeback since its collapse and is one of the fastest-growing breeds in the AKC thanks to diligent breeding and the acquisition of some new puppies from across the world. According to AKC statistics from 2013, the Havanese is the 25th most popular purebred in the United States, up from 28th in 2012.