Every Amistosa puppy comes with a written health guarantee as part of our non-breeding sales contract. This page explains it in plain language. You can also download the full contract to read before you commit.
On this page
- Health-tested parents
- Going home
- 72-hour vet check
- 5-year guarantee
- Not covered
- Your commitments
- Our recommendations
Health-tested parents
We take every reasonable precaution with the health of our puppies’ parents. Before breeding, both the dam (mom) and the sire (dad) are tested and must pass. Testing includes, but isn’t limited to:
- BAER (hearing)
- CERF (eyes)
- Patellas (knees)
- Heart
- Hips and elbows
- Thyroid
- General wellness blood tests
Why these tests matter for the Havanese
When your puppy goes home
Before going home, your puppy has been:
- examined by our veterinarian
- vaccinated at eight weeks against parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis and parainfluenza
- dewormed twice
- microchipped
The dates for each are written into your contract. If your puppy goes home before twelve weeks, you’ll need to make sure they get a second booster by twelve weeks and a third by sixteen weeks (see recommendation 1).
The 72-hour vet check
See your vet
You have 72 hours after taking your puppy home to have them examined by a practising veterinarian.
48 hours to decide
If the puppy isn’t in good health, you may return them within 48 hours of that exam.
Full refund
When we receive the puppy and a written report from your vet, we refund the full purchase price.
Five-year guarantee against congenital defects
Your puppy is guaranteed to be free of life-threatening congenital defects for five years from their date of birth.
If a defect is found
If a life-threatening congenital defect is found before age five, you choose between a refund of veterinary costs (up to the price of the puppy) or a replacement puppy.
For a refund, we need written certification from your dog’s veterinarian that explains the medical condition.
If the worst happens
If your dog dies, a necropsy is needed to find the cause. If your veterinarian confirms in writing that the cause was genetic, we refund the cost of the necropsy and all related veterinary bills, up to the price of the puppy.
You may choose a replacement puppy instead.
What isn’t covered
- Injuries that happen while the puppy is in your care.
- Effects of the leptospirosis or Lyme vaccine (see recommendation 2).
- Emotional distress from returning a dog. Returning a dog is never easy, and we want you to know that before you decide.
Your commitments
Our puppies are sold as companions under a non-breeding contract. In short, you agree to:
- Spay or neuter your dog and make sure they aren’t bred before then. We send the Canadian Kennel Club registration papers once we receive proof (see recommendation 3 on timing).
- Register them with the Amistosa prefix on their registered name.
- Give good everyday care: proper diet, training, socialization, shelter, exercise and companionship, plus yearly vet exams, vaccinations and heartworm tests.
- Keep them safe: no tying or chaining except briefly, and no roaming free. Provide a fenced yard, a spacious kennel or supervision outdoors.
- Bring them back to us if you ever can’t keep your dog, at any age. Our dogs may not be sold or given to anyone else without our written agreement.
Our health recommendations
These come from the addendum to our contract.
- Space out the rabies shot. We highly recommend giving the rabies vaccine on its own, at least a month after the third set of puppy shots. Excessive and combined vaccinations can jeopardize a dog’s health.
- Avoid the leptospirosis and Lyme vaccines. These have proven to be a serious health threat to the Havanese, and we strongly recommend that your puppy not receive them.
- Wait until at least one year to spay or neuter. Research strongly suggests that losing the hormones a dog produces as it matures can cause skeletal problems such as weak knees and hips, and a slightly higher rate of other problems. We’re happy to share articles on request.
- Check for retained baby teeth. Have your puppy’s teeth examined at 7 or 8 months, and have any retained baby teeth (especially canines) removed. This is very common in toy dogs.
- Stay in touch. We care about every dog we place, and hearing from you helps us improve our breeding program. Please send us at least one photo a year, a short video each year until your dog turns three, any change of address or contact details, and any questions or concerns about your dog’s health or behaviour.
The full contract
This page is a plain-language summary. The signed Amistosa Havanese Non-Breeding Sales Contract is the binding agreement, and its wording governs. Please read it in full, and ask us about anything that isn’t clear.