Havana Golden Retrievers

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Owatonna, MN
Havana Golden Retrievers

Breeder of Golden Retrievers for companionship, performance, and field work located in Owatonna, Minnesota. Hello! Our dogs are allergy and seizure free.
(7)

We are dedicated to healthy dogs with great temperaments! My name is Megan, and I want to thank you for your interest in Havana Golden Retrievers! The first thing you need to know is that I love what I do and value each and every one of my dogs and puppies. Golden Retrievers have been a passion of mine since a young age. I have over ten years of experience working with dogs in many settings includ

ing breeding and training. Havana Golden Retrievers is a small kennel, but we take what we do very seriously. We are located in Owatonna, Minnesota on a six acre hobby farm. Our dogs are health tested by the OFA for hip dysplasia as well as thoroughly examined regularly by our veterinarian. We work closely with our vet to assure all of our dogs are cleared for breeding. In addition to health clearances, our dogs participate in training programs and performance trials to prove their temperaments. We strive to breed dogs that are true to the Golden temperament-- dogs that are loyal, loving family members. Our goal is that our Goldens are versatile and can go in any direction you desire to take them whether that is a performance dog, a therapy prospective, a hunting partner, or a lifetime family companion. Xena has completed her NA and NAJ agility titles and will continue to compete after her next litter of puppies. She loves to retrieve balls from the lake, adores children, has a natural hunting drive, and has a fun, sassy personality. Xena comes from field lines and also has many siblings that are therapy dogs and hunting companions. Finnick is currently in training for rally and will hopefully start competing this spring. He is a "people person" and is what every person thinks about when envisioning the loving Golden personality. Finnick comes from very diverse lines with champions in conformation, agility, rally, obedience, and hunting. All puppies are AKC registered (limited) and come with first shots, deworming, vet exam, dew claws removed, a two year health guarantee, a blanket with the mother's scent on it, puppy food, and lifetime breeder support. We also offer training advice and lessons if desired. In order to make the transition from our home to your home as easy as possible, our puppies will come to you well socialized. They will be exposed to kids, other animals, new environments, multiple surfaces/objects, and a variety of everyday noises. All puppies will also be exposed to a crate and started on potty training. Please feel free to contact us at any time in regards to puppies, dogs, or training. If you are interested in being put on our waiting list, please send us a message. We can then interview you and email you a puppy questionnaire. If we agree that it is a fit at that time, you will be placed on the waiting list. Once an ultrasound confirms puppies are on the way, a REFUNDABLE deposit will secure your place on the list. I reserve the right to deny anyone a puppy if I feel the home is not a proper fit.

08/28/2024

Summer babies (Kona x Hudson) are getting big! This photo was from last week! One 🩷🐶 left looking for 🏠.

08/22/2024

Summer babies (Kona x Hudson).

08/10/2024

We have a few 🩷🐶🩷 looking for a 🏠 from our Summer litter!

08/05/2024

The cutest! Summer Litter (Kona x Hudson).

07/27/2024

Introducing our “Summer” litter (Kona x Hudson). Enjoy the names… I have young children who name the pups 😂

06/24/2024

Kona x Hudson pups due July 24th! 😍 Confirmed via ultrasound.

05/25/2024

It’s come to our attention that our Instagram posts have not been cross-posting to Facebook. Whoops 🤦‍♀️ Just letting ya’ll know we are still here! Definitely check out our insta page if you want to see updates from the past year!

02/27/2023

Little helper is sleeping on the job. 5.5 weeks old. One 💗 left!

02/06/2023

✨HAVANA PUPPY UPDATES✨

~All 13 pups (Kona x Wally) are doing well! We have ☝️💗🐶 that is available from this litter! Go home date is mid-March. If interested, please go to our website to apply and find more information on our process, which includes temperament testing and matching pup personalities to applicants (so no, we do not know which one is available yet). Anyone interested must send in an application. No exceptions.

~Sky Litter Pups (Kona x Wally) have already had two nail trims, first dose of dewormer, and have completed ENS. This week (2.5 weeks of age today) we are introducing new objects to explore and are starting foundations of potty training. We will also be adding in some mash food to their diet later this week!

~Lumos and Lola just finished up health testing and passed all OFA certs. We anticipate pups ready to go home mid to late summer from one of these two ladies. Website is being updated currently, so health tests may not be in yet but are complete/passing and will be inputted today!

01/24/2023

Sky Litter (Kona x Wally) - 5 days old!

11/24/2022

One girlie left. Please help us spread the word and send us a message or email for more information 🐾 Raised on Puppy Culture program, titled parents, all OFA and genetic health clearances, started on potty training and crate training. Raised in our home with our kiddos! Definitely check out our website for more info.

11/03/2022

Signs of a good first meal!

11/02/2022

Looking for your next family member, hiking partner, hunting companion, or best friend? We have ✌🏻💗💗🐶🐶! These pups are raised with puppy culture, raised with our kids, and are run through a training program prior to going 🏠. Crate training and potty training are well started. Check out our website to learn about us. We have years of health testing behind these dogs, performance titles to prove intelligence, and we temeperament test the litter to help find the best matches. All owners also get access to a 24/7 live feed camera to watch the pups grow, learn, train, play, and see first have how they are raised. Send us a 📧.

11/01/2022

Part of cultivating well-rounded and socialized puppies is providing the opportunity to explore something new each day. Who knew a diaper box provided such an experience for puppies? It’s currently nap time, but every time they wake up it’s so cute to watch them explore at only 2.5 weeks old!

10/14/2022

Welcome “Food” litter. Yes, our daughter was adamant that these puppies were named after different foods, and I couldn’t tell her no.… so here you have it! Five girls, two boys from Flare x Hudson blessed us today!

07/08/2022

https://www.havanadogtraining.com/post/management-is-more-than-a-bandaid

Let's be real. People are less than thrilled when we (the trainers) start talking about management. A client asks about counter surfing, and our first recommendation is to clear off the counters. Dog is barking at everything out the window? Close the blinds. It's annoying, right? Having nothing on y...

05/24/2022

We love our life! Come learn more about what makes us who we are! A family, trainer, breeder, and dog enthusiast!
https://www.havanadogtraining.com/post/the-really-bad-dog

Have you ever had a bad dog? I'm not talking about the "okay" dog. I'm talking about the REALLY. BAD. DOG. Your own personal "Marley and Me." The one constantly pushing your buttons. Are you picturing that dog? Well me too! Meet my Xena. I first started training dogs as a kid. I remember building my...

05/24/2022

Yes! Puppy health and safety is the top priority. Parvo is very real and can easily wipe out an entire litter and a breeder for years to come. In addition, we get most of our inquiries online from people we have never met in person. Keeping our family safe and not handing out our home address to multiple people every week is part of our safety. To accommodate every visit request we receive is not realistic, which is why we limit visits to the people who have placed deposits. These people have gone through the application process, placed a deposit, and have had a personal phone call with us before ever coming to our home.

You DON'T need to visit a breeder’s home to know if they’re responsible 🚨🚨🚨

05/16/2022

Happy going home day, pups!

05/05/2022

We are looking for the perfect home for a 4-year-old adult golden. Please do not contact us unless you have read this entire post. We are looking for the following:

*active home
*located within 2 hrs of Owatonna, MN (somewhat flexible - would consider further for flexible timeline or perfect fit)
*willing to continue routine vetting with science based vet (no health issues - just need to be willing to vaccinate)
*owners must have dog & training experience - this is not a dog for a first time dog owner!

We are looking for the right home, not a quick home. The timeline is flexible, and she will stay with us until we find a good fit, whether that be a few weeks or years. There are more details we will share if we think you are a good fit. If interested and you meet the above requirements, please email us at [email protected] and tell us a bit about your family. We will not respond to comments.

04/18/2022

Our Dinosaur Litter (Flare x Hudson) is 4 weeks old! We have to give a shout out to their family members (future owners) because this group of families has been the BEST and most patient group with us. As our time has been extra devoted to the care and training of these pups, we are way behind on emails, texts, phone calls, and all forms of responses. These puppy owners haven’t skipped a beat and have been so kind and understanding. As a thank you, we thought it would be cute to do a little extra with their milestone photos. Happy Easter from our crew!

These pups are now eating mush, starting on potty training, and are interacting with a new object or activity daily. In their box you see they have two new surfaces- metal elevation and grid with holes. They are practicing startle responses to loud noises and are listening to lots of sound desensitizing playlists. This week we start “formal” one-on-one training with loading a marker word (“yes”) and targeting an object.

*On a side note, we have a lot of people asking about availability and we just haven’t had the chance to respond. This litter is spoken for. Our next availability is likely late fall or winter. If interested, filling out an application on our website is the first step.*

04/08/2022

Introducing our “Dino” litter (Flare x Hudson)! Meet Allo, Steggy, Carcar, Bronty, Miia, Albert, Pachy, Rexi, and Cory.

09/27/2021

“Music” Litter (Flare x Hudson)

08/09/2021

Welcome, Music Litter (Flare x Hudson)! We are so excited about these babies.

07/24/2021

🐾 Welcome to the world, "Win" Litter (Cinder x Decker born 7/17). We decided on an Olympics theme, as so much about this litter has felt like an olympic sprint. If you want a blog post and some "realness" from a breeder, read on. If you just want cute puppies, stop here. 🐾

I cannot express enough gratitude to the team of people that has helped support us this past week. People on the outside hear the word "breeder" and often think cute, fluffy puppies and a dream job. Some people might comment on how expensive a purebred and well-bred puppy is, and others might comment that adoption should be the only way to buy a dog. I'm not here to start arguments, but to give perspective. There is so much more to a good breeder.

Here's our story from Saturday, just to give a little insight into a day in our world. A world that genuinely cares about the breed, the dog, and the families that will love them for the next 10-15 years. A world that researches, health tests, trains, and invests into what they love and are passionate about.

---

I cried today.

The first tear when the first pup takes its first breath. A proud breeder and a proud new mom. A moment of relief and joy.

I cried. Two puppies later. He came out not breathing, but with coaxing hands, his lungs started to work. Relief. Then worry. He’s small. He’s going to need extra help.

I cried when the next pup came fast. I thought she was gone, but then she was back. She was "off." Small, irregular breathing, not wanting to eat. Heat, a syringe of milk, anything I can offer.

I cried, as I called the vet and the breeder mentor, hoping to glean some new miracle idea, when we all knew the outcome was undoubtedly grim.

I cried, as I continue to play midwife to the flow of pups coming. Five, six, seven, all while coaxing my two little fighters to nurse.

I cried when my mom was tired. Encouraged her to keep going, as my heart and soul always belong to her first. Eight, nine, ten.

I cried as the exhausted momma and I took a quick walk. One more pup. One more. You can do this. I encourage her tired body to move. Feeling guilty for making her legs walk, but knowing it’s the best thing to spur her on.

Eleven. Eleven little lives. We've made it.

I cried on the eleven minute trip to the vet. The life-giving team who coaches you through the hard moments. Giving the best chance to my fighters to live for an unknown amount of time. Eleven minutes? Eleven hours? Eleven days or years?

Here. Walk. Into the building. It's locked. Closed for the day, because it's Saturday. But they know you. The breeder. The person they run to the door for, because they are your teammates. It takes all you have not to cry when you see the familiar faces unlocking the door. A sense of a normal day. The people you grow to know and love. The people giving up their Saturday. The people who walk this journey with you.

I cry. Almost. And as the meds are filled, I fight back the tears as my teammates offer food, seeing the need to take care of the exhausted human behind the counter. A listening ear, a glass of water, and a hug despite the fact that my clothes wear the story of eleven births.

Tears of gratefulness fill the eleven minute drive home. And when home arrives, I cry as I return to that box. It's a loved piece of home. The whelping box - tears, sweat, joy, and life.

I pull myself together as I coax my two littles to nurse. As I feed milk from a syringe and give the magic of medicine.

I continue to hold it together as my four year old daughter comes to help name and weigh each puppy. A tradition we do together. But the "togetherness" is short lived and the tears flow freely as she starts to ask questions, and I gently explain that one or two of our friends will likely be with Jesus by morning.

And as I walk her through how I'm doing everything I can to help these pups, I cry at her genuine care and faith. Her confidence that Jesus can heal them just like he healed her scraped knee last week.

As my daughter and I talk, I watch the sudden shift of energy. I pull every last piece of me together while I ask my husband to take our daughter inside, knowing I’m losing life fast.

I put the small paws into my hands and cry as she takes her last breath. I cry more as I pass her over to my other half when he offers to bury her.

And then I'm forced to move, as there are ten little lives that need me. New blankets. New sheets. Food. Water. How's momma doing? Temperature check. Hydration check. Is everyone eating? Yes. Even my other fighter pup is nursing. Hope.

Shower. Tears. Bed. And an alarm for two hours later to check on them, knowing everyone’s tummy is full and okay for a two hour stretch.

11:11 p.m. It's written all over my husband's face when he wakes me before my midnight alarm. My other pup is fading. I hold him as he goes. I cry again, and I cry more as my husband carries the burden with me in those final moments, knowing my heart can't handle any more loss.

I crawl back to bed and worry about the others. Knowing how fragile they are. Knowing there are loving families carefully selected and waiting for them.

And before I fall asleep, I cry one more time as I remind myself what a privilege it is to be a part of the journey with these families and these dogs. And in those last eleven minutes before midnight, I thank God that we have nine. We pray that we will continue to have nine to love, train, and nourish for today, tomorrow, for the next nine weeks, and for the next nine years as we support these families we already love so dearly.

Last Saturday was an olympic sprint, or maybe a marathon, but we are so grateful to welcome these little champions to the world. They really are winners!

06/28/2021

Nothing sweeter 🤍

06/18/2021

A wet Golden is a happy Golden!

Pictured is Lumos- Cinder x Decker

06/06/2021

Does your dog struggle to listen when distracted? Join us in-person or online! And if you know anyone who may be interested, we always appreciate a share!

05/10/2021

⚡️ Our little Lumos (Cinder x Decker) earned her CGC and Trick Dog Intermediate titles at 6 months old. We are obsessed with this girl and so glad she’s ours ⚡️

Address

Owatonna, MN
55060

Telephone

+15074565626

Website

http://www.havanagoldens.com/

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Our Story

Hello! My name is Megan, and I want to thank you for your interest in Havana Golden Retrievers! The first thing you need to know is that I love what I do and value each and every one of my dogs and puppies. Golden Retrievers have been a passion of mine since a young age. I have over fifteen years of experience working with dogs in many settings including breeding and training. Havana Golden Retrievers is a small kennel, but we take what we do very seriously. We are located in Owatonna, Minnesota on a six acre hobby farm. Our dogs are health tested by the OFA as well as thoroughly examined regularly by our veterinarian. We work closely with our vet to assure all of our dogs are cleared for breeding. In addition to health clearances, our dogs participate in training programs and performance events to prove their temperaments and intelligence. We strive to breed dogs that are true to the Golden temperament-- dogs that are loyal, loving family members. Our goal is that our Goldens are versatile and can go in any direction you desire to take them whether that is a performance dog, a therapy prospective, a hunting partner, or a lifetime family companion. Xena has completed her NA and NAJ agility titles. She loves to retrieve balls from the lake, adores children, has a natural hunting drive, and has a fun, sassy personality. Xena comes from field lines and also has many siblings that are therapy dogs and hunting companions. Xena just had her last litter of pups and will be retiring this year. We will be keeping her and not rehoming her. Finnick has completed his TKA (Advanced Trick Dog) title and his RE (Rally Excellent) title. He is a "people person" and is what every person thinks about when envisioning the loving Golden personality. Finnick comes from very diverse lines with champions in conformation, agility, rally, obedience, and hunting.

Cinder has completed her TKA (Advanced Trick Dog) title and has her RN (Rally Novice Title). She has also shown in conformation and has earned her National and International Champion titles. Cinder is the most versatile dog I have ever owned. She is driven and always eager to please. Even though she can work hard all day, she still knows how to settle and be a lover when it’s time to relax in the home. In addition to the diversification listed above, she has amazing hunt instinct. Although we personally do not hunt, I watched her find and flush her first planted game on our property this past year. She’s got an impressively quick nose and wonderful instinct.

Flare has completed her RN (Rally Novice Title) and is one leg away from her RA. She has also shown in conformation and has earned her National and International Puppy Champion titles. Flare has a lot of drive and is a hard worker. She appears to have natural hunt instinct as well, but we haven’t completed instinct testing on her yet. At just a year old, we are excited to see where this girl goes in the future. All puppies are AKC registered (limited) and come with first shots, deworming, vet exam, a two year health guarantee, a blanket with the mother's scent on it, puppy food, and lifetime breeder support. We also offer training advice and lessons if desired. In order to make the transition from our home to your home as easy as possible, our puppies will come to you well socialized. They will be exposed to kids, other animals, new environments, multiple surfaces/objects, and a variety of everyday noises. All puppies will also be exposed to a crate and started on potty training. Please feel free to contact us at any time in regards to puppies, dogs, or training. If you are interested in being put on our waiting list, please send us a message. We can then interview you and email you a puppy questionnaire. If we agree that it is a good fit at that time, you will be placed on the waiting list. Once an ultrasound confirms puppies are on the way, a REFUNDABLE deposit will secure your place on the list. I reserve the right to deny anyone a puppy if I feel the home is not a proper fit.