Greater New York Havanese Club

10/10/2026

08/11/2026

What is a HEALTH CLINIC for dogs?

Dear Friends,
An important part of our club is to inform our Havanese families of upcoming health clinics and to urge our members participation.
AKC Dog clubs offer health clinics so that health testing can be done at a lower cost because of the number of dogs being tested.
The purpose of the tests is to see if your dogs have an inherited condition that occurs in Havanese related to eyesight, hearing, joints and heart. There are a number of these tests which are encouraged for our Havanese.
Companion dog owners should consider having their dog tested for several good reasons. If you own a dog whose breed has occurrence of these conditions, you want to know as soon as possible.
Secondly, responsible breeders are interested in knowing the good news that your dog is healthy and well! Good breeders always health test their dogs and proudly show the results of those registered exams, and since many more puppies go to companion homes than stay with the breeder ...it is important information for a breeder. Only actual results can give us the knowledge we need to continue to hold our breeders to the highest standards.
Lastly, the veterinary information gathered at health clinics provides vital information for the medical and breeder communities, allowing them to track the current status of inherited conditions in breeds,
Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) exams test for heritable eye disease such as juvenile cataracts. To learn more about this go to https://ofa.org/diseases/eye-disease/
B.A.E.R. exams test hearing. It stands for Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response and is a procedure using computers to record the electrical activity of the brain in response to sound stimulation. The same test is used to test hearing in infants.
OFA stands for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. They are a registry dedicated to maintaining a database of canine health issues. You will notice that hips, patellae, elbows and heart are offered as OFA exams. Only Vets holding specialty licenses may perform these tests.

There are health clinics offered in the Tri-State area throughout the year given by various canine organizations. I am sharing news about one held in Macungie, PA, hosted by our sister club, the Delaware Valley Havanese Club. It may be too far to travel to, but I wanted to let you know a little more about the purpose of health clinics. We’ll keep you posted of upcoming clinics closer to home.

Happy Summer!
Alison Brackman
Greater New York Havanese Club

08/11/2026

Our sister-club, the DVHC, has moved its Specialty show to September 12 in Macungie, PA.

07/04/2026

Our club newsletter has items of interest for NY area Havanese owners. We announce club activities, as well as health and welfare items of interest. Want to see our latest newsletter?
https://tinyurl.com/GNYHCJuly4
Write to us ([email protected]) to get on the circulation list. We never share email addresses.

Be careful with screen doors and window screens. So many dogs escape through screen doors and window screens. If you are home or visiting elsewhere, this is a common means of escape when panicked by firework sounds! 

07/03/2026

Mind the temperatures on sidewalks and streets!

06/07/2026

02/21/2026

Our Club at AKC Meet the Breeds 2026
We had a fantastic time representing Havanese at the 2026 AKC Meet the Breeds event at the Javits Center! This year, our volunteers included Kathi and Gary McCabe with Myles, Joy Citryn with Charleigh, Richard and Carolyn Dahab with Sprite, Rena Anya Devéza with Eloise, Tom Miller with Samba, Wendy Goldstein Feldman with Oscar, Lydia Liebman and W***y Rodriguez with Coco, Dina Shaher with Rocco, Susan McCarty with Ali, Alison Brackman with Bree along with helping-hands Larian Angelo, Gail Nayowith (photographer) , and Lea Zimmerman. Many thanks to everyone who helped out at our booth. Despite the record-low temperatures, 38,000 spectators came out to greet 140 breeds, making it the biggest Meet the Breeds event to date! We were happy to meet so many Havanese lovers - a great mix of seasoned Havanese owners looking to add another to the family as well as people discovering the breed for the first time. We like to say our club is here to give you the information you need to get your next Havanese. Our Havanese ambassadors accepted many snuggles and pets, and posed for countless selfies, while their owners shared what they love most about living with Havanese. Some of those who stopped by were particularly curious about coat-care and several asked about compatibility with children, and how the breed is with other dogs. Our volunteers were eager to share their stories with their dogs and answer any questions, from finding a reputable breeder to grooming habits. From the size of the crowd, it is evident that the breed continues to be very popular with people of all ages!

Photos of Meet the Breed https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=gnyhc&p=havanese&AID=6883247&T=1
Slide Show https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=gnyhc&p=havanese&AID=6883247&T=1&S=Y