Key Points

Best Havanese Breeders in Texas: A 2026 Buyer’s Guide & Directory

A reputable Texas Havanese breeder registers their dogs with the AKC, completes the health screening recommended by the Havanese Club of America (hips, patellas, and annual eyes at a minimum), raises litters in the home, and welcomes an in-person visit. The breeders below meet that bar based on their published practices — but treat this as a starting point for your own vetting, not a substitute for it. Always confirm contact details, health records, and current pricing directly with the breeder.

Bringing home a Havanese is a 14-to-16-year commitment, so the breeder you choose matters as much as the puppy. This guide pairs a vetted, regional directory with the buyer education most listing sites skip: how to spot a responsible breeder, what a puppy actually costs, and the health questions that separate a careful steward from a backyard operation.

At a Glance

• Best for first-time owners: Third Coast Havanese — heavy socialization, family-matched picks, delivery across the I-35 corridor.
• Best show lines: Skyline Havanese — HCA members with AKC-champion breeding stock.
• Best West Texas option: Homeward Havanese — OFA/DNA-tested companion Havanese.
• Best natural-raising program: Hippie Havanese — holistic, raw-fed (note their no-vaccine policy below).
• Best South/Central Texas access: Tucker Family Pets — near San Antonio, wide meet-up range.

These labels reflect each breeder’s stated focus, not a ranking of quality. Verify everything directly.

Understanding the Havanese Before You Buy

The Havanese descends from the ancient Bichon family of small white dogs and is the only breed native to Cuba, where it was refined over roughly 300 years in the laps of Cuban aristocracy. The modern breed traces to a handful of dogs — often cited as eleven — that reached the United States around the 1959 Cuban revolution and were carefully bred to preserve the line.

Temperament is the breed’s calling card. Havanese are affectionate, people-oriented companions that bond closely to their families and adapt well to apartments and houses alike. The AKC breed standard puts the ideal height at 9 to 10½ inches (acceptable range 8½ to 11½), and describes a soft, intelligent, mischievous expression. They are moderately boned and should never look coarse or fragile.

For Texas households, two traits stand out. Their low-shedding coat makes them a frequent choice for allergy-conscious families — several Texas breeders got into the breed for exactly that reason. And their small size suits urban living in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. That silky coat, however, was developed to guard against the bright Cuban sun and needs regular grooming to stay comfortable in Texas heat and humidity.

Longevity is a genuine strength: Havanese generally live 13 to 16 years, averaging around 14.5, and it isn’t unusual for one to reach 16 or 17 with good care.

Havanese Breeders in Texas by Region

Coverage below is organized geographically. Texas is large, and reputable breeders often deliver or meet buyers partway, so don’t rule out a breeder in a neighboring region.

• Houston / Southeast Texas: Third Coast Havanese, Hippie Havanese
• Dallas–Fort Worth / North Texas: Wild Rose Havanese, Skyline Havanese
• San Antonio / Central & South Texas: Tucker Family Pets
• West Texas (Midland–Odessa / El Paso region): Homeward Havanese

Austin and San Antonio buyers: several Houston- and South-Texas-based breeders above deliver into the I-35 corridor. If you want a breeder physically in Austin, El Paso, Lubbock, or Corpus Christi, the AKC Marketplace and HCA directory (linked at the end) are the best places to check for current listings — this guide lists only breeders that could be verified rather than filling every city.

The Breeder Directory

Each breeder’s name links to their website. Confirm current availability, health records, and pricing directly before committing.

Third Coast Havanese

Based in Houston / South Texas (Rio Grande Valley), with delivery to Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Austin, and San Antonio. A small, home-based AKC breeder that raises well-socialized puppies and matches families thoughtfully, with official picks around five weeks. Buyers receive AKC paperwork, a health guarantee, and shot records at pickup. Confirm specific OFA/CHIC health testing directly.

Hippie Havanese

A Texas-based, family-raised holistic breeder serving the Houston area, using raw and home-cooked diets. States that all dogs are AKC-registered, health-tested, and genetically screened. Important note: the breeder states puppies are not routinely vaccinated as part of their holistic program. Discuss this with your own veterinarian before purchasing — it’s a meaningful departure from standard veterinary guidance.

Wild Rose Havanese

A small breeder based in Lewisville (DFW area), run by Shirley Taylor, who has bred and shown dogs since age 13. Member of the AKC, the Havanese Club of America, and the Dallas Fort Worth Toy Dog Club — parent-club and local-club membership are strong accountability signals. Confirm current availability and OFA/CHIC records directly.

Skyline Havanese

A small Dallas-area hobby breeder producing occasional litters (also serving AR, LA, OK, and CO), selected for temperament, health, pedigree, and conformation. Member of the Havanese Club of America; completes HCA-advised health testing, and most breeding dogs have earned AKC Championship titles.

Tucker Family Pets

A home-based breeder in Poteet, TX (near San Antonio), with a wide meet-up range including Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, and Waco. Emphasizes healthy, well-socialized family pets. Note: also breeds toy poodles and havapoos (a mixed breed); a single-breed focus is generally a stronger signal, so ask how their Havanese program is managed, and confirm AKC registration and OFA/CHIC testing directly.

Homeward Havanese, LLC

A West Texas breeder of AKC-registered companion Havanese (est. 2017) with a show/competition focus. Sires and dams are OFA and DNA health-tested, and the program breeds to the AKC/FCI standard. Reachable by phone/text at (432) 444-2344; also listed on AKC Marketplace and Good Dog.

Breeder Comparison Table

Breeder	AKC Reg.	Health Testing Stated	Home-Raised	Single-Breed	HCA Member
Third Coast	✓	Health guarantee (verify OFA)	✓	✓	Verify
Hippie Havanese	✓	Tested + screened¹	✓	✓	Verify
Wild Rose	✓	Verify	✓	✓	✓
Skyline	✓	HCA-advised testing	✓	✓	✓
Tucker Family Pets	Verify	Verify	✓	✗²	Verify
Homeward	✓	OFA + DNA	✓	✓	Verify

¹ Note Hippie Havanese’s no-vaccine policy.  ² Also breeds poodles/havapoos.

“Verify” = the breeder hasn’t published this detail or it couldn’t be confirmed; check directly before relying on it.

How to Identify a Reputable Texas Breeder

The single most useful thing you can do is visit in person and meet the puppy’s parents on-site. Beyond that, watch for red flags: a breeder who won’t let you visit, who has multiple breeds and constant availability, who can’t produce health-testing paperwork, who won’t provide a written health guarantee, or who pressures you to pay quickly. Puppy mills and backyard breeders skip the expensive, time-consuming health testing that responsible breeders treat as non-negotiable.

Questions worth asking every breeder:

• Can I see the OFA/CHIC health results for both parents?
• What health guarantee do you provide in writing?
• May I visit and meet the dam?
• How are puppies socialized before they go home?
• What are your vaccination and deworming practices? (Ask directly — at least one breeder above does not vaccinate.)
• Do you use a spay/neuter or limited-registration contract?

A note on registration: AKC registration confirms a dog is purebred but says nothing on its own about health. Prioritize breeders whose dogs appear in the OFA database, which you can search yourself for free.

What Health Testing to Expect

The Havanese Club of America (HCA) is the breed’s AKC parent club, and it partners with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) to define recommended screening. To earn a CHIC number, a Havanese must have three tests on record with results publicly posted: OFA hip evaluation, OFA patella (knee) evaluation, and an annual OFA eye exam (CAER), the last performed by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist.

CHIC certification is the minimum a breeder should do — the program’s point is transparency, not passing grades, so results are published either way. Strong breeders often go further with OFA cardiac testing and, in some lines, bile-acid or liver screening. Because the HCA requires directory breeders to hold CHIC certificates on both parents, asking for the parents’ CHIC numbers is a fast, verifiable filter.

Why it matters: the breed has a documented higher prevalence of hereditary eye disease, and known orthopedic concerns include patellar luxation and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Heart disease is frequently cited as a leading cause of death in adult Havanese, alongside age-related conditions like cancer. Screening breeding stock is the most effective prevention there is.

What a Havanese Puppy Costs in Texas

Pricing on the actual Texas breeder listings surveyed for this guide runs roughly $1,000 to $1,600+ for a pet-quality puppy, with show prospects trending higher. It’s worth knowing that national averages for the breed are often quoted higher — into the low thousands and beyond — so a Texas quote at the lower end isn’t automatically a red flag, and a higher quote isn’t automatically overpriced. What matters is what’s behind the price: verified health testing, pedigree, and breeding practices. Expect a non-refundable deposit to hold a puppy — one Texas breeder sets deposits around 40% of the total, and some discount for paying in full at selection.

Budget beyond the purchase price: initial vet visits and vaccinations, spay/neuter, a crate, grooming supplies or professional grooming (essential for this coat), food, and routine preventatives. Grooming in particular is an ongoing, non-trivial cost and shouldn’t be an afterthought.

Colors and Coats

Under the AKC breed standard, all colors and marking patterns are permissible and of equal merit — the skin may be any color. So when a breeder advertises a “rare” color at a premium, understand what that means. The breed is one of the most color-diverse toy dogs, spanning white, cream, gold, black, silver, chocolate, red, fawn, sable, brindle, and blue, often in parti and other combinations.

Colors produced by recessive genes — blue and chocolate especially — are genuinely less common, and blue is often called the rarest because it requires dilution genes acting on black. But “rare” is about genetics and scarcity, not superiority, and has no proven link to health or temperament. Expect change, too: most Havanese (other than solid black and pure white) shift color as they mature, sometimes dramatically. Choose your breeder and the puppy’s temperament first, and treat adult coat color as a pleasant surprise.

Bringing Your Texas Puppy Home

Before pickup, prepare a crate, food matching what the breeder feeds, grooming tools, and a puppy-proofed space. Line up a Havanese-friendly vet and schedule that first wellness visit early. Ask exactly what vaccinations and deworming the puppy has had so your vet can pick up the schedule correctly.

The first week is an adjustment period — expect some anxiety as your puppy settles. Lean into early socialization and gentle, consistent training; the breed is bright and eager to please. For a Texas home, build a grooming routine that keeps the coat manageable in the heat, and connect with local Havanese owners through the HCA and regional clubs.

Where Else to Look

• AKC Marketplace: marketplace.akc.org/puppies/havanese/texas — all listed puppies are from AKC-registered parents.
• Havanese Club of America Breeders’ Directory: havaneseclubofamerica.org — the HCA requires CHIC certificates on both parents for directory breeders, a strong baseline filter.

The Bottom Line

The best Havanese breeder in Texas is the one who tests their dogs, shows you the paperwork, lets you visit, and cares where their puppies land. Use the directory here to build a shortlist, verify each breeder’s OFA/CHIC records yourself, ask the hard questions, and never skip the in-person visit. Do that, and you’ll bring home a healthy companion for the next decade and a half.

This guide is informational. Breeder details, availability, and pricing change frequently — verify all contact information and health records directly with each breeder, and confirm testing in the OFA database, before purchasing.

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