Spike

Kenquince Big Guns at Alphapups

Born: 2nd June 2015

Spike is where it all began. Originally bought as a beloved family pet, he was the dog who sparked our passion for the Havanese breed and ultimately inspired Alphapups Havanese. Never shown until he reached veteran age — and with owners who freely admit they were complete novices when they first stepped into the ring — Spike has since proved what a truly exceptional dog he always was.

Since entering the show ring as a veteran, he has won his Veteran Warrant and claimed Reserve Challenge Certificates at the Welsh Kennel Club, Richmond, Manchester, and Bath Championship Shows, and won the Veteran Dog class at Crufts in both 2025 and 2026. We are certain that had he been shown from a young age, he would by now be a multiple CC winner.

At around 5.5kg with a beautiful silky blonde cream sable coat and the most wonderful nature, Spike is everything we believe a Havanese should be. He is the dog whose type we strive to replicate throughout our breeding programme — though of course, there will only ever be one Spike.

Spike's BVA/KC eye exam (2023) found no breed-related adnexal or ocular conditions. As eye testing is primarily aimed at screening for juvenile-onset conditions, it isn't repeated annually once a dog is well past that age — at 11 years old, Spike is now used sparingly at stud and this remains his most recent result. He was also our first dog to be DNA tested.

Spike's Embark DNA results show he carries one copy of the FGF4/CDDY variant associated with Type I IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) risk. This is a risk marker rather than a diagnosis, and its predictive value is genuinely debated within the breeding community — many affected dogs carry no copies of the variant, and many carriers never develop symptoms.

Eyes · Embark DNA Certificate