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Bridgett's Puppy Place

Douglas Sonnier rd
Oberlin, LA 70655
ph: (337)532-8540

Havanese Information

 Appearance  

The Havanese, while a toy dog, is hardy and sturdy for its size, and it does not give the appearance of fragility or of being overly delicate. Weight range is generally from 8-15 pounds. The height range is from 8 1/2 to 11 1/2 inches (216 to 292 mm), with the ideal being between 9 and 10.5 inches (229 and 267 mm), measured at the withers. The height is slightly less than the length from point of shoulder to point of buttocks, which should give the dog the appearance of being slightly longer than tall. A unique aspect of the breed is the topline, which rises slightly from withers to rump, creating a back that is straight but not level. The gait is also unique, flashy but not too reaching, giving the Havanese a sprightly, agile appearance on the move.

Havanese have dark, almond shaped eyes - never round. The ears are medium in length, well feathered and should always hang down. The tail curves over the back at rest and is covered with a long plume of fur. Their coat should be brushed daily because failure to do so will result in mats. Many pet owners chose to clip down their dogs into 1-2 inch long "puppy cut" for ease of maintenance. Their fur, designed for Cuban heat, serves no protection during cold weather; they are dogs for which one would buy a sweater. If they go out in the snow, ice clumps will stick between their paw pads; just rinse off in warm water or buy booties (We never have this problem in Southwest Louisiana). When you give them a bath, make sure to dry them. Some in shorter clips can blot and air dry, but most will need to be blown dry. Use high air but low heat to protect their sensitive skin. Hot air can damage the skin.  Brush their coat after they are completely dry.  Use a fine tooth comb on the face, these are especially good to use under their eyes and around their mouth.

  • Color

    The havanese comes in a variety of colors.  They can be tri-colored, parti colored, brown, black, white, cream, and silver just to name a few.  My own personal puppies are always a surprise... I've had solid white, solid black, and everything in between.   Havanese are acceptable in all coat colors and patterns. All colored dogs should have a black nose and black pigment around the eyes, with the exception of chocolate (brown) dogs, which may have dark brown pigment on their nose instead. The Havanese standard allows for all colors and combination of colors to be allowed, but a  'true' blue dog will always have blue pigment, and the current the standard expressly only allows for black or chocolate pigment.

    Coat

    The coat is long, soft, light, and silky.  The Havanese often appears on lists of dogs that allegedly do not shed (moult). However, such lists are misleading. Every hair in the dog coat grows from a hair follicle, which has a cycle of growing, then dying and being replaced by another follicle. When the follicle dies, the hair is shed. The length of time of the growing and shedding cycle varies by age and other factors. "There is no such thing as a nonshedding breed."[Some dogs shed more than others. While you cannot say that Havanese are a nonshedding breed, you may say that Havanese shed very little.  In my own personal experience with dogs in my house I have never found dog hair on any of my furniture or clothes.

    Havanese can have a straight, curly, or slightly wavy, profuse, double coat. However, unlike other double coated breeds, the Havanese outer coat is neither coarse nor overly dense, but rather soft and light with a slightly heavier undercoat. Not all Havanese have coats that match the standard. Havanese coats are supposed to be very soft, like unrefined silk (compared to the Maltese coat, which feels like refined silk). However, in some dogs the coat can become too silky, looking oily. On the other end of the spectrum, Havanese coats can be too harsh, giving a "frizzy" appearance. The coat should always be surprisingly soft to the touch.

    Because of the tropical nature of the Havanese, the thick coat is light and designed to act as a sunshade and cooling agent for the little dog on hot days. This means that the Havanese does need protection against cold winter days, in spite of the warm look of their fur.

 Temperament

The Havanese has a playful, friendly temperament which is unlike many other toy dog breeds. It is at home with young children and most other pets and is rarely shy or nervous around new people. Clever and active, they will often solicit attention by performing tricks, such as running back and forth between two rooms as fast as they can and do not need a lot of exercise.

The Havanese is a very people-oriented dog. They often have a habit of following their humans around the house, but definetly not overly possessive of their people and do not suffer aggression or jealousy towards other dogs, other pets, or other humans.

Care

Havanese have several specific considerations for their care that a prospective owner should keep in mind.

The Havanese has a profuse coat that requires daily grooming. If one does not intend to show their dog, it can be trimmed shorter so as to require less brushing. Note that their paws need trimming from time to time to allow them to have traction on smooth floors. Some Havanese have also been known to develop tear staining. Please consult with your veterinarian for options of how red yeast problems can be diminished or eliminated.

The Havanese, with their drop ears, need to have their ears cleaned to help prevent ear infections. Usually this means regular removal of hair from inside the ears either by plucking by hand or with tweezers.

The Havanese is not a naturally yappy dog, but may alert its owners to approaching people.

The Havanese have also been known to have strong attachment issues, sometimes known by their owners as "velcro dogs". Havanese dogs are known to follow household members everywhere, even into the bathroom.

Douglas Sonnier rd
Oberlin, LA 70655
ph: (337)532-8540