FAQ about Havanese

Frequently asked questions about Havanese

This little dog looks like a “teddy bear”. A hypo-allergenic Toy breed, the Havanese ranges in height from 8 to 12 inches and weighs from 12 to 18 pounds. He has large, dark and appealing eyes. The non-shedding coat is long, soft, straight to wavy,  like human hair, is odourless when wet. The breed comes in a rainbow of colors, from white to shades of cream, champagne, gold, black, blue, silver, chocolate or any combination of these.

Through the years, the Havanese has been bred for companionship. It’s gorgeous  looks and endearing personality make the breed a wonderful house pet. The Havanese is a VERY social animal, that treats all with a friendly welcome.

 

Weight:  12 to 18 pounds.

Description

The Havanese is a sturdy little dog, low on his legs, with long abundant hair, soft and preferably wavy. His movement is lively and elastic.
He has large, dark and appealing eyes.
Carried high,its tail is either in shape of a hook or preferably rolled over the back; it is furnished with feathering  long silky hair.
Colour: there are two varieties of colour. Rarely completely pure white; fawn in its different shades of light fawn to havana-brown (tobacco colour, reddish brown); patches in those colours of coat; slight blackened overlay admitted. Permissible colours and patches (white, light fawn to havana-brown) with black markings. Black coat.

Characteristics

In conformation competiton : The usage of scissors to even out the length of the coat and all trimming is forbidden. Exception: tidying up the hair on the feet is permitted, the hair on the forehead may be slightly shortened so that it does not cover the eyes and the hair on the muzzle may be slightly tidied up, but it is preferable to leave it in natural length. But as a pet dog, you can carve it as you want.

Personality

Exceptionally bright he is easy to train as a watchdog dog. Affectionate, happy natured, he is amiable, a charmer, playful and even a bit of a clown. He loves children and plays endlessly with them. According to his happy nature, the Havanese has a strikingly light-footed and elastic gait; forelegs with free stride and pointing straight forward, the hindlegs giving them the impulsion and moving in a straight line.

History

The breed comes from the Western Mediterranean region and has developed along the Spanish and Italian coastal region. It would seem that these dogs were imported early to Cuba by sea captains. Erroneously, the most frequent brown colour of these dogs (tobacco) gave birth to the legend which would mean it to be a breed originating from Havana, capital of Cuba. Political events led to the total disappearance of the old bloodlines of the Havanese in Cuba; apparently a few dogs were successfully smuggled out of Cuba whose descendants have survived in the U.S.A.

Behaviours

  • Children: Excellent with children.
  • Friendliness: Loves everyone.
  • Trainability: easy
  • IIndependence: Fairly dependent.
  • Dominance: weak
  • Other Pets: Generally good with other pets.
  • Combativeness: Not generally dog-aggressive.
  • Noise: bark little.

Physical and toileting needs

  • Grooming: Regular
  • Trimming & Stripping: like you want
  • Coat: Fluffy coat.
  • Shedding: Very light.
  • Exercise: Very little exercise needed.
  • Indoors: active indoors.
  • Apartments: Good for apartment living.
  • Outdoor Space: Does all right without a yard.
  • Climate: Prefers cool climates.
  • Owner: Good for novice owners.
  • Longevity: Long (15 or more years).
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