small Breed Dogs
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Havanese Dog
Toy Breed Dogs
Small Breed Dogs







Manufactured Dog Food VS Home Cooked Food
The food that you feed to your dog will have a direct impact on their health. Whether a young puppy who needs great nutrient to properly grow, an adult who needs to maintain weight and energy levels or a senior who can has a sensitive digestive system.

In addition, the choice you make can directly impact behavioral issues, such as eating grass or feces.
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What you MUST Know BEFORE Getting a Puppy
Forget about the normal list that everyone writes about..."puppy proof your home", "choose the right breed".  The information you must know, goes MUCH deeper than that. This is insider information that no one talks about, the behind-the-scenes info you really must know before you make your choice....Click to Read More
Average Weight: 7-13 pounds (3.17 - 5.89 kg)
Average Height: 8.5 - 11.5 inches (21.59 - 29.21 cm)
Pronounced: Hav - va - NEEZ
Group:  AKC Toy
Life Span: 15 Years
Average Litter: 5
Origin: Cuba

Description

Many compare the Havanese dog to the Shih Tzu or Maltese.  However, this is a separate and distinct breed who is extremely special and unique! .  Very small and sturdy with immense charm.  Without a "Puppy Cut" this dog has long, silky, wavy hair with a plumed tail carried loosely curled over the rump or an incredible coat of tassel-like cords (more information below).

The coat is remarkably soft and light in texture and does a wonderful job of offering this pup protection against the heat...this breed spent centuries in the tropics!   The Havanese dog has a very unique walk, which is often described as "flashy".  With a very soft and intelligent expression, almond shaped brown eyes and ears set high on the head, this small dog is quite beautiful.

Since this breed originated in Cuba, a tiny tropical island, it is naturally friendly and protective as the Havanese dogs were kept as companions, watchdogs, children's playmates and herder of small poultry flocks.   If you are looking for a dog who barks to let you know someone is approaching, but then reads your body language and tone of voice, to know that everything is alright and stops alerting you...this is the dog!

This small breed dog gets along very well with other dogs, other pets and becomes very attached to its human family members.

Colors

A dog's pigmentation shows most in their nose.  For the Havanese, all dogs will have black pigmentation....except for chocolate colored dogs, in which case the pigmentation will be a dark chocolate brown (often not noticeable unless the dog is outside in bright sunlight). 

The AKC recognizes 26 colors: Black, Black & Silver, Black & Tan, Black Brindle, Blue, Blue Brindle, Chocolate, Cream, Fawn, Gold, Gold Brindle, Gold Sable, Red, Red Brindle,Red Sable, Silver, Silver Brindle, White, Black & Silver Brindle, Black & Tan Brindle, Chocolate Brindle, Chocolate Sable, Fawn Brindle, Fawn Sable and Silver Sable.  Although, there are more combinations...an owner must simply choose the color which best matches the puppy. 

Coat

The coat on this dog is so amazing.  When a puppy, the fur has a wave to it.  As the pup matures, an owner has 2 choices: to allow the dog to have a brushed out coat or have a corded coat!  A corded Havanese looks incredible. 

What happens, is that  at about 9 months of age, cords start to naturally form as the soft undercoat wraps around the new longer outercoat. As they grow, these cords must be regularly separated by hand so they develop properly.  As you can see in this picture, the puppy has the waves and the adult is sporting cords that were purposely not brushed out.

For hygiene reasons,  the hair on their bellies should be clipped very short, as well as the hair in between their rear legs. This lessens the weight on the body which is helpful for older dogs and eliminates a lot of the hair that urine can catch on, which will help greatly in keeping this small dog smelling pleasant. . The fur around the anus and genitals is also clipped short to keep the private areas clean.

Origin & History

The Havanese is the only dog that originated in Cuba!  It appears that the breed arrived there with trade ships sailing form the island of Tenerife in the 16th century.  Cuban trade was highly restricted by the Spanish,s o these little dog found their way into the homes of political leaders there and into the homes of the rich.

The tropical environment affected how this dog's coat developed, making it truly unique.  The fur is like silky strands, extremely light.  Because of this, in the past this dog used to be called either the Havana Silk Dog or the  Spanish Silk Poodle.  During the Cuban Revolution, a small number of Havanese dogs found their way to the U.S. and by the 1970's breeding programs were established.  Finally, the AKC gave recognition in 1996.

Exercise

Moderate exercise is needed to maintain good health.  Therefore, a nice daily walk should be taken or a fun 20-30 minutes playing fetch or games  in the yard. This makes this breed perfect for apartment living. Due to its roots, the Havanese dog loves to swim, but should be watched at all times and rinsed off afterward to rid chlorine from the coat.

Grooming

Brushed-Out Coat:  Regular brushings and then combings are needed so that tangles do not develop in the coat. Use a combination of slicker brushes, pin brushes and metal combs to brush out the double coat of the Havanese. Start with the coarser brushes and work out the large tangles first. The double coat is unique in that both the topcoat and the undercoat are soft and silky, rather than having a coarse topcoat with a dense undercoat as most other double-coated breeds have.
 
Corded Coat: Bathing must be done carefully to keep the cords looking proper.  It is important to use hypo-allergenic dog shampoo and then a touch of conditioner...and then allow the fur to air-dry. The cords should then be gently separated by your hands to keep them bouncy and looking proper.

Health

There are some canine diseases which may appear in the Havanese dog a bit more than others, such as:
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy - an eye disease
  • Luxating patella - dislocation of the knee joint
  • Legg-Calve Perthes Disease - A hereditary canine disesase involving bone loss and decreased blood supply to the affected bones, seen mostly in the hip bones which can lead to lameness.
  • Chondrodysplasia (CD) - a bone disorder which can manifest in various ways, the most common being dwarfism.

Care & Training

Because this breed is a natural protector, it is the owner who must show that visitors to the home are not invaders.  If the dog barks quite a bit or becomes too excited, desensitization training should be implemented.  There may be some odd behavioral issues that will need to be resolved, such as finicky eaters, shyness and others.  Owners -  Click Here for Much More Detailed Information
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