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Origin: The Mediterranean
Height: 8.5-11.5 inches at
the shoulder
Weight: 7-13 pounds
Exercise Needs: Low
Grooming Needs: High
Life Expectancy: 12-15
years
Good With Kids: Yes
Trainability: Medium
Difficulty
Common Misspellings: Havenese, Havinese,
Havaneese, Havanice
Alternate Names: Spanish Poodle, Spanish Silk
Poodle, Silk Poodle
A cousin to the popular
Bichon Frise breed of dog, the Havanese
possesses that same incredible open friendliness
and willingness to please, making them a highly
sought-after pet. They are well-known for their
intelligence and playful nature, as well as
their unique appearance and incredibly soft
coat. Originally known as the Spanish Silk
Poodle, or the Havana Silk Dog, they were a
popular dog of the aristocracy and remain a
modern-day favorite amongst dog fanciers. There
is simply no denying the Havanese - one look
from this adorable little dog and he owns your
heart.
This interesting little dog is believed to be
descended from the same bloodlines as the
popular Bichon
Frise and, indeed, both breeds owe much of
their development to the island of Tenerife.
There, the different dog varieties were cut off
from outside influence and the popular European
trend of taking breeds and crossing them with
others, for the sake of “improving” the European
stock. While many wonderful breeds were lost to
this practice, the Havanese was instead allowed
to flourish in his tropical home and, in time,
developed and adapted to his environment.
Limited trade to and from the island of Tenerife
not only controlled the influx of outside dog
breeds, but also how many of this unique breed
were released to the outside world. Never sold
for money, for many years, the only way that one
could get their hands upon a Havanese was to
receive one of these dogs as a gift. This helped
to endear them to the upper-class, making them a
rarity and a status symbol amongst the
aristocracy of Europe. When this unique dog was
finally ‘discovered’ by the Europeans, he became
an overnight sensation - even the likes of
Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria kept the
Havanese as a favored pet.
While considered a toy breed, the Havanese
has a sturdy build and bears the appearance more
of a family dog, rather than that of a pampered
lap dog. While standing less than 12 inches high
at the shoulder, he carries himself proudly and
possesses an outgoing personality, never being
one to turn down the chance to wrestle or play.
Even with his mantle of long and silky hair, the
Havanese appearance stresses the playful
characterization of this breed, as opposed to
sleek and coiffed beauty. Interesting to note is
that, unlike many of the other silky-haired
breeds, the Havanese is shown in a natural coat
- meaning that breeders are not allowed to trim
any of the dog’s hair, save for his feet, that
his hair is not to be parted down his back, nor
are topknots allowed in the show ring. Havanese
may be shown with a braid on either side of his
head, but the rest of his coat should be natural
and free-flowing, roughly 6-8 inches in length,
and with a texture not unlike silk floss. While
they are descended from some of the same stock
as the
Bichon Frise, and developed on the same
island, the Havanese comes in more colors than
the Bichon’s standard white. In fact, they can
not only be white, but also champagne, cream,
silver, black, blue, chocolate, or gold. If that
isn’t colorful enough for your tastes, one
should also know that it’s is not uncommon to
find a Havanese that is a combination of two or
three shades combined - now that’s a dog of a
different color!
Few who meet a Havanese fail to be taken in
by this dog’s impish little personality. The
Havanese tends to be a dog that adores
attention, yet does not expect to find it by
lounging on a lap all day. Instead, he’d far
rather romp and gambol, making his owners laugh
in delight at his antics. He is a friendly and
non-quarrelsome soul, making him a good
companion for children, though he also makes an
excellent pet for the elderly as well.
These are playful and outgoing little dogs,
but they do not require a great deal of
exercise. If you’re the type of person who
doesn’t like to go for lengthy walks, but
doesn’t mind a short trip to the park or aren’t
adverse to a light game of tug-o-war or fetch in
the living room, then the Havanese may be
well-suited to you. While not a lazy dog, those
short legs have to cover twice as much ground as
that of their human counterparts, and can
quickly get worn out.
For many, this is the deciding factor on
whether or not to get a Havanese puppy. With
roughly 6-8 inches of fine silky coat, the
Havanese falls into the high-maintenance pooch
category. Requiring either a thorough brushing,
at least every other day, or a couple of trips
to the grooming salon, every week, this is often
far too much for a person with a busy lifestyle
to even consider taking on. In addition to this,
pale colored dogs can get rust-stains at the
corners of their eyes or the hair around their
muzzles can get dirty when they eat. In addition
to bathing the Havanese, responsible owners also
have to take the time to dry their furry
companions. If you’re considering taking a look
at some Havanese puppies, be sure to keep in
mind just how much work one of these little dogs
will be, and weigh that into your pros and cons.
The Havanese possesses a very keen mind and
sharp wit. More often than not, he is quick to
learn obedience commands, as well as tricks.
Provided he is properly encouraged and his good
behavior is properly reinforced, the Havanese
owner is sure to discover that her four-legged
friend will learn a wealth of tricks. Just
beware that the Havanese enjoys playtime and is
not adverse to playing the clown, if he thinks
it will make his humans happy. His lack of
seriousness can sometimes grate on the nerves of
the more serious dog trainers.
Like any breed of dog, the Havanese is
subject to a variety of health concerns. Your
best bet is, when deciding to choose a new
Havanese puppy, check around with several
breeders and ask about the various health issues
that can affect these beautiful little dogs. A
reputable breeder should be well-versed in the
health concerns and should be able to give you
more details, as well as showing you the sire
and dam of your potential puppy. Some of the
health problems that can affect Havanese Dogs
include:
- Juvenile cataracts
- Chondrodysplasia
- Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP)
- Elbow dysplasia
- Liver abnormalities
- Cardiac problems
Again, a responsible breeder will be well
educated about these problems that can occur in
the Havanese breed and have their breeding dogs
undergo rigorous testing to help ensure that
their puppies will not have these disorders. It
is extremely important that you educate yourself
about health conditions affecting the Havanese
so that you can be sure you are dealing with a
breeder from whom you will acquire a healthy,
well socialized puppy.
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The Havanese has the honor of being not only
the country’s national dog, but also Cuba’s only
native breed and with good reason - they are an
incredible companion, whether you are single or
have a family with children. They get along well
with other animals and the Havanese always seems
to be happy and carefree. The major concern with
this unique breed is the grooming requirements.
It takes a very committed person to care for a
dog that requires this kind of maintenance and
one should think carefully, prior to rushing out
and purchasing a Havanese puppy. If you’re not
afraid of whipping out that hairbrush a few days
a week, then chances are that you’ll find the
Havanese to be a wonderful and charming little
pet.
There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn
more about the Havanese dog breed. We've compiled a list of Havanese
information sites to assist you in quickly locating quality
information about the Havanese dog breed, while avoiding the
"garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor attempts to
capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general. If you know
of a Havanese information site that offers unique, quality
information and photos of the Havanese breed, please contact us with
the URL and a brief description so that our editors can consider it
for inclusion in our list below.
Havanese are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at Havanese
pictures, you can usually gain more insight into what these dogs and
puppies are like as a breed, and this can help you decide if you
really want to become a Havanese owner. The following sites below
offer pictures of Havanese dogs, Havanese puppy photos, funny
Havanese photos and more. Enjoy!
Now that you have decided that the Havanese is the right breed
for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible
Havanese breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized puppy.
Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad
breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first Havanese puppy you
find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a
responsible Havanese breeder, you may need to pay more and wait
longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it.
Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard
breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional
expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love
with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely
need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication -
or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible,
caring Havanese breeder who home-raises their puppies with love,
screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a health
guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the
Havanese breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather than
profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a healthy,
happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that will
provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter and
companionship.
Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...
Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These
sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders
listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised Havanese
puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many sites now
online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for puppy
mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear of
these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the
breeders whom they allow to advertise.
We Highly Recommend:
Havanese clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn even more
about the Havanese dog breed, help you locate a responsible Havanese
breeder, or help you find a Havanese dog or puppy in need of a
second chance for a loving, forever home. We've compiled the
following list of Havanese clubs and Havanese rescues web sites for
your convenience:
Choosing a name for your Havanese puppy can be a daunting task!
There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot of
thought and research to find just the right name for your Havanese.
Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a few days or
weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you decide on just
the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of humor? A serious
side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side? A strange love of
cantaloupe? By observing your new Havanese puppy over the first days
or weeks, you should at least have a clue about what type of name
you want to give. There are a ton of dog names and pet names web
sites on the internet. Some are wonderful information resources,
while others, unfortunately, are just "garbage" sites set up with
the sole purpose of cashing in on visitor hits for this popular
subject.
We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name
for your new Havanese puppy. These sites offer inventive, unique,
original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped
thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for
their new baby!
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