First Coast Pet

The Havanese is a Bichon Group breed, that includes Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Coton de Tulear, Lowchen and Maltese The Havanese is a playful little dog, toy dog that were bred to be good companions, so are good with children. They like to have peoples notice and will do tricks to catch peoples attention. This love for attention means they are not the choice for a working couple. They will often follow owners around the home, but are rarely overly possessive of their “ people”, so are great with other animals and dogs. This seeking for attention often shows when eating, as they like someone present, so if you leave the room, they will often follow, eating as they go, which can be messy. They are a “ true dog”, playing games such as football with gusto. Not the greatest walkers in the world, often liking breaks with games or just watching the world go by. Professional Dog Walkers such as London Dog Walking, if doing grouped walks will pair them with similar dogs, rather than big energetic dogs.

For dog care they are straightforward. One advantage of the Havanese is that they do not shed much. You may see on lists that they do not shed, this misleading as all hair follicles will have a cycle of growing and dying, shedding it hair, but this is variable and not often, so there is no strong cycle of hair shedding. The coat catches the hair and dander internally, so many people think it is non-allergenic, but they all release dander that can aggravate allergies. If you have an allergy sufferer in the house, have one to stay for a few days to check.

The Havanese have a slight wavy double coat, which is light and soft, with a heavier undercoat.

The Havanese must be groomed daily, as they have the tendency for their fur to mat. If you are not showing the dog, you can have the fur trimmed. Whilst they have a good coat, they do suffer in extreme cold, so in some areas you may need to buy sweaters for them.

When you bath them, dry with a towel and allow them to dry off naturally inside, as they are susceptible to skin problems if dried with a hair drier. It is a breed that the kennel clubs, prefer and dictate a natural look, avoiding the bows and preferring the hair over the eyes, that protected their eyes from the Cuban sun.

The original Harvanese were white, but now they occur in all types of coat colours and patterns.
The Havanese has  a stocky build compared to most toy dog breeds. The Havanese weight ranges from four to six Kgs (ten to fifteen lbs). Its height measured at the withers is 220-290mm(around ten). It is an unusual dog in that the rump is higher than the shoulders.

They move with an agile springy gait. Whilst they are relatively good swimmers, they generally shire away from water, but be prudent close to water  if there is something for them to chase.

The Havanese have almond eyes, with average sized ears that are well covered and hang down. They are inclined to ear infections, so routinely inspect their ears and clean them. From time to time they may require their inner hairs to be pulled by hand or tweezers. The tail sweeps over the back and is also well covered. The Havanese have very sensitive noses and are trained often for search. The Havanese are easily trainable so are often used in circus shows, tracking, hearing assistance dogs, mould, termite and drug search.

The Havanese normally live fourteen to sixteen years. The Havanese being breed from a limited gene pool suffer from some genetic diseases. These include liver disease, heart disease, cataracts and retinal dysplasia ( blots on the retina). It is recommended only to acquire Havanese from parent dogs who have clear eye certificates. Havanese may develop brown tear stains, which is especially noticeable on those with white or light coats.

The dog was bred from the now extent Bichon Tenerife and was taken to Cuba by original settlers and traders. Being popular in Havana in Cuba. Globally the Havanese is a new breed, taking off in the seventies from only ten animals in the US. They were common in Cuba, prior to the revolution, but suffered afterwards. Rapid growth in popularity now makes it difficult to find a puppy.

A wonderful family dog that is well worth considering.

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