The Adorable Havanese
Bichon Havanais

Dog breed info
Havanese
Bichon Havanais
Weight: 7 — 13 lbs
Height: 8”— 12”
AKC Rank 2008 #36
Life Span: 12—15 yrs
Group Toy
Origin Cuba

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Dog Breed Info – The Havanese

Havanese In A Hat

Breed Overview

Origin: Ancient Times. Original function, lap dog, circus performer. Today, Companion dog. This is a real (small) family dog. Colors: All combination’s of colors, including white.

The Bichon Havanais is part of the extended Bichon family, a breed of small dogs dating back to the Mediterranean in Ancient Times. Spanish traders brought some of these cute little dogs with them as gifts for Cuban women. A few of these dogs remained in Cuba. Some such families brought their dogs with them to the United States in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Present day dogs are decedents of those brought over back then. This has gradually aroused attention from dog owners. The breed was registered by the AKC in early 1999.

Easy to train, eager to please. Use clicker training for exceptional training sessions. Along with positive reinforcement, this dog can learn about anything you teach. They love the water and swimming.

Crate Training

Want to crate train your Bichon Havanais? It’s easy and if you’re interested, take a look and you’ll see what to do. Crate training your puppy will save many headaches and problems.

Good looking Havanese face closeup

Potty Training

The Havanese puppy is generally easy to house train, potty train, toilet train, housebreak or whatever you want to call it. If you have a puppy, decide if you want to crate or paper potty train it. For the best results, we have a page at Crate vs Paper Potty Training which will help you decide and from there you can get all the information you need to get the job done. Always praise the pup profusely when she goes potty in the RIGHT PLACE so she knows she has done a good thing. Either method will work for this breedIf you have an older dog, take the dog outside every two hours until she gets the idea which door leads to her potty area. Older dogs catch on to the potty or housebreaking pretty fast once they are shown what to do.

The Havanese is most happy when she is the center of attention. She likes to play and clown around and is very affectionate. She gets along well with kids, other dogs, pets and strangers.— essentially everything. The dog is eager to learn but tends to be bark a lot.

Small dogs like the Havanese have a natural problem in that they often want to dominate the house and everyone in it. Small dogs must be heavily socialized starting very young and continued on. They need an owner and family that understands dogs and how to exert a firm but kind “pack leader” (alpha dog) dominance role over them. It is very important not to let the dog think he’s “boss!”

This dog should not be left by itself for long periods. If you happen to get a Havanese or puppy with a separation anxiety the problem can be dealt with after a little time and effort.

Friendly Toward Other Dogs

Very good. Like just about everything including other dogs.

Friendly Toward Other Pets

Yes, good here too.

Friendly Toward Strangers

Loves people. Bring on the relatives and neighbors. Your Havanese will welcome them. This dog has even been used for therapy work.

Playfulness

Extremely playful. This is a tiny show off and can act very silly.

Very affectionate and begs to be with it’s human family. The Havanese needs lots of attention and gives back plenty. This is one of my favorites of the small dogs.

Yes, older kids. The dog is small and the children need to be taught how to behave and not injure or aggravate the dog, but the dog is kid tolerant.

Good with Seniors over 65?

Yes. The Havanese is a perfect dog for seniors. Easy to manage, easy to exercise. Fun loving, affectionate, loyal little dog that needs a lot of the owners time, perfect for a senior!

Living environment

Apartment, condo, farm, big city, all OK. The Havanese dog does not need a big yard but would like some space to explore and sniff around in if possible. She has a natural curiosity and might even want to dig a hole.

Energy level

Fairly high. I’d say 8 bars out of 10.

Havanese resting in the garden

Moderate. A walk or two a day or some play in the yard or house will do it.

Fairly good. They do like to bark.

No. Too small and they love everyone.

No, books clearly state this dog does not shed.

Yes, use a stiff bristle brush and a comb on the Havanese dog 3 to 4 times a week. The long coat easily produces mats and gets tangled.

Trim the hair in the ears to prevent ear infections which this breed is prone to. (See below under Otitis))

The book on the right is by the American National Red Cross and deals with dog emergencies, illnesses and injuries. It’s a valuable reference manual for all dog owners. Vol 2, 2008, includes a DVD. ________________________________________________ Top

In the event you decide to go looking for Havanese puppies, be SURE to find reputable breeders that really know what they are doing. Be sure the puppy has been well socialized and started in obedience training.
Havanese Breeders with puppies for sale. Check your local newspapers for any other Havanese breeders.

Havanese Dog Rescue

In the event you are seriously considering the adoption of an older dog and are looking for a Havanese Rescue group or groups in your state, here are several links that might help:
Petfinder – Havanese Rescue – (Nationwide)At the time of this writing, Petfinder is only showing 65 available dogs NATIONWIDE. You may need to do some serious web surfing and hunting in your local kennels and checking for Havanese Rescue groups.
Adopt A Pet This is an interesting site, but this is a very popular breed and may be hard to find.

This is basically a healthy breed. Don’t let the list below scare you! Your own dog will probably never have ANY of these problems. These are dog health and medical issues this breed is prone to that have been listed by various veterinarians at different times over the past decade or so and some pertain to puppies and very young dogs that a breeder would deal with.

The information contained herein has been gathered from numerous books by veterinarians and is intended as general information only. Every dog and situation is different. You must see your vet. Our information is for general interest only and not intended to replace the advice provided by your own veterinarian.

Patellar luxation—Limping, Hind Leg Held Up, Can’t straighten back leg. Caused by an unusually shallow spot on the femur, weak ligaments and misalignment of tendons and muscles that align the knee joint and allow the knee cap (patella) to float sideways in and out of position. This can be caused by injury or be present at birth and can affect both rear legs. It’s most common in small and toy dogs. If your Havanese has trouble straightening the leg, is limping, or is walking on three legs and holding one hind leg up, look for patellar luxation. Several of my dogs have had the problem and all I’ve done is reach down, massage the knee a little until they drop their leg, and we’re good to go for another 3 or 4 months. Severe cases require surgery for a fully lame leg.

Other problems could occur with your Havanese. If you notice any problems with your dog, take it to the vet immediately. This website is for general information only and is not intended to, in any way, be a medical guide.

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