All About
Havanese

Though they have energy to spare, Havanese don't require too much exercise to maintain an even temperament. A couple of daily walks and time to play, either indoors or outdoors is good enough. This is not an outdoor dog – Havanese are inside dogs and you may have to pick them up to get them to go outdoors. Their size and low activity requirements make them ideal apartment dogs and they are better suited for city life than country living.

The Havanese should be fed a high-quality dog food appropriate to his age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some Havanese can be prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. If you choose to give your dog treats, do so in moderation. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, especially avoiding cooked bones and foods with high fat content. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet.

The long, soft, and silky coat of the Havanese needs to be groomed daily to be kept free of mats and tangles. This can be done by gently running a comb or soft brush over the dog while he is on your lap. Pet owners often choose to have their dog’s coat clipped to a short trim to reduce grooming time. The Havanese should also be bathed occasionally as needed. The corners of the eyes should be gently cleaned daily to prevent tear-stain of the lighter-colored hair in the area. Check the ears often to remove excess wax or accumulated debris, and wipe out the inside of the ear-flap with a slightly moistened gauze or paper towel.

Although the Havanese is a small breed, he has a fair amount of energy to burn. A lengthy walk or an active game of fetch each day will keep him happy.The Havanese does well in a variety of homes, from apartments to large homes with yards — as long as he's an indoor dog. This breed isn't suited for life in the backyard. He is happiest when he is with his family. Although they're not overly yappy, they do bark at passersby, so if your home has noise restrictions, this may not be the breed for you.His eagerness to please his owners makes the Havanese fairly easy to train in most cases. Basic obedience, beginning with puppy classes, is recommended. Housetraining, however, can be particularly challenging for a Havanese, so you'll need to be especially patient during this process. You'll get there, but crate training is a must.Separation anxiety can be a serious concern for the Havanese and his owner. The best way to deal with this problem is to avoid it altogether. Don't leave the dog alone for long periods of time and, when you do leave, put him in a crate with plenty of sturdy toys to keep him occupied.Though he's small and fuzzy, a Havanese isn't a toy. Like all breeds, he needs to learn good canine manners. Don't spoil him with table scraps or by carrying him all the time he'll get fat or become overly possessive of you.

Major concerns: none
Minor concerns: patellar luxation
Occasionally seen: PRA, otitis externa, cataract
Suggested tests: knee, eye
Life span: 12-14 years

After Columbus claimed Cuba for Spain in 1492, Spanish settlers began arriving on the island. With them came their small companion dogs — the ancestors of what's now the Bichon family of dogs.These dogs interbred and — isolated from other dogs by island life, and later, by trade restrictions imposed on Cuba by Spain — they began to develop into the Havanese we know today. Their signature coat was thick and silky, which helped insulate the dog from the tropical sun (the coat is like raw silk floss, profuse, but extremely light and soft, and insulates against the tropical rays in much the same way that yards of silk sari protect the women of India).By the early 1800s, Havanese were gracing the laps of many aristocratic families in Cuba. European travelers who became enamored with the breed brought dogs back to England, Spain, and France. The breed became trendy in Europe in the mid-1800s, and Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens were among his well-known fans at the time.Like most breed trends, this one petered out. At one point the Havanese became almost extinct, even in his native Cuba. A few Cuban families still bred and kept the dogs, however, and with the Cuban Revolution in 1959, 11 Havanese were brought to the U.S. in the arms of their owners.These canine refugees are the ancestors of most of the Havanese outside of Cuba today.The renaissance of the breed began in the 1970s,when an American couple who bred dogs found a few descendents of the 11 dogs who were brought from Cuba. Charmed by their intelligence and affectionate nature, they began tracking down other Havanese and working to reestablish the breed.Because most Havanese outside of Cuba today can trace their ancestry to just 11 dogs, breeders are working to widen the gene pools of the American-bred Havanese.The American Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 1995.