General Information About Havanese
Havanese, the only dog breed native to Cuba, are cheerful little dogs with a spring in their step and a gleam in their big, brown eyes.
These vivacious and sociable companions are becoming especially popular with city dwellers.
Distinctive features of the Havanese include a curled-over tail, drop ears and a gorgeous silky coat, which comes in a variety of colors.
Some owners clip their Havanese coat short to reduce grooming time. Happily, Havenese are just as cute no matter what hairdo you give them.
Their small but sturdy bodies, adaptable nature, and social skills make Havanese an ideal city dog, but they are content to be anywhere that they can command the attention of admirers young and old alike.
Havanese, smart and trainable extroverts with the comic instincts of a born clown, are natural trick dogs.
Havanese are also excellent watchdogs and take the job seriously, but will usually keep the barking to a minimum.
Personality
Havanese are natural companion dogs: gentle, and responsive. They are affectionate and playful, with a high degree of intelligence.
These cheerful little dogs are very sociable and will get along with everyone including people, dogs, cats and children.
They become very attached to their human families and are naturally drawn to children and will often play endlessly with them.
Because they are social, companionable dogs, they do best in an environment where they have company and are allowed to be part of the family. If their family is away during the day at work or school, they will need another dog to keep them company.
The breed suits just about every family. They are non-shedding, intelligent and are happy to go at your pace.
A moderate amount of daily exercise is needed, however they will self-exercise in the yard if you miss a day of walking.
The coat is low maintenance if you keep it short, however it will still need some weekly grooming.
Despite his diminutive size, a Havanese has a confident bark and often alerts his family to anything he deems scary—including the mailman.
Living Conditions
Havanese can do well in an apartment but They are very active indoors.
They can cope without a yard.
Havanese are born to live in your home, with you and not on a patio or a kennel. at the same time, they do love to spend time outside and can often be found sunbaking on a warm day.
Havanese dogs will be happy in a studio apartment, a sprawling mansion, or anywhere in between. They don't care so much about where they live—mostly, these sociable animals want to have others by their side and prefer being in a lap to pretty much any other place.
If left alone for long periods, a Havanese pup can get bored and barking can become an issue. The breed is an excellent choice for seniors, families, and anyone looking for a constant companion.
While the Havanese is energetic, he's not especially active—he generally gets the workout he needs just by bouncing around the house. Owners looking for canine camaraderie while hiking, backpacking, camping, and other outdoor endeavors may want to consider other options. But these pups will like to stretch their legs on a daily 30-minute walk or playtime in a fenced-in yard.
Havanese dogs respond well to training. It's an excuse to spend time with—and please—their owners, and positive reinforcement (with treats, head pats, and an enthusiastic "good boy!") works well with this sensitive breed. However, do not to overdo it with treats. With small dogs, a little indulgence goes a long way, and as such a Havanese can easily become obese.
Whilst robust, being a smaller breed Havanese are naturally more fragile than a big dog. if a Havanese dog is stepped on or dropped, injury may easily occur. So owners need to be especially careful when handling them and even when walking around the house. If a Havanese lives with small kiddos, always supervise their playtime and teach children to properly interact with pets.
Grooming
Havanese have a low shedding coat, and just like human hair it needs to be regularly brushed and washed.
Havanese that are not being shown in conformation shows can be kept in a pet clip. This shorter coat will only require brushing once or twice a week, and washing every few weeks or whenever needed. A visit to the groomers every four to six months for a ‘trim’ will keep the Havanese coat short enough to be easily maintained.
If you want to keep your Havanese in a full coat, daily brushing and weekly bathing is usually required. If your pet Havanese has a very thick coat, it can be thinned to make grooming easier while maintaining the long coated look.
Along with caring for his long locks, Havanese owners need to trim his nails regularly, check and clean his ears, and wipe his eyes to prevent tear staining.
Important Details
Life expectancy is around 14 -15 years. They are generally a healthy little dog. Havanese usually mature at 1 year of age, although they reach their full size around 6 to 8 months.
Weight 4-11 kilos Height 20 – 28cms.
Colours: black, black and white. Black and tan, fawn, reddish brown, white, havana brown, tobacco & all combinations of these colours.
While this breed is known to be fairly healthy, they are prone to a few diseases, including deafness, eye disorders, heart disease, and bone and joint issues including hip dysplasia. Because of this Beljala kennels conducts health testing on all our dogs to rule these out for any dogs we breed reducing the likelihood of these problems being passed on to our puppies.
