The Havanese is a small companion breed that makes a good family pet. They require regular grooming but can be clipped for ease in coat maintenance.

Physical Characteristics

• Small and sturdy
• Double coat, hair is light in texture, profuse without being harsh or woolly
• Tapered ears covered in hair
• Eye rims, nose and lips are solid black
• Coats can be cream, gold, white, silver, blue and black
• Height: 8.5-11.5 inches
• Weight: 7-13 pounds
• Average lifespan: 14-15 years

Temperament

• Cheerful, curious, sociable, affectionate, gentle, responsive, very smart, playful
• Interaction with people: Excellent with children; good companion dogs. Become very attached to their human families
• Interaction with animals: Good with other dogs and pets
• Training: Easily trained
• Protection: Good watchdogs

At Home

• OK for apartments

Grooming

• Nonshedder; hypoallergenic
• Remove dead hair by brushing
• Coats can be clipped short for easier care
• Long coats need thorough brushing and combing twice a week
• Clip excess hair from between pads of feet
• Teeth need weekly brushing; this habit should be started early

Brief History

• Native to Cuba, descended from the breed Blanquito de la Habana
• Now rare in its native land
• Almost driven extinct following the French, Russian and Cuban revolutions
• Popular pets to the Cuban aristocracy during the 18th and 19th centuries
• Breeding of Havanese in the U.S. began in the 1970s

Fido's Facts

• National dog of Cuba; country's only native breed
• Once called the Havana Silk Dog or Spanish Silk Poodle
• Coat looks warm; however, it insulates from the sun
• Popular in the mid-18th century; celebrities such as Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens owned one
• Repudiated as circus dogs because of its ability to learn quickly and its desire to please people
• Likes to sit in elevated places and observe the activity around them
• Brought to the U.S. in the 1960s by Cuban immigrants to Florida