Quick Facts:

Havanese are happy, personable dogs that get along with almost everyone.

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Havanese are smart, easy to train and enjoy learning new things. The AKC list them as excellent candidates for activities like Obedience, Agility and as Therapy dogs. They have been known as a “trick dog”, quickly learning new tasks and paying specific attention to their owners. They are good with people of all ages and other animals. Although they like to think they are guard dogs when they find a high perch and survey the environment, they perform poorly at the job and bark only as necessary if someone is at the door, usually followed by attention seeking from the new addition – they are not known to bark unnecessarily. Havanese housetrain well, but they do take up to 6-8 months to fully “get it”.

Historically bred as human companions, the “Velcro dog” quickly bonds with their family, following their loved ones around waiting for the next play time or command.  Considered a Toy breed, they are not meant to be a fragile dog. They are small, sturdy and muscular, they are lively with great stamina; however light to moderate exercise is all that is required for the breed. They can go for a daily brisk walk or a daily playtime outside in the back yard to meet their exercise needs.

Havanese are a double coated dog of long, silky hair over their body. Havanese do not shed and they do not have a doggy odor. They do require weekly to bi-weekly bathing and daily brushing for 10 minutes to avoid matts. Many people will keep their Havanese clipped to lessen the grooming requirements. They come in the most diverse colors and patterns of any breed, check out Havanese ABC’s in the Resources tab for pictures and more information on color and patterning.