HAVANESE
APPEARANCE
The Havanese, while a toy dog, is also a hearty and sturdy dog for such a size, and should never give the appearance of fragility or of being overly delicate. The expression of the face with its almond eyes, is very cute and the ears, which are medium in length and well feathered, always hang down. The tail should curve over the back at rest, and is covered with a plumb of long fur. The Havanese weighs in at around 7-13 pounds, and the height of these small dogs is around 7-12 inches.
PERSONALITY
Havanese are natural companion dogs: gentle and responsive. Very affectionate and playful with a high degree of intelligence, these cheerful little dogs are very sociable and will get along with everyone. This curious dog loves to sit up high on a chair to observe what is going on. It is very sensitive to the tone of your voice. They are very very attracted to people and will absolutely not serve as a guard dog.
TRAINING
This is a highly trainable dog. They need positive methods and repetition to succeed in any type of training, as negative methods with this dog will get you nowhere. These little dogs have a reputation as entertainers because they can be easily taught to perform tricks and enjoy doing them.
EXERCISE
The Havanese has an energetic nature that requires walking, a play session, or a swim. However, they do not require an inordinate amount of exercise. A daily walk and active yard play should suffice.
SOCIALIZATION
The Havanese has a playful, friendly temperament which is unlike many other toy dog breeds. It is at home with well behaved children and most other pets, and is rarely shy or nervous around new people. he is a small dog and is best suited to families with older, more considerate children.
LIVING CONDITIONS
They do well in apartments and also homes with small yards. They are a little active indoors but they are well suited to live inside your home – not in kennel or a patio.
GROOMING
Havanese have a coat that catches hair and dander internally, and needs to be regularly brushed out once or twice per week and should be bathed every 2-3 months. You should also trim the hair around the bottom for hygiene reasons, and check the ears are dry and clean to reduce the chances of infection.
HEALTH ISSUES
The life expectancy of the Havanese is around 12-15 years, and there are a number of health problems linked to the breed. The Havanese seems to suffer primarily from chondrodysplasia (dwarfism), liver disease, heart failure (dont make any anesthisia risks its body does not react well results in heart failure especially under a year old), heart disease,cataracts (incidence is increasing) and unlikely to inherit progressive retinal atrophy and retinal dysplasia.
HISTORY
The Havanese itself developed uniquely in Cuba and is known as the national dog of Cuba. Once popular amongst the ruling classes in Havana, the Havanese was registered with the AKC in 1995.
