Is my dog a Havanese?
A silky, wavy coat in any colour, a plumed tail over the back and a bouncy, springy walk: the Havanese is the Bichon family’s Cuban cousin. Upload a photo to compare your dog.
Also known as: Bichon Havanais, Havana Silk Dog
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About the Havanese
The Havanese is Cuba’s national dog, a member of the Bichon family that grew up as a companion in Cuban homes. Nearly lost in the twentieth century, it was rebuilt from a small number of dogs and is now popular worldwide. It is cheerful, affectionate and sociable, easy to train and happiest close to its people. It is sturdier than it looks, adapts well to flats, and copes poorly with long hours alone.
At a glance
- Type
- Pedigree breed
- Size
- Small
- Adult weight
- 3–6 kg
- Life expectancy
- 14–16 years
- Exercise
- Moderate
How to recognise a Havanese
- Long, soft, light coat that is wavy to loosely curled, never stiff; it can be corded. Untrimmed coats are left long, many owners keep a shorter puppy cut.
- All colours are accepted, solid or mixed: cream, gold, white, silver, black, chocolate, sable, brindle and particolour.
- Slightly longer than tall, with a straight topline rising slightly to the rear and a springy, lively gait.
- Broad skull with a moderate stop; large, dark almond-shaped eyes; drop ears covered in long hair.
- Tail carried up over the back in a loose curve, with a long plume of hair.
Photo tip. Photograph the dog side-on with the tail visible, and the face with the hair lifted from the eyes: the tail plume and the moderate muzzle separate it from the Bichon and the Shih Tzu.
Havanese or look-alike?
Bichon Frise
Always white, with a dense, curly coat usually scissored into a rounded powder-puff head. A coloured, wavy coat that falls rather than stands points to the Havanese.
Maltese
Pure white with a straight, flat, silky coat and a smaller, finer frame. A Havanese coat has wave and is often coloured.
Coton de Tulear
The Coton is white, occasionally with light patches on the ears, with a cotton-textured coat. Its back is longer and its tail is carried over the back the same way, so colour and texture decide.
Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu has a short, flat muzzle and a more domed head. A Havanese muzzle is moderate in length and its face is not flat.
Havanese mixes
Havanese crosses with Poodles (“Havapoo” or “Poovanese”), Shih Tzus, Bichons and Maltese are the most common. The silky, wavy coat, the plumed tail over the back and the dark eyes tend to survive, while a Poodle parent tightens the curl. On a photo, a Havanese mix usually comes back as Havanese plus another small companion breed such as the Bichon, Maltese or Shih Tzu. Because these breeds are close relatives, the split between them is best settled by a DNA test.
Health and care
- Patellar luxation is common: a skip in the step, or holding up a back leg for a few strides, is worth a vet check.
- Cataracts and other eye conditions are screened in the breed; ask for a recent eye examination on both parents, plus hip and patella evaluations.
- Hip dysplasia and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (a hip problem of young small dogs) can both cause hind-leg lameness, the latter usually before a year old.
- Hypothyroidism often shows between two and five years as weight gain, tiredness or coat changes. Cherry eye and ear infections also occur.
- Brush the coat several times a week to prevent mats, keep the ears clean and dry, and care for the teeth daily: dental disease is common.