Dog Breed Guide

Havanese

Profile

Size

Extra Small

Country of origin

Cuba

Origin

Around the 18th century

Bred for

Companion

Height

23 - 27cm (9 - 11in)

Weight

3 - 6kg (7 - 13lb)

Life span

13 - 15 years

A small dog with a long coat that is soft as silk and gently wavy. It comes in almost every color, including white, cream, gold, black and chocolate. The body is slightly longer than it is tall, and its springy, light gait is distinctive.

Bright, cheerful and full of charm, the Havanese loves people and is a social butterfly that quickly warms up even to strangers. It follows its family everywhere, so much so that it is called a "Velcro dog." It is clever and good at learning tricks.

It sheds little, but the long coat tangles easily and needs daily brushing. If left alone for long periods, it easily becomes stressed by loneliness.

Good to know

It is said to be the only breed native to Cuba and has become the national dog. The breed is named after the capital, Havana. Its ancestors are thought to be small dogs brought by ship from Spain and cherished in upper-class Cuban homes, where they were called Blanquito de la Habana, "little white dog of Havana."

After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, many wealthy families left the country, and the dog nearly disappeared from Cuba. Families who fled to the United States brought a few dogs with them, and when efforts to rebuild the breed began in America in the 1970s, there are said to have been only about 11 dogs to work with.

Fanciers gradually built up its numbers, and in 1996 the American Kennel Club recognized the breed. Today it is one of the more popular breeds in the United States.