At first glance, these loving playful clowns seem to be the ideal dog for every family. It is almost always a love at first sight situation between Havanese and Humans. Big ole guys who always had big ole dogs are the most smitten. Whether it is dancing on hind feet with front paws waving, or just snuggling on your shoulder or lap, they always bring a smile.
 
 
Another activity that is common with the breed is what most owners call “the run-like-hell”. Suddenly, without warning, from the snuggle position, your snookems becomes a fuzzy tornado racing around the house/condo/apartment at warp 5 speed. This activity lasts for a minute or more; then as quick as it started, it’s over and back to the lap.

Another trait is the desire to know everything about you and your environment, all the time, i.e., a Velcro dog. So…if you are not prepared to be joined at the hip, these fur balls may not be for you. Other traits such as sitting on the high backs of couches need to be tolerated. Bathroom doors need to be closed unless you want company, clothes hampers must be secure or you’ll have undies and socks decorating the floors. After proper crate training, they will demand in-bed sleeping privileges, often under the covers.		  
 
Their silky hair, even if maintained in a puppy cut requires regular brushing/grooming. If you are going to maintain a long coat (sometimes as long as 10 inches), you’ll need to brush 15 to 20 minutes every day. They are particularly good with children but the very young have to be monitored for over squeezing or playing rag doll. We do not place our pups with families that will have to leave them alone for most of the day. They do not do well in this kind of environment and will resort to all kinds of mischief, becoming withdrawn and moody.
The Havanese is the best paper shredder in the dog world, also adept at unrolling long streams of toilet paper. In short; you are going to be dealing with a happy, playful, loving two year old child. If you are looking for a particular color (they come in every color and coat pattern), you’ll have time to read (see history) at least one of the books before committing to this 12 to 15 year relationship. We highly recommend reading The Havanese; by Diane Klumb first before this kind of commitment. Families thinking of showing Havanese will find their outgoing personality and showmanship perfect for the ring. Also, the requirement that they be shown “naturally” with almost no clipping or scissoring makes preparing for the ring easy.


There is no doubt that these “fur balls” originated on the Island of Cuba. How their ancestors arrived there is of some conjecture. There is some reason to believe all the experts are partially correct. Certainly, they are members of the Bichon family (Maltese, Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Lowchen etc.) therefore having European roots. However, to get the multitude of colors and patterns there had to be some inbreeding with indigenous small island dogs. The four recommended books on the breed provide more information than we could ever supply on this web site. In order of age, they are:

1. Havanese; by Dorothy Goodale, T.F.H. Publications Inc. Neptune City NJ. Dorothy and her husband Burt are credited with the resurrection of the breed from virtual extinction.
2. Bichon Havanese; by Zoila Portuondo Guerra (available through Amazon.com U.K.) Ms. Guerra is a past president of the Cuban Kennel Club.
3. The Joyous Havanese; by Kathryn Braund (available through Amazon.com).
4. The Havanese; by Diane Klumb

Along with the Goodale’s loving restoration, offspring of Havanese that had been shipped back to Europe in the 1900’s seemed to have survived World War II and were bred in Hungary and Romania. Once their loss was recognized, the Cuban government has found it beneficial to resurrect the breed at home.