Breed library

Havanese

Also known as Havanese Bichon, Havanese dog.

Havanese photograph.
A Havanese judging.jpg - audrey_sel. CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Havanese_judging.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.

Breed overview

The Havanese, a bichon-type dog, is the national dog of Cuba, developed from the now extinct Blanquito de la Habana ("little white dog of Havana"). The Blanquito descended from the also now-extinct Bichón Tenerife. It is believed that the Blanquito was eventually cross-bred with other bichon types, including the poodle, to create what is now known as the Havanese. They are sometimes referred to as "Havana Silk Dogs", but this is a separate breed, which has been bred to meet the original Cuban standards.

  • Country of origin: CubaBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • Ship manifests from Tenerife bound for Cuba list dogs as passengers brought aboard, and these dogs were most probably the dog of Tenerife.
  • Whatever the actual origins of bichon dogs, these little dogs soon became devoted companions to the Spanish colonists in Cuba and were highly admired by the nobility.
  • As part of the Cuban Revolution, upper-class Cubans and others marked out for annihilation by the communists fled to the United States, but few were able to bring their dogs.
  • When American breeders became interested in this rare and charming dog in the 1970s, the US gene pool was only 11 dogs.
  • With dedicated breeding, and the acquisition of some new dogs internationally, the Havanese made a huge comeback in terms of its population.

Size and appearance

A unique aspect of the breed is the topline, which rises just slightly from withers to the croup, creating a topline that is straight but not level. Renowned for their flashy, lively gait, their strong rear drive and slightly shorter upper arm produce a springy motion rather than a far-reaching one. The angle of the topline does not change while moving at a natural gait. The muzzle is full and tapers slightly at the nose. It does not have the appearance of being short or snipy. Length of skull measured from stop to point of occiput is equal to the length of muzzle. The top of the skull is rather flat and the back skull is rounded.

  • Body mass reference: 3.175 - 6.35 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 7 - 14 lb. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 22.86 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 9 in. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 23 cm or moreBreed reference height. minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 27 cmBreed reference height. maximum.
  • Coat layers: double
  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: corded
  • Coat texture: wavy
  • Height category: short
  • Weight category: small
  • Weight category: toy

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.22 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 1.69 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.93 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 1.27 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.05 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.03 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.39 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.96 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.32 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.82 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.65 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.91 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.99 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Havanese.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.58 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Havanese.

Exercise and activities

Because of the Havanese's friendly and readily trained nature, it is used for a variety of jobs involving the public, including therapy dogs, assistance dogs, such as signal dogs for the hearing impaired, performing dogs, mold and termite detection, and tracking. Havanese also compete in a variety of dog sports, such as dog agility, flyball, musical canine freestyle, and obedience training.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat layers: double
  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: corded
  • Coat texture: wavy

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 14.5 years compared to 12.7 years for purebreeds and 12 years for crossbreeds from a sample of 56 Havanese dogs.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Breed history

The Havanese is a member of the bichon family of dogs. The progenitors of the breed are believed to have come from Tenerife. Ship manifests from Tenerife bound for Cuba list dogs as passengers brought aboard, and these dogs were most probably the dog of Tenerife. Some believe the entire bichon family of dogs can be traced back to the Tenerife dog, while others theorize that the origins are in Malta, citing the writings of Aristotle, and other historical evidence of the early presence of such dogs in Malta. Whatever the actual origins of bichon dogs, these little dogs soon became devoted companions to the Spanish colonists in Cuba and were highly admired by the nobility. As part of the Cuban Revolution, upper-class Cubans and others marked out for annihilation by the communists fled to the United States, but few were able to bring their dogs. When American breeders became interested in this rare and charming dog in the 1970s, the US gene pool was only 11 dogs.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Havanese dog - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Havanese dog, revision 1378902410. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Havanese_dog&action=history
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  4. File:A Havanese judging.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 2.0. A Havanese judging.jpg - audrey_sel. CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Havanese_judging.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.