The Havanese, "Little Dog from Havana", is from Cuba. In the 1800’s sailors started taking them home to Europe. There the Havanese became famous as a circus and trick dog.
 
When the Cuban Revolution happened the little Havanese all but disappeared. In the 1970’s there were only 11 in all the United States !

Don’t let their small size [8½ to 11½ in tall] fool you ! These guys have big hearts and are really solid. They would rather be playing or doing goofy tricks than just sitting around laying on a pillow.

They are friendly, active, curious, gentle, clever and love to play. They like to win at every game you play with them and are super good at hide n’ seek. They like to be with children and other pets.

They like to follow you around the house … even to the bathroom ! Sometimes they will only eat when someone is in the same room. If they are eating and their human leaves the room, they will grab a mouthful of food and follow their human … dropping the food on the floor in the new room and eating it there. They love sitting up high on a chair and look at everything going on. They are also really sensitive to the tone of your voice. Angry words just get them upset. They don’t bark a lot, but are still good watch dogs, letting you know when a visitor arrives, but quickly calming down when they see you welcome the guest.

Havanese do not shed but they still need to be brushed most every day. Their thick coat is really light and works more like a sunshade on hot days. That means they need protection on cold winter days. They need to have their ears cleaned. They don’t need super long walks, just a daily “around the block” or a fenced yard to run around in.

For Health Information about this breed please speak with your Veterinarian. If you do not have a Vet, or are moving to a new city, check out sarahs vetXchange.