Bichon Havanais / Havanese, Havanese Cuban Bichon, Bichon Havanês, Havaneser, Havanezer, Bichon Habanero

Breed history:

Regarding its origins not much is known. It's considered to be the descendant of the European Bichons (Bolognese, Malteese) and that they arrived in Cuba during the Spanish dominion. It was raised as a pet by the Cuban aristocracy and it was renamed after the capital of this country.

Description:

It is a small-sized dog, long rather than tall and stocky. The head is proportional with the body and trapezoidal. It has a wide and flat skull with a thin muzzle and a slightly high forehead. The eyes are almond-shaped, big, dark. The ears are pointy, not very long, drooping and covered with long, rich hair. The tail is carried high, held like a spoon, covered with long, silky hair. The fur has long, silky, smooth, thick hair and has tufts that tend to unite at the extremities. Its color can be dark or light cream, grey or white with patches from these colours, havana colour, rarely pure white.

Personality:

It is an intelligent, lively, cheerful, playful, gentle, sensitive and sociable dog. It is attached, obedient and devoted to its master. It gets along well with children if they don't tease it otherwise it will become secluded for a while. It gets along well with other dogs and household animals. It is sometimes noisy.

Grooming:

This dog's fur must be brushed 2-3 times a week to remove dead hair and to avoid it getting tangled. The fur on the feet must be trimmed not to form fringes which could make its movement difficult. It doesn't shed. The excess hair between the footpads and from the ears must be removed.

Living conditions:

It is a dog with a medium-level of activity. It easily adapts to any offered conditions and its master's life style. It feels good in a flat with a loving family which has time to take daily care of it. It likes short, frequent walks in the open, recommended to be taken daily (with 3 daily walks it will be happy). It needs socialization and training.

Training:

 This dog is sensitive to the tone of the voice, it wants to please its master and easily understands what is required of it. That's why, the training doesn't raise any problems. It must be taught from an early age when and how much to bark. Some of these dogs are used in circus shows.

Usefulness:

It is a cheerful and devoted companion.