Does Anyone Have An Experience With The Havanese Breed Of Dog? Would You Recommend Me To Get One?
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I have a 4 month old Havanese puppy named McBee. I have never met another Havanese, but did quite a bit of reading before getting McBee. I think the AKC write up goes something like this… a small sturdy dog of immense charm; non-shedding and virtually odor free… sounds perfect!
The write up does describe McBee. He is a very cute, friendly little puppy. Nevertheless, I have been surprised by a few things…
1) McBee is a wimp… We live in Wisconsin and when we take him outside, he just shivers and cries. And, both times, when he got his puppy shots, he yelped for two minutes. I’ve seen plenty of other dogs get their shots, but never saw one yelp like McBee because of it.
2) The hair grows so fast! Sometimes you can see a difference from day to day… you can always see it from week to week. And, part of what makes the Havanese cute in my opinion is their face and eyes. Right now McBee’s hair is too short for a top-knot, but long enough that it covers his eyes. Sometimes I wet it down by his nose and between his eyes so I can see his face when I play with him.
3) Grooming… I knew I would have to comb him out every day, and I accepted that. But, in my mind’s eye, I thought McBee would enjoy being brushed. McBee is cooperative as long as I am combing his head, back and tail… but he does not like his chest or belly combed. Also, (see #1) McBee is a wimp! If I catch a little mat in the comb (and so far the mats have been very little), McBee yelps like he is being killed.
4) Potty training and house-breaking… Even though McBee is only 4 months old (born 11/28/06) his is nearly potty trained. We are using wee-wee pads (the breeder used them, too). McBee is very respectful of our carpets and runs to the wee-wee pad to eliminate. The problem is, he is not house-broken. I really would prefer he go outside. However… it is hard to reward him for going potty outside when he hates to even go outside. Also, he pees so often… about every 20 minutes. My husband works out of our home, so he is never left alone for very long, but even so, we can’t take him outside every 20 minutes. I am not sure how we are going to truly house-break him. I am hoping that his bladder will mature and get bigger as he gets older. In the meantime, I take him out as much as possible and give him praise and treats for a job well done… but much more often than not he goes on the wee-wee pads (and I don’t want to discourage that either).
5) Tear stains… McBee is black & white. He has a black mask that goes across his eyes, but his nose is white. I incorrectly assumed that since he was black around the eyes that he wouldn’t have a tear stain problem. I was wrong… apparently the hair “wicks” the tears all the way down his nose. I use tear stain wipes at least daily, but there is still always a faint red or orange stain on his nose.
Fortunately, there have been no big surprises. McBee is a wonderful little dog… oh and did I mention… he is very cute!
I would definitely recommend!
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They are cute, pet dogs. Due to a lot of inbreeding, they can have health problems, particularly joint and knees. Do be very careful and select a breeder you can trust. Meet the dam and sire, see all the health records yourself.
Never get one at a pet store.
Hi,
I have been breeding and showing Havanese at AKC events for over 5 years now and can answer about any question you may have about this wonderful breed. I have been involved in dogs all my life and have had a few different breeds. I am TOTALLY in love with the Havanese and find the goods far outweigh the bads.
Please feel free to contact me and visit my webpage:http://havayork.homestead.com
I don’t know much about this breed but here is a web site that could help you http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/havanese.htm
May I please suggest you go to a shelter instead of a pet store or a breeder? I don’t want to assume that’s the direction you’re going, I just wanted to throw that out there. There are so many unwanted animals in the world and you can often find pure breeds at shelters if that’s really what you want. I have never heard of that breed though. Sorry.
We have an almost 3 year old male Havanese. He is the love of our life! Here are the reasons we chose this breed:
– They have hair not fur.
- They do not shed, you have to comb their excess hair out. It’s sooo nice not having dog hair all over the house.
- They are hypo-allergenic. My husband is highly allergic to pet dander and he hasn’t had any problems with our dog.
- We have a one year old son and he’s been amazing with him and all children that visit. They don’t have one harmful bone in their body.
- They are a small breed, but super sturdy. My husband plays super rough with him, but he’s my lap dog.
- They have a very fun personality.
-They don’t drool.
- I can put pony tails in his hair.
- He’s not a yappy dog.
- Very loving.
The downside:
- They are super hard to potty train. It took us about 6 months.
- They are alarm dogs. If someone comes to the door, they are barking like crazy.
- They have very long hair, but if you keep them cut in a “puppy” cut, they are pretty manageable. Otherwise, you’ll be grooming them once or twice a day.
- Even though they are small, they have to be walked. They are not a lap dog. They will run off any engery like a mad dog, if they are not walked.
- They are expensive (from $1000-3000)
Find a reputable breeder! They are so many puppy mills and you will have nothing but problems with a dog that you can’t verify as an AKC dog.
Since I don’t know much about you, I cannot say whether you should get one. In deciding what kind of dog to get, examine the dog’s original job when it was bred -is it supposed to be working hearding sheep? Was it a vermin hunter? Certain jobs carry with them certain behaviors that you may or may not want.
Havanese are great dogs for the right person. Since they were originally bred as companion dogs, it is important that their people be around. They are not the right dog for someone who is away from home 8-10 hours at work every day. They do not do well without their people.
They do require grooming. I recommend that folks keeping them as pets (as opposed for showing) keep the dog in a “puppy” cut, leaving the head and tail long, with the rest about 2″ or so long. Starting as a puppy, the dog should be trained to lay quietly while it is being brushed, not just on top, but all over.
Although they are a “sturdy” small dog, no small dog should be left unsupervised with small children (under 5 or 6 years old) because children younger than that have problems understanding that the dog is not a toy.
Havanese dogs are so cute! It takes a lot of time to groom them though. Their hair has to be combed a lot! It always has to be taken out to exercise. Our Havanese 9who’s in dog heaven now) used to bark all the time whenever he hears unusual sounds. However, they’re very loyal and playful. They’re good with children too.
Good luck with it, and I hope you get one from a shelter! There are many dogs out there who needs a loving owner.
no clue – sorry
I have owned and bred Havanese now for approximately 4 years! They are a wonderful, intelligent, and sturdy little dog. My husband is from Cuba and also had a Havanese. Havanese do not do well when left alone for long periods of time, so you should make sure that you have someone to check up on them during the day if you need to be away due to work or school. Havanese can also be a little difficult to potty train, but they are highly intelligent and are willing learners.
If you keep them in full coat, they need to be combed out at least 3 times a week, because they do not shed and their coat tends to matt. If you keep them in a puppy cut, it is much easier to maintain.
Some Havanese have health issues; particularly if you buy a Havanese from a pet shop or a puppy sales person online. You need to make sure that the sire and dam of the puppy are fully health tested for eyes, hearing, patellar luxation, and hip dysplasia. Make sure you purchase a Havanese from a reputable breeder that health-tests their dogs and that also shows them in the conformation show ring. Make sure you get copies of all of the health test records and also a written contract with a health guarantee.
Good Luck!! The Havanese have brought much joy to my life and family!
Arlene Etzig
Peluito Havanese
ALL i CAN SAY IS RESEARCH YOUR BREEDER!!!Never buy from a pet store as it almost a given that the dog came from a puppy mill. That will be nothing but trouble, expense and heartbreak for you. Pay attention to what your heart is telling you. If the Havanese is what you really really want then after knowing about the expense caring and health issues… follow your heart… you won’t be sorry.
Lots of fur… Groomers dream . IF you are a respossible owner,, Don’t Think of this breed without alot of thought!!!Cute , quite but , you need to brush, brush, brush…