It is a long way to transition from a fluffy “lovey-dovey” cute paw companion to a reliable service dog... The dogs of the Havanese breed are a pure example of this transition that has become beneficial for so many people dealing with physical and/or mental impairments.
Their loving appearance, friendly nature, and intelligence make the Havanese dogs enthusiastically welcomed by most people!
Are you looking for a fluffy and cuddly dog, who will fascinate you with their great skills? If the answer is “yes”, then you may want to know to learn about this amazing breed and its traits!
Origin
The name of the breed is not randomly chosen but refers to the origin of these lovely canines. They originate in Cuba and are the national dogs of the country. This is such an honor for these cute fellows!
They are thought to have originated from a deliberate crossbreeding of various Bichon breeds and Poodles. The so-called “little white dog of Havana” whose original name reads: Blanquito de la Habana, is known to be the predecessor of the Havanese breed. This breed is extinct now, but luckily its successor enjoys love and attention from dog owners worldwide.
The term “Havana Silk Dogs" is often used as a reference to the Havanese dog breed, but it should not be confused with it. The Havana Silk Dogs are canines of a distinctive breed, who have been developed to meet the official standards in Cuba.
Physical Appearance and Lifespan
Let’s start with the coat, as it is one of the most distinctive features of the breed! The Havanese dogs have a silky long coat, that can be seen in many color variations. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs having coats in the following colors meet the breed standard:
Black, Black Brindle, White, Chocolate, Fawn, Cream, Gold, Gold Sable, Gold Brindle, Red, Red Sable, Red Brindle, Black & Tan, Black & Silver, Silver and Silver Brindle.
According to the official standard the following markings on the coats can be seen:
Parti Belton, Parti-Color, White Markings, Cream Markings, Silver Markings, Silver Points, Tan Points and Irish Pied.
The lovely silky double coats of these canines rarely shed, which is why the breed is deemed hypoallergenic. Please keep in mind though, that you should invest some time and effort to maintain your paw friend’s coat and keep it neat and silky. Brushing several times a week would be necessary.
The Havanese dogs have floppy ears that may need special care and cute, fluffy, and silky tails that are set high in an arc shape and carried over their backs.
These adorable dogs who have a small, but sturdy body structure reach up to 9 inches / 23 cm in height and 7–14 lbs / 3–6 kg in weight.
The average lifespan of the breed’s representatives is 14–16 years.
You can easily be mesmerized by the big dark brown eyes of these lovely dogs, who are almond-shaped with black coloring around them.
Temperament
A perfect combo of cute appearance and affectionate personality!
If you are looking for a dog to be your family’s most loyal companion and who may even prefer their human counterparts over the company of other dogs, this may be the right breed for you! However, you should be ready to address any behavioral issues related to separation anxiety, as this is likely to be the case.
These fluffy fellows thrive on the attention and love of their human friends, and won’t have issues being around other pets in the household, even if they are cats. They get along with children pretty well too which is a big advantage for people looking for a family dog. As we already mentioned, interactions between small dogs and kids should be supervised to ensure that incidents won’t happen due to rough handling.
Playful, companionable, and very gentle-perfect play buddies for active people and families ready to lay down their love on loyal paw companions!
The Havanese dogs have cheerful and responsive personalities, without being overly energetic. Their energy levels are considered moderate to high, which makes them suitable for active people, who do not love going to extremes in terms of sport.
Regular walks- at least half an hour / an hour per day are recommended. Playtime is something you as a responsible owner will need to add to your daily schedule. Otherwise, your paw friend may lack sufficient physical and mental stimulation which in turn, may cause unwanted behaviors.
Let’s talk about trainability, as this is an essential factor if you consider turning your Havanese pet into a service dog! You may be glad to know that the Havanese dogs are highly trainable, whose intelligence helps them learn new tasks and tricks with ease!
Barking issues are rather common in the dogs of the breed, because of their high attachment to their humans. They may develop separation anxiety, and deal with territorial issues or resource guarding. Therefore, you should work on socializing your dog and properly shaping their behavior from a young age.
Social Skills
You may have already guessed that these dogs have excellent social skills! Of course, this does not mean you can neglect your duties as an owner and not work on your furry friend’s social skills.
The canines of the Havanese breed are known as dogs who accept strangers and who are rather open to them.
However, they can also be quite alert, which can lead to unwanted behaviors when around unfamiliar people. With proper socialization, you will be able to enhance and guide the great social skills of your paw friend in the right direction.
The alertness of the breed’s representatives makes them reliable watch dogs, but poor guard dogs because of their size.
In terms of adaptability, we can confidently point out the great skills of these wonderful canines! They are highly adaptive and can deal with various environments…unless these are related to being separated from their humans.
Havanese Dogs as Service Animals
Considering all the information you have already read about these lovely dogs, you may have recognized their great potential as service animals. Intelligence, trainability, affectionate personality, ability to get along with other pets and kids- what more do you need in a service dog?
Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks
Taking the loving personality of these fluffy fellows, we’ve decided to start with PSD tasks.
These require dogs not only to be trainable and friendly but also to be able to develop a strong emotional bond with their owners. Being able to recognize changes in a person’s emotions and behavior is a unique ability some dogs have and others don't.
Recognizing anxiety attacks, panic attacks or symptoms of PTSD can be trained, but the process will be much easier if the dog is naturally attuned to their human friend and senses their emotions.
Giving a kiss, a paw, nose-nudging, or providing Deep Pressure Therapy are tasks that these cute dogs won’t have problems learning to perform.
Reminding you to take medication is another helpful task that PSDs can do for their owners.
Guiding the owner to a safe place, and interrupting potentially harmful/repetitive behaviors are other helpful tasks you might want to train your Havanese to do for you.
PSD tasks can also be very beneficial for people with ASD or ADHD.
Retrieve-based Tasks
Due to their small size, the dogs of the breed are not suitable for physically demanding tasks such as providing balance support or preventing their owner from falling.
However, playing fetch may be one of your doggie’s favorite activities! Why not turn this “hobby” into a rewarding task? Retrieving valuable items such as medication, phone, or any small items you may need, can drastically ease your daily life.
Alerting Tasks
Training these little cute canines to help with hearing impairments is something feasible! The alert nature of the Havanese dogs can help them become invaluable support for people with hearing issues, by alerting them to important sounds from their surroundings.
Recognizing different types of alarms, doorbells, ringing tones...etc., and alerting to them, can be a life-saving task! Luckily, these canines are intelligent, trainable, and attuned to their owners enough to be able to handle them!
Medical Alert Tasks
Changes in blood sugar levels, oncoming epileptic episodes, changes in heart rates... many medical conditions can put the life of a person in danger if not identified on time.
Medical alert dogs are helpful aids to people with various conditions, trained to recognize changes in their specific scent and respond to them. Training is more time-consuming than other types of training such as PSD or retrieve training, but it is worth it!
Some dogs are naturally more sensitive and get attuned to their owners more easily than others. Others need more intensive training.
The affectionate nature and trainability of the lovely Havanese canines make them suitable for these tasks.
As we continue to recognize the importance of service animals in our society, it is essential to recognize the contribution of small breeds like the Havanese to the service dog community.
These lovely dogs not only assist their handlers by performing specific tasks but also provide love, and companionship, and give a sense of purpose.
