Brushing and Clipping
Brushing your dog’s hair regularly keeps the coat in top condition. Havanese dogs are said to be non-shedding, and it’s true that they don’t shed readily, but the coat must be brushed daily to remove dead hair. It also provides the dog with a gentle massage to improve circulation. Regular brushing offers owners the opportunity to examine the dog’s coat and skin for ticks or other parasites or hidden wounds. If you’ve had considerable experience clipping dogs’ coats you can give your dog a bimonthly trim. If you’re not an expert, it’s worth the few dollars expense to have a professional with the proper tools do the job.

Bathing
How often your Havanese needs a bath depends upon his lifestyle and his color. A white active Havanese could need a weekly bath, especially if he is allowed up on the furniture and bedding. Keeping the coat clean helps to keep the coat free of tangles. A Havanese that lives primarily as a house pet may not require bathing as often.

Eyes
Dogs with bright white coats like Havanese often get discolored hair near the eyes, usually red. Wash the skin around the eyes using a soft wash cloth or cotton ball. This staining can be minimized through daily cleaning. Lotions are available from pet stores that can help minimize eye irritation.

Ears
All dogs with long, wide, floppy ears are prone to ear infections. The floppy ears cover the ear canal so efficiently that moisture collects and cannot escape. Infections can be avoided by regularly cleaning the ears with a washcloth or cotton swab. Hair in the ears should also be removed using your fingers or tweezers. Be very careful not to probe too far into the ear canal.

Teeth
Dogs, like humans, have plaque buildup form on their teeth. This plaque can turn into tartar, support colonies of bacteria, and cause infections. Regularly brushing your Havanese’s teeth can keep the teeth and gums healthy. Use toothpaste which is made especially for a dog’s teeth. Canine toothpastes are available at all pet supply stores. To the delight of dogs, they come with a choice of chicken, liver, and malt flavors.

Nails and Paws
Your Havanese’s nails will become too long if not trimmed. Dogs do not like having this done, especially if they have had the quick injured in previous trimmings. If you don’t feel comfortable trimming your dog’s nails, seek the help of a professional groomer. Also, when you clip your dog’s fur, pay specific attention to the paws. The Havanese’s hair grows so quickly that it can build up to form a slipper like cushion which can cause the dog to slip on smooth surfaces.

If you’re bringing home a havanese puppy it’s best to continue feeding what he’s been fed by his breeder for the first few months. Your puppy’s breeder typically has a lot of experience in raising puppies and has chosen a food that she believes is good for your Havanese puppy. After that you can do some research and consult with your breeder to choose an adult food for Havanese dogs. He may not yet be an adult but there are some issues related to skeletal growth that make it a good idea to move away from puppy foods.

Don’t forget to keep fresh, clean water available to your Hav at all times. Remember to wash your food and water bowls daily.

Havanese dogs are a longcoated breed of dog with a double coat. That means that he needs at least a light grooming every day. It doesn’t have to be a formal grooming session. You can brush him lightly while he’s lying on the sofa next to you. But do brush him daily. Otherwise his coat can become a tangled mess.

Plan on giving your Havanese dog a bath about once a month or on the rare occasion when he gets into something smelly. According to the Havanese Club of America you should start paying particular attention to your puppy’s legs around nine months when you are bathing him. It’s easy to see how they are shaped when your dog is wet in the bath. If they look bowed or irregularly shaped you should talk to your breeder or a vet about chondrodysplasia. This is a disorder that involves the growth plates and it can be seen in a dog’s crooked front legs.

You should also clean your dog’s ears weekly and brush his teeth at least weekly — doggy dentists recommend daily brushing. Don’t forget to trim your dog’s nails. You can do this with either a scissors nail trimmer, a guillotine-type trimmer, or with a small nail grinder. The important thing is to get your dog used to having his nails trimmed from an early age and to avoid hurting him. Just take a little nail off in each trimming session and give your puppy or dog lots of treats when doing each paw.

Don’t forget the flea and tick care. Flea and tick prevention are much easier now than they once were. Topical flea treatments such as Frontline and Advantage have made it very easy to apply a treatment once and not have to worry about fleas for weeks. There are also products such as Program, Capstar and others for different situations. If you do find a flea give your Hav a bath right away, wash all of his bedding, vacuum your house and dispose of the vacuum bag (which could contain fleas). Treat both your yard and your house with a good flea product.

It’s important to stay current on your Havanese dog’s vaccinations. When you first get your puppy he should have already received his first and possibly second set of shots. You should continue to follow the schedule that your breeder has laid out for him. If there is any difference of opinion between your breeder and your vet (and sometimes there is), you should ask your breeder to phone your vet and discuss the matter. There are currently a couple of different vaccination protocols for Havanese puppies. Some call for more shots and different shots, some starting giving shots earlier or go on longer. If there is a disagreement between your vet and your breeder they should work the matter out.

Your dog also needs heartworm prevention. Heartworm is now found throughout the United States and it is present year-round in many places. Heartgard, Interceptor, Revolution, Sentinel and other products provide good protection for your Havanese dog against heartworm. You can discuss with your vet which product is best for your dog.

Your vet will probably also do a fecal exam on your puppy to see if he has any worms. If he does need worming this is something that is easily taken care of.

After all of his health needs have been met (which can usually be done in just a couple of trips to the vet), your dog will be ready to take over the house. A happy, well-cared for Havanese dog will typically live 14-15 years. Take care of him, see that he gets regular vet care, feed him good food, and be his best friend and those will be wonderful, happy years for both of you.

Buying a Havanese dog sometimes takes a little patience and effort. Most breeders are very protective of the breed. You’ll find those who have havanese dogs for sale are careful who they sell to because they don’t want to see the Havanese overbred by commercial breeders.

You should know that if you are looking for a Havanese puppy from a good quality breeder that you may be put on a waiting list. Most breeders keep their dogs in their home and may only keep a few adult dogs. They may not breed very often. Since Havanese dogs are toy dogs, they do not have large litters. You may have to wait six months or up to two years if you want a puppy from a particular breeder. The wait is well worth it. Puppies obtained from these devoted breeders usually come from the very best parents — dogs which have been tested for health and which have the best temperaments and conformation. Good breeders will keep in touch with you and keep you updated on how things are going.

Sometimes you may find a show breeder who needs to re-home an adult dog. This may be a retired champion. Sometimes people simply don’t have room for all of the dogs they have and need to find a home for one. These are often lovely dogs with great temperaments who have been well-socialized. They just need a new home.

You should do plenty of research when you are looking around for a Havanese dog, whether you want a puppy or an adult. You should be aware of the potential health problems in the Havanese dog. Although they are considered a generally healthy breed these issues can occur. That does not mean that every dog will get one of these problems. It only means that they have occurred with some dogs:

• Cataracts
• Cherry Eye
• Chondrodysplasia
• Deafness
• Hip Dysplasia
• Legg Perthes (or Legg-Calve-Perthes)
• Liver Shunt
• Patellar Luxation (slipped kneecaps)

These are all issues that you should ask about when you talk to a breeder. They should be able to tell you if any of these problems have occurred in their dogs, particularly in the parents of your havanese puppy or dog you are interested in.

Havanese dogs can be tested for the following conditions:

• BAER hearing test
• Cardiac
• Elbow dysplasia
• Hip dysplasia
• Legg-Calve-Perthes
• Luxating Patellas
• Sebaceous Adenitis
• Thyroid

Note that none of these tests are required but you can ask the dog breeder if they have had their dogs tested for these conditions. Asking about health conditions before you get a puppy or dog goes a long way toward preventing heartbreak after taking a puppy or dog home.

When you have chosen a breeder you like and there is a puppy or dog available you will almost certainly be asked to sign a contract. This contract will cover things such as the breeder’s health guarantees and your own responsibilities. Many Havanese breeders require owners to agree to spay or neuter their puppy or dog. They may also sell the puppy or dog on “Limited Registration” with the AKC. This means that the dog is registered with the AKC but that it is not eligible to compete in conformation events. Their offspring cannot be registered with the AKC. However, the dog may compete in performance events such as obedience, agility and rally.

Some breeders may want to keep your puppy or dog’s AKC registration papers until you provide evidence that you have spayed or neutered your puppy/dog. Strictly speaking, this is illegal under AKC rules. Registration papers are supposed to be given to the buyer at the time of sale. If the seller insists on holding onto the registration papers then they must clearly state the conditions in their bill of sale or contract and they must be delivered to you when the puppy/dog is spayed or neutered.

You should also discuss with the seller who will register the pup. Will you have the right to choose the registered name yourself? Some breeders prefer to choose the registered name themselves. If you have a problem with this you should say so.

The breeder should also discuss with you your puppy or dog’s care. They should tell you what the havanese puppy or dog has been eating, what vaccinations the puppy or dog has had and what schedule to continue with vaccinations, heartworm prevention, worming and other health care basics. And, of course, they should answer any questions that you have about grooming, housetraining and care of your puppy/dog.

Buying a Havanese puppy from a breeder should provide you with the kind of safety net that you don’t get when you obtain a dog from other sources. The breeder should be there for you for the rest of your puppy or dog’s life. Most breeders are even there for you if, for any reason, you are not able to keep your dog during his lifetime. Forming a good relationship with your breeder from the start helps both you and your Havanese puppy. Your breeder has a wealth of knowledge about the breed that they can pass on to you. Get to know them. It can be the start of a beautiful friendship.