Author: Connie Limon
The Havanese is a small sturdy dog. He is slightly longer than
tall. The Havanese's coat is long, silky and wavy. He has a
plumed tail that he carries loosely curled over his rump.
Size and Proportion
The Havanese stands from a range of 8 ½ to 11 ½ inches tall.
The ideal height is between 9 and 10 ½ inches measured at the
withers, and slightly less than the length from point of
shoulder to point of buttocks. His outline is somewhat of a
rectangle rather than square. The Havanese should never appear
fragile. A coarse dog with excessive bone is contrary to type
and therefore undesirable according to the AKC standard. The
minimum height stated here does not apply to males and females
under twelve months of age.
Head
The expression of a Havanese should be soft, mischievous and
intelligent. The eyes are dark brown, large, almond-shaped, and
set widely apart. A chocolate colored Havanese may have somewhat
lighter eyes. Pigment on eye rims is solid black for all colors
except for the chocolate Havanese. The chocolate colored
Havanese will have dark chocolate brown pigment. No other
dilution of pigment is acceptable.
The ears are of medium length. The leather when extended
reaches halfway to the nose. The ears are set high on the
skull, slight above the endpoint of the zygomatic arch and are
broad at the base. They show a distinct fold. When the Havanese
is alert the ears lift at the base. This lift will cause an
unbroken shallow arc from the outer edge of each ear across the
backskull.
The backskull is broad and slightly rounded. The stop is
moderate. The length of the muzzle of a Havanese is slightly
less than the length of the backskull measured from stop to
point of occiput and the planes are level.
The nose is broad and square. The pigment on the nose and lips
is solid black for all colors except the Chocolate Havanese.
The Chocolate Havanese will have dark chocolate brown pigment.
No other color pigment is acceptable.
A scissors bite is ideal. Full complement of incisors is
preferred.
Neck, Topline and Body
The neck is of moderate length and in balance with the height
and length of the Havanese. The neck carries a slight arch and
blends smoothly into the shoulders. The topline of a Havanese
is straight but not level. The body measured from point of
shoulder to point of buttocks is slightly longer than the
height at the withers. The chest is deep, rather broad in front
and reaches the elbow. The tail is high-set and plumed with
long, silky hair. The tail arcs forward over the back, neither
flat on the back nor tightly curled. When the Havanese moves
the tail is carried loosely curled over the rump. The tail may
not be docked.
Forequarters
Shoulder layback is moderate. The upper arm is relatively
short. The elbows turn neither in nor out and are tight to the
body. Forelegs are well-boned and straight when viewed from any
angle. Dewclaws may be removed. The feet are round with well
arched toes and turn neither in nor out. Pads and nails may be
black, white, pink or a combination of these colors. Chocolate
Havanese may also have brown pads and nails.
Hindquarters
The hind legs are well-boned and muscular through the thigh
with moderate angulation. In normal stance, the hind legs are
parallel to each other from hock to heel and all the joints are
in line when viewed from the rear. The rump is slightly higher
than the withers and contributes to the Havanese's unique,
springy gait. The hind feet fall slightly behind a
perpendicular line from the point of the buttock when viewed
from the side.
Coat
The coat of a Havanese is double. He does not have a woolly
undercoat usually associated with double coats. The coat is
soft and light in texture throughout. The outer coat carries
slightly more weight. The long hair is abundant and ideally is
wavy. The ideal coat of a Havanese will not be so profuse nor
overly long as to obscure the natural lines of the dog. A
disqualification would be a coarse, wiry coat.
Color
All colors are acceptable. The skin may be freckled or
parti-colored.
Gait
The Havanese has a lively, elegant gait. The characteristic
"spring" in his gait is caused by the strong rear drive
combined with the flashy front action caused by the short upper
arm. The front legs reach forward freely. There is good
extension in the rear and no tendency toward sickle hocks. Head
is typically held high even on movement.
Temperament
The Havanese is playful, alert and intelligent with a sweet
disposition. He is easily trained.
About The Author: Author: Connie Limon. Visit us online at
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