Havanese: soft, flowing hair with different undercoat descriptions
The Havanese has a sturdy, low-legged outline and a body slightly longer than its height in the FCI description. Adult outer hair is very long, soft, and flat or wavy, sometimes forming curly strands. The standard says the undercoat is poorly developed and often absent, rather than requiring a full undercoat on every dog.
Read the coat descriptions in their own context
The earlier UK coat description includes undercoat, so it is not identical to the FCI wording. The Maltese standard specifies no undercoat, while the Shih Tzu describes moderate undercoat. Comparing these actual descriptions is more informative than treating all long-haired small dogs alike.
Daily care, with a shorter pet option
AKC’s Havanese guide recommends daily gentle combing or brushing and occasional bathing as needed. It also describes pet owners choosing a short trim to reduce grooming time. That pet-care option is different from the FCI presentation rules, which largely preserve natural coat length with limited tidying.
The older UK guide lists daily grooming too. Before choosing the full flowing coat, think about whether you can provide that routine yourself or arrange help with it.
A walk or shared play, rather than a fixed promise
The earlier UK entries are up to 30 minutes of exercise, a flat or apartment and a small or medium garden, in town or country. Maltese shares the time category; Shih Tzu is listed at up to one hour.
AKC suggests a daily walk or play with the owner, including activity indoors. Its advice also says to stop if the dog is panting and struggling to keep up, rather than pushing through a preset duration.
The usual range and the stated tolerance
FCI height is 23–27 cm, with a separate stated tolerance range of 21–29 cm. No numeric weight is given. The first is the stated height range; the wider interval is its tolerance. The Maltese and Shih Tzu profiles give different guidance to compare alongside their coats.
Sources and further reading
Havanese at a glance
These earlier UK breed guides are starting points for comparison. Details may have changed, and individual dogs vary.
- Breed group
- Toy
- Size
- Small
- Daily exercise
- Up to 30 minutes per day
- Grooming frequency
- Every day
- Coat length
- Long
- Sheds
- No
- Suggested home size
- Flat / apartment
- Town or country
- Town or country
- Garden recommendation
- Small / medium garden
- Lifespan
- Over 12 years
FCI breed standard
Standard guidance describes the breed ideal; individual dogs vary.
- Origin
- Cuba
- Group
- 9 - Companion and Toy Dogs
- Section
- 1 - Bichons and related breeds
- Height
- 23–27 cm; Stated tolerance range: 21–29 cm
- Weight
- Not specified in this standard
The nominal 23–27 cm Havanese height and its stated 21–29 cm tolerance range are separate. The FCI coat text says undercoat is often absent, unlike the earlier UK description of a coat with undercoat.
Official FCI standard (PDF)
Standard effective from 2016-10-31; checked 2026-10-15
