Official Havanese Breed Club in UK, United Kingdom, Havanese breed information and advice, Havanese puppy buying guide Havanese Club of GB JOIN US contact@havanese-club-gb.co.uk Looking for a Puppy?

Meet Officers and Committee members Meet the Committee Diane Mottram President Prof Lee Miles Vice Chair adorelegb@gmail.com Wayne Morris Chair Dorothy Bunting Membership Secretary 07950 027328 HCGBmembership@gmail.com Gaynor Morris Secretary 07769 454367 Dr Andrea Akkad Breed Health 07525 069870 Catherine Muscroft Treasurer 07515 762698 Lesa Miles Committee 01258 839133 adorelegb@gmail.com Sue Clements Committee 01775 840183 Susanna Thorne Committee Bob Bunting Committee festus.burke@gmail.com Lucy Mottram Committee

How to join and Application form Current annual membership fee: Single: £8 Joint: £10 Junior: £1 Download Application Form

Visitors are welcome to our shows HCGB Open Shows Recent HCGB Open shows are listed below- please click individual links to see more information. 4th May 2025 HCGB 33rd Open Show 5th May 2024 HCGB 32nd Open Show 8th April 2023 HCGB 31st Open Show 10th April 2022 HCGB 30th Open Show Schedule Schedule Schedule & Entry 18 Apr 2020 Due to COVID-19 restrictions CANCELLED HCGB 30th Open Show Schedule 20 Apr 2019 HCGB 29th Open Show Schedule 07 Apr 2018 HCGB 28th Open Show Schedule 08 Apr 2017 HCGB 27th Open Show Schedule 09 Apr 2016 HCGB 26th Open Show Schedule 11 Apr 2015 HCGB 25th Open Show Schedule 12 Apr 2014 HCGB 24th Open Show Schedule Please reload

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How to find a responsible breeder We strongly recommend you contact the Secretary of Havanese Club of GB for recommendations of breeders, before you visit or commit to buying a puppy. Contact details can be found on this website under ‘Club’ Club’--‘officers’ in the top Visit the Kennel Club Assured Breeders list on the Kennel Club website, and contact breeders individually. Please accept that there may be a waiting list . Reputable breeders don’t have puppies ‘in stock’ waiting to be bought. They will breed purposefully and will have buyers waiting in most cases. We strongly advise against buying from popular pet sales websites or classifieds. Remember, good breeders don’t have to advertise their litters, they have waiting lists, so these ads rarely lead you to a reputable breeder. AVOID frequent advertisers on these sites, this can be associated with low welfare, high volume production outfit, such as puppy farming or ‘backyard’ breeding. A word of caution when you have found a breeder by whichever route, you will STILL need to do due diligence, visit, see where and how their dogs live, and whether you are comfortable with their practices. Why does it matter? Firstly, buying puppies from these sources, you are supporting animal cruelty and exploitation. Havanese were bred to be companions to humans, and they thrive on and need companionship. Their physical and mental health suffers, and their spirit is broken by a life in a crate, withouta bond with their human. Secondly, environmental influences such as stress, chronic pain, trauma and so on, can not only change how the parent dogs’ and puppies’ genetic material influences future health, but it can in fact impact their actual DNA, and these changes can be passed on to future generations. It makes sense to get a puppy from happy, loved and well cared for parents, and from a happy home that gave them the best possible start in life. Responsible breeding Selling puppies is a big business, and many advertisers are low welfare, large volume producers, only concerned about making money. Their dogs are often exploited, bred too young, too old or too frequently, without proper care and attention. Parent dogs are often kept in squalid conditions, and may not receive a healthy diet, species appropriate exercise, mental stimulation, or much needed veterinary care. They may live in chronic pain from severe matting, untreated conditions, rotting teeth and infections and parasites. Additionally, most low welfare breeders will not care about the breed as a whole, and would quite happily ruin it as long as they get paid. They will not care about proper structure and function, the dissemination of genetic disease, or preserving genetic diversity. Their practices will be detrimental to the future of the breed.

Information on hip screening Since the RKC listed Hip and Elbow screening as optional tests for Havanese in their newly published Breed Health Standards , we have received queries from our Members and Havanese owners. The information below will hopefully answer most of them. 01 What is hip dysplasia? answer 02 Why does it matter? answer 03 what causes hip dysplasia? answer 04 is hip dysplasia common in havanese? answer 05 should I hip screen my Havanese? answer 06 Can hip screening cause harm? answer 07 How do I make sure my dog's screening results are as optimal as possible? answer 08 how do i get my havanese screened? answer 09 What do the results mean? answer

Report A Health Issue Click to Report A Health Issue Has your Havanese been diagnosed with a health problem? The Havanese Club of GB has a role in monitoring the health of the breed. This is to help us identify new, emerging health problems before they become widespread, so that we can work with the Kennel Club and affiliated veterinary health professionals to inform and advise breeders and owners. It also helps us offer more complete information to those interested in adding a Havanese to their family regarding the health status of the breed. Please support the health of the breed by informing us of any health problems diagnosed in your dog. Your entry will be confidential, and information provided will be used in anonymised form only to generate annual health reports.

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Breed standard Havanese Breed Standard (Interim) General Appearance Small, sturdy, slightly longer in body than height at withers. Profusely coated, tail carried in plume over back. Characteristics Lively, affectionate and intelligent. Temperament Friendly, outgoing. Head and Skull Nose to stop and stop to occiput to be equal in length, skull broad, slightly rounded, moderate stop. Muzzle not snipey or blunt, cheeks flat. Nose and lips solid black, although for brown shades the pigment may be brown. Eyes Dark, large, almond shaped, gently expression, eye rims black. In brown shades eyes can be a slightly lighter colour, eye rims brown. Ears Moderately pointed and dropped, set on just above eye level, slightly raised, neither fly away nor framing the cheeks. Mouth Jaws strong with perfect regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Neck Medium length. Forequarters Legs straight, medium bone. Shoulders well laid. Body Equal in height from withers to elbow as from elbow to ground. Slightly longer from point of shoulder to point of buttock than height at withers, level topline, slight rise over loin, well sprung ribs, with good tuck-up. Hindquarters Medium boned, moderate angulation. Feet Small, tight, hare foot. Tail Set high, carried over the back; profusely feathered with long silky hair. Gait/Movement Free with a springy step, legs moving parallel also the line of travel. Coat Soft, silky, wavy or slightly curled, full coated with an undercoat. Colour Any colour or combination of colours permissible. Size Ideal height 23-28cm (9-11 inches). Faults Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Havanese dogs- history Breed History Origins of the Breed in Cuba The Havanese is a member of the Bichon Breeds family, which includes Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Coton de Tulear, Lowchen and Maltese. Some of these breeds originated in the Mediterranean. The Havanese breed was established in Cuba, probably from two populations of ancestral breeds. The first was a small, white Bichon type breed which was imported into Cuba in the 16th and 17th centuries, and possibly similar to the now extinct Bichon Teneriffe. The second group of dogs was a colourful group of poodle type breeds, which was brought into Cuba in the early 19th century by European immigrants. The Havanese was created as a companion dog, and was, even then, an expensive lapdog, owned predominantly by the wealthy. Cuban Revolution The Cuban revolution, in 1959, had a major impact on the breed. Many wealthy Cuban families left the country, with some taking their dogs with them. However, many Havanese were left behind, with servants or friendly families. It is not clear what exactly happened to Havanese asa breed in Cuba following the revolution; their numbers were probably severely diminished, but it is unlikely that they came close to extinction, given that some of the old breeding families remained. There are no writings, however, that document their history in Cuba during the following three decades. Havanese Founders The breed as we know it today has developed from two groups of founders: 1. The USA Founders: In the 1970ies, Bert and Dorothy Goodale purchased Havanese from exiled Cuban families. These Havanese formed the basis for the breed and its recognition by the AKC. 2. In 1991, the Cuban Havanese Club was founded, and the formal breeding program was re-established. A number of Cuban Havanese were imported into Europe, and together with imports from the USA gave rise to some of the old European lines. Havanese in the UK In 1993, Barbara Benersen imported the first four Havanese from continental Europe. into the UK. More Havanese followed over the course of a few years, and the breed was established in the UK.

Havanese Got Talent! Everyone who owns a Havanese can tell you what wonderful pets they are, and most of us know they are stunning show dogs, but their intelligence and energy make them very adaptable little dogs who can be taught new tricks and skills quickly. I know that when I took my first Havanese, Ruby, to obedience training, the Trainer had never trained a Havanese before, but by the end of the 8 week course Ruby was labelled as the class swot and the Trainer was telling everyone that if they wanted a dog that was quick to learn they should get a Havanese. So, aside from the usual pet obedience training and showing, in what other fields do they excel? Many of us who use Facebook will know of Valerie Knight’s Poppy and Dilly Aspland’s Bebe, both of whom compete in Agility. Poppy started agility after Valerie had been taking her to obedience training for a while and upon hearing of an agility trainer they thought they would see how they got on. Poppy was the only Havanese attending the agility class, and she started halfway through the course, but she soon became as proficient as the dogs who had been attending since the start of the course. Poppy loves her agility, in all weathers, and despite the main aim being to have a lot of fun, she has started competing, and is doing rather well, having come first in jumping at several shows. Valerie says that whilst Poppy is not as fast as some breeds, such as terriers, she is consistent and concentrates 100%, whereas a lot of dogs lose concentration and run off the course. Dilly is a firm believer in giving her dogs very full, fun lives. She started Bebe at Agility when she was about 18 mths old, and Bebe loved it. Many of us will have read about the sad incident when Bebe was attacked by another dog, injuring her badly. Due to the attack Bebe had to take a six month break from showing and agility whilst Dilly worked to get her back in good physical condition, and to re-build her shattered confidence. But in true Havanese style Bebe bounced back. Dilly says that Bebe’s Agility teacher loves Bebe because she is always happy and very quick to pick things up. Bebe advanced to the top group faster than other dogs who started at the same time as her. Dilly reports that Bebe is fast and holds her own with the other small breeds. It really does seem as if Havanese have a natural ability. Dilly also takes Bebe to “Wag to Tone” and Heel work to Music. Wag to Tone is a gentle exercise programme for dog and owner with a few tricks thrown in for good measure. Heel work to music is another form of Obedience and Tricks to music. Bebe was quick to pick it up and Dilly says she just loves to please. If you want to do Agility or tricks involving jumping with your Havanese, please do attend a reputable club: puppies must not start jumping tricks until they have stopped growing. Poppy and Bebe started when they were 16 to 18 months old. If you want to attend Agility training before that time then there are plenty of exercises and obstacles they can learn without having to jump. Anna Walsh