The Australian Havanese standard is the guide that breeders
strive to adhere to, it is also the guide that show dogs are
judged by.
There will never be a perfect dog, but as breeders we try to
breed as close to the standard as possible.
Effective in Australia from 1st January 2000
Country of Origin: Western Mediterranean basin.
Country of Development: Cuba
Date of Publication of Original Valid Standard 10/12/96
Translated by: Mrs Peggy Davis
Edited by: Mrs Ann Mitchell A.N.K.C.
Note: Words in normal brackets (…….) are as in the Standard. Words in square brackets [….] are explanations or alternative translations] BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY - The breed comes from the Western Mediterranean region and developed along the Spanish and Italian coastal regions. It would seem that these dogs were imported early into Cuba by ocean navigating Italian captains. Erroneously, the most usual brown colour of these dogs (tobacco) gave birth to the legend which would mean it to be a breed originating from Havana, capital of Cuba. Political events however have led to the total disappearance of the old blood lines of the Havanese in Cuba; apparently a few dogs were successfully smuggled out from Cuba and their descendants have survived in the U.S.A. GENERAL APPEARANCE – The Havanese is a sturdy little dog, low on his legs, with long, abundant hair, soft and preferably wavy. His movement is lively and elastic. CHARACTERISTICS– [Not specified. Classified by the F.C.I. under Companion and Toy Dogs. Important Proportions – The length of the muzzle (tip of nose to stop) is equal to the distance between the stop and the occipital protuberance. The relation between the length of the body (measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock) and the height at the withers is as 4:3 TEMPERAMENT– Exceptionally bright, he is easy to train as an alarm dog. Affectionate, of a happy nature, he is amiable, a charmer, playful and even a bit of a clown. He loves children and plays endlessly with them. HEAD AND SKULL– Of medium length, the relation between the length of the head and that of the trunk (measured from the withers to the base of the tail) is as 3:7. Cranial Region: Skull- Flat to very slightly rounded, broad; forehead hardly rising. Seen from above, it is rounded at the back and almost straight and square on the other three sides. Stop - Moderately marked. Facial Region: Nose -Black. Muzzle- Narrowing, progressively and slightly, towards the nose but neither snipey nor truncated. Lips -Fine, lean, tight. Cheeks –Very flat, not prominent. EYES– Quite large, almond shaped, of brown colour, as dark as possible. Kind expression. The eye rims must be dark brown to black. EARS- Set relatively high; they fall along the cheeks forming a discreet fold which raises them slightly. Their tips are slightly rounded. They are covered with hair in long fringes. Neither propeller ears (sticking out sideways) nor stuck to the cheeks. MOUTH– Scissor bite. Complete dentition is desirable. The absence of premolars 1 (P1) and molars 3 (M3) is tolerated. NECK– Of medium length. FOREQUARTERS– Forelegs straight and parallel, lean; good bone structure. The distance from the ground to the elbow must not be greater than that between the elbow and the withers. BODY– The length of the body is greater than the height at the withers [as 4:3]. Back– Topline straight, slightly arched over the loin. Croup – Noticeably sloping. Ribs - Well sprung. Belly - Well tucked up. HINDQUARTERS– Good bone structure; moderate angulation. FEET– Of slightly elongated shape; small. Tight toes. TAIL– Carried high, either in the shape of a crozier [a Bishop’s crook] or, preferably, rolled over the back; it is furnished with feathering of long silky hair. GAIT/MOVEMENT– In accordance with his happy nature, the Havanese has a strikingly light-footed and elastic gait; forelegs with free stride and pointing straight forward, the hindlegs giving them impulsion [drive]and moving in a straight line. COAT- Undercoat woolly and not very well developed; it is often totally absent. The topcoat is very long (12-18 cm [4.5-7 ins] in an adult dog), soft, flat or wavy and may form curly strands [cords]. All grooming [primping or teasing], the use of scissors to even out the length of the coat and all trimming is forbidden with the exception of tidying up the hair on the feet and the hair on the forehead may be slightly shortened so that it does not cover the eyes and the hair on the muzzle may be slightly tidied up, but it is preferable to leave it its natural length. COLOUR– There are two varieties of colour:-
SIZE- Height at withers: From 23 – 27 cm [9 – 10.5 ins] Tolerance from 21 – 29 cm [8 – 11.5 ins] 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. Important Faults: General appearance lacking in type. Truncated or snipey muzzle, length not identical to that of the skull. Bird of prey eyes [yellow]; eyes too deep set or prominent; rims of eyelids partially pigmented. Body too short or too long. Straight tail, not carried high. "French" front (pasterns too close, feet turned outwards). Deformed hind feet. Coat harsh, not abundant; hair short except on puppies; groomed [trimmed] coat. Disqualifying Faults: Depigmented nose Over or undershot. Ectropion, entropion; rim of eyelids of one or both eyes depigmented. Size over or under the indicated norms of the standard [over or under the tolerated heights]. NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. Toy Group 3 - A.N.K.C. © January 2000 |