Dog breed guide
Havanese
Dogs NSW says the Havanese needs daily grooming to prevent matting, plays well with children and suits apartments, though it does not like being left alone for hours. It is highly intelligent and easily trained with positive methods. Exercise needs are modest, around 20 minutes a day.
Havanese at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 5 to 9 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 5 to 8.5 kg
- Size
- Small, under 10 kg
- Height
- 23 to 27 cm
- Lifespan
- 12 to 15 years
- Coat
- very long (12 to 18 cm), soft, flat or wavy
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Shedding
- Grooming effort
- Energy
- Trainability
- Good with children
- Suits an apartment
5 means it sheds heavily
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
5 means it learns quickly and eagerly
5 means it suits a family best
5 means it copes best in a small home
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a Havanese puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Dogs NSW, Havanese, https://www.dogsnsw.org.au/breeds/browse-all-breeds/havanese/, read 5 Oct 2026
- Dogs Australia, Havanese Breed Standard, https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/breeds/breed-standards/Havanese, read 5 Oct 2026
- Royal Kennel Club, Havanese, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/toy/havanese/, read 5 Oct 2026
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.