Havanese: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Havanese a life expectancy of 14 to 16 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “over 12 years” band.

Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.

Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 1 have a longer upper estimate than the Havanese and 24 a shorter one.

The RKC suggests grooming a Havanese every day and describes the coat as long; it lists the breed as one that does not shed. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 2 out of 5 for shedding and 3 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.

Owners choose between three looks. Some clip the coat short to cut grooming time, the AKC says, and some cord it the way Puli owners do. Left long, the soft, silky coat needs a comb or soft brush every day to stay free of mats, a job the AKC suggests doing with the dog on your lap. Baths are occasional, as needed.

Whatever the trim, the curled-over tail stays a breed trademark. Colors cover a wide range; the RKC’s list runs from black, cream and gold to chocolate, sable and particolor.

The RKC puts the exercise a Havanese needs at up to 30 minutes a day. The AKC rates the breed 3 out of 5 for energy and 3 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.

A Havanese needs company more than mileage. The AKC puts its exercise needs at moderate: a brisk daily walk or a game in the yard, and romps indoors can be enough on their own. Whatever you choose, it is happiest when someone joins in.

Tricks are a natural fit. The AKC sees a born clown in this breed, smart and trainable, so short training games work the mind as well as the legs.

The AKC gives the adult weight of the Havanese as “7–13 pounds”, which is 3.2–5.9 kg. The height at the shoulder is 8.5–11.5 inches.

The Havanese is the only breed native to Cuba, and its story follows the island’s. A member of the Bichon family of little white dogs, with the Bichon Frise and the Maltese as probable relatives, it reached Cuba with Spanish or Italian traders, in the 1600s by the AKC’s account. For roughly three centuries it was the pet of Cuba’s aristocrats and wealthy planters, and it takes its name from Havana, where it was most in favor.

Then came 1959. Cubans leaving after the revolution brought their dogs to the United States, and with the help of American breeders they kept the Havanese going. Since the AKC recognized it in 1996, the breed has climbed fast: it was 25th in registrations for 2025. Ernest Hemingway knew the breed from his years in Cuba, and about a century earlier Charles Dickens owned one named Tim.

On the AKC’s ratings it reaches the top of every social measure: 5 out of 5 for openness to strangers, 5 out of 5 for playfulness, and 5 out of 5 for getting on with young children and with other dogs alike. Intelligent, outgoing and funny is how the AKC describes it, and it is happiest wherever there are people of any age to admire it.

The other side of all that sociability is that a Havanese does not like long hours alone, the AKC notes. On the RKC’s lines it needs no more than a flat or apartment and a small or medium garden, and adaptability rates 5 out of 5; the AKC calls it an ideal city dog. What matters more than floor space is whether someone is home.