Post by charmingnancy on Feb 3, 2009 16:43:43 GMT -5
Havanese
Group: 5- Toys
Origin: Europe and Cuba
Purpose: First as a pampered lap-dog of the aristocracy, then evolved into a family companion responsible for being a watchdog, child’s playmate and herder of the family’s poultry flock.
Description:
The National Dog of Cuba and the country’s only native breed, the Havanese is a small, sturdy dog with a friendly disposition. The Havanese’s popularity in the show ring has grown quickly, and they are also now high in demand as a family pet.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat & Colour:
Hair: undercoat woolly and not very developed; it is often totally absent. The topcoat is very long 5-7 inches (12-18 cm in adult dog), soft, flat or wavy and may form curly strands. The usage of scissors to even out the length of the coat and all trimming is forbidden. Exception: tidying up the hair on the feet is permitted, 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 in natural length.
Colour: there are two varieties of colour. Rarely completely pure white; fawn in its different shades of light fawn to havana-brown (tobacco colour, reddish brown); patches in those colours of coat; slight blackened overlay admitted. Permissible colours and patches (white, light fawn to havana-brown) with black markings. Black coat.
Head: 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 3/7. Skull: flat to very slightly rounded, broad; forehead rising; seen from above it is rounded at the back and almost straight and square on the other three sides. Stop: moderately marked. Nose: black. Muzzle: narrowing progressively and slightly towards the nose but neither snipey nor truncated. Lips: fine, lean, tight. Jaws/Teeth: scissors bite. A complete dentition is desirable. The absence of premolars 1 (PM1) and molars 3 (M3) is tolerated. Cheeks: very flat, not prominent. Eyes: quite big, almond shape, 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 extremity is in a lightly rounded point. They are covered with hair in long fringes. Neither propeller ears (sticking sideways), nor stuck to the cheeks.
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 slightly superior to that of the height at the withers. Topline straight, slightly arched over the loin. Croup noticeably inclined. Ribs well sprung. Belly well tucked up.
Hindquarters: Good bone structure; moderate angulations. Feet of slightly elongated shape; small; tight toes.
Tail: Carried high, either in shape of a crozier or preferably rolled over the back; it is furnished with feathering of long silky hair.
Gait: According to 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 the impulsion and moving in a straight line.
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.
• General appearance lacking in type
• Truncated or snipey muzzle, length not identical to that of the skull
• Bird of prey eyes; eyes too deep set or prominent; rims of eyelids partially depigmented
• Body too long or too short
• 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 coat
Disqualification:
• Depigminted nose
• Upper or lower prognathism
• Ectropion, entropion; rim of eyelids of one or both eyes depigmented
• Size over or under the indicated norms of the standard
Size:
Height at the withers from 9-10.6 inches (23-27 cm). Tolerance from 8-11.4 inches (21-29 cm).
Temperament:
Havanese are natural companion dogs: gentle and responsive. They become very attached to their human families and are excellent with children. Very affectionate and playful with a high degree of intelligence, these cheerful little dogs are very sociable and will get along with everyone including people, dogs, cats and other pets. They are easy to obedience train and get along well with other dogs. This curious dog loves to sit up high on a chair to observe what is going on. It is very sensitive to the tone of your voice. Harsh words will only upset the dog and will achieve very little. Generally, harsh punishment is unnecessary. The Havanese have a long reputation of being circus dogs, probably because it learns quickly and enjoys doing things for people. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard notes that "he is easy to train as alarm dog."
Health:
The Havanese seems to suffer primarily from chondrodysplasia (dwarfism), liver disease, heart failure, heart disease, cataracts. Wider lists of ailments are more a testament to highly proactive clubs and breeder organizations. Havanese clubs like the Havanese Club of America have worked hard for many years to try and search out and eradicate the health problems these dogs may suffer from. In spite of these common ailments, Havanese are generally considered healthy and sturdy dogs. Havanese also commonly tear excessively from their eyes causing fur around this area to be stained a brown color and requires daily cleaning.
Because of the small genetic pool from which the Havanese were revived (11 dogs), Havanese organizations around the world are always on the lookout for new health and genetic issues that may come to the fore in this otherwise healthy breed.
Average Lifespan:
They often live between 14-16 years.
History:
The Havanese's journey to Cuba most likely was aboard the trade ships sailing from the island of Tenerife chronicled in ship’s logs of the early sixteenth century. Cuban trade was highly restricted by the Spanish, for many years allowing Tenerife to be one of the only open ports, and it would appear these little dogs who had found their way into homes of Cuban aristocracy developed without much outside influence.
The tropical environs of their homeland appears to have influenced the Havanese development, specifically their unique coat texture. Once called the Havana Silk Dog, or the Spanish Silk Poodle, the coat is like raw silk floss, profuse, but extremely light and soft, insulating and protective of harsh tropical rays.
As Colonial Cuba developed and prospered the popularity of the Havanese grew. By the mid-eighteenth century they were trendy in Europe, often exhibited in European dog shows and type was well established.
With the advent of the Cuban revolution, the class of Cubans who owned Havanese was the first to leave. A handful of them found their way to the United States, and by the end of the 70s a gene pool was being rebuilt. All the Havanese in the world today, save those from the "iron curtain" countries and those remaining in Cuba, stem from 11 little immigrants. Remarkably, through all their travels, Havanese type and purpose has remained virtually unchanged for the past hundred and fifty years.
Sources:
CKC
AKC
Wikipedia
Pictures:
Photobucket
Group: 5- Toys
Origin: Europe and Cuba
Purpose: First as a pampered lap-dog of the aristocracy, then evolved into a family companion responsible for being a watchdog, child’s playmate and herder of the family’s poultry flock.
Description:
The National Dog of Cuba and the country’s only native breed, the Havanese is a small, sturdy dog with a friendly disposition. The Havanese’s popularity in the show ring has grown quickly, and they are also now high in demand as a family pet.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat & Colour:
Hair: undercoat woolly and not very developed; it is often totally absent. The topcoat is very long 5-7 inches (12-18 cm in adult dog), soft, flat or wavy and may form curly strands. The usage of scissors to even out the length of the coat and all trimming is forbidden. Exception: tidying up the hair on the feet is permitted, 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 in natural length.
Colour: there are two varieties of colour. Rarely completely pure white; fawn in its different shades of light fawn to havana-brown (tobacco colour, reddish brown); patches in those colours of coat; slight blackened overlay admitted. Permissible colours and patches (white, light fawn to havana-brown) with black markings. Black coat.
Head: 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 3/7. Skull: flat to very slightly rounded, broad; forehead rising; seen from above it is rounded at the back and almost straight and square on the other three sides. Stop: moderately marked. Nose: black. Muzzle: narrowing progressively and slightly towards the nose but neither snipey nor truncated. Lips: fine, lean, tight. Jaws/Teeth: scissors bite. A complete dentition is desirable. The absence of premolars 1 (PM1) and molars 3 (M3) is tolerated. Cheeks: very flat, not prominent. Eyes: quite big, almond shape, 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 extremity is in a lightly rounded point. They are covered with hair in long fringes. Neither propeller ears (sticking sideways), nor stuck to the cheeks.
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 slightly superior to that of the height at the withers. Topline straight, slightly arched over the loin. Croup noticeably inclined. Ribs well sprung. Belly well tucked up.
Hindquarters: Good bone structure; moderate angulations. Feet of slightly elongated shape; small; tight toes.
Tail: Carried high, either in shape of a crozier or preferably rolled over the back; it is furnished with feathering of long silky hair.
Gait: According to 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 the impulsion and moving in a straight line.
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.
• General appearance lacking in type
• Truncated or snipey muzzle, length not identical to that of the skull
• Bird of prey eyes; eyes too deep set or prominent; rims of eyelids partially depigmented
• Body too long or too short
• 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 coat
Disqualification:
• Depigminted nose
• Upper or lower prognathism
• Ectropion, entropion; rim of eyelids of one or both eyes depigmented
• Size over or under the indicated norms of the standard
Size:
Height at the withers from 9-10.6 inches (23-27 cm). Tolerance from 8-11.4 inches (21-29 cm).
Temperament:
Havanese are natural companion dogs: gentle and responsive. They become very attached to their human families and are excellent with children. Very affectionate and playful with a high degree of intelligence, these cheerful little dogs are very sociable and will get along with everyone including people, dogs, cats and other pets. They are easy to obedience train and get along well with other dogs. This curious dog loves to sit up high on a chair to observe what is going on. It is very sensitive to the tone of your voice. Harsh words will only upset the dog and will achieve very little. Generally, harsh punishment is unnecessary. The Havanese have a long reputation of being circus dogs, probably because it learns quickly and enjoys doing things for people. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard notes that "he is easy to train as alarm dog."
Health:
The Havanese seems to suffer primarily from chondrodysplasia (dwarfism), liver disease, heart failure, heart disease, cataracts. Wider lists of ailments are more a testament to highly proactive clubs and breeder organizations. Havanese clubs like the Havanese Club of America have worked hard for many years to try and search out and eradicate the health problems these dogs may suffer from. In spite of these common ailments, Havanese are generally considered healthy and sturdy dogs. Havanese also commonly tear excessively from their eyes causing fur around this area to be stained a brown color and requires daily cleaning.
Because of the small genetic pool from which the Havanese were revived (11 dogs), Havanese organizations around the world are always on the lookout for new health and genetic issues that may come to the fore in this otherwise healthy breed.
Average Lifespan:
They often live between 14-16 years.
History:
The Havanese's journey to Cuba most likely was aboard the trade ships sailing from the island of Tenerife chronicled in ship’s logs of the early sixteenth century. Cuban trade was highly restricted by the Spanish, for many years allowing Tenerife to be one of the only open ports, and it would appear these little dogs who had found their way into homes of Cuban aristocracy developed without much outside influence.
The tropical environs of their homeland appears to have influenced the Havanese development, specifically their unique coat texture. Once called the Havana Silk Dog, or the Spanish Silk Poodle, the coat is like raw silk floss, profuse, but extremely light and soft, insulating and protective of harsh tropical rays.
As Colonial Cuba developed and prospered the popularity of the Havanese grew. By the mid-eighteenth century they were trendy in Europe, often exhibited in European dog shows and type was well established.
With the advent of the Cuban revolution, the class of Cubans who owned Havanese was the first to leave. A handful of them found their way to the United States, and by the end of the 70s a gene pool was being rebuilt. All the Havanese in the world today, save those from the "iron curtain" countries and those remaining in Cuba, stem from 11 little immigrants. Remarkably, through all their travels, Havanese type and purpose has remained virtually unchanged for the past hundred and fifty years.
Sources:
CKC
AKC
Wikipedia
Pictures:
Photobucket