The Havanese boasts a long, soft and silky double coat. Owners can have their dogs clipped or they could opt to keep their coats long, but when showing, their coats have to be long. With this said, they are high maintenance in the grooming department which means daily brushing is a must to prevent their coat matting. It is also a good idea to have their coats professionally groomed several times a year which makes keeping on top of things that much easier between visits to a grooming parlour.
It is also important to keep a close eye on their ears and to make sure they are nice and clean. Catching an ear infection early is important because this type of problem is notoriously hard to clear up.
These little dogs are lively, active characters and there is nothing they enjoy more than having something to do and going out for a walk. With this said, a good 30 minutes exercise a day will keep a Havanese happy, fit and healthy. As such, they are the ideal choice for people who lead more sedentary lives.
If you get a Havanese puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
