What is a Havachon?

Dogs are one of the most popular pets across the world. These animals come in all shapes and sizes while also having a whole host of personalities. However, over the past 20 to 30 years, designer dog breeds have boomed in popularity. Designer breeds are hybrids that take two pure breeds and, through careful cross-breeding, produce some of the most unique and popular dog breeds. Some of the most well-known designer breeds are the long line of doodles like Labradoodles, Cavadoodles, and Aussiedoodles. Another perfect example of a designer dog breed, and the topic of this article, is the Havachon.

Havachons are a designer breed that is the combination of a Bichon Frise and a Havanese. The Havachon is a toy breed that originated in the United States. The Havachon is also known as the Cuban Velcro dog due to their tendency to always want to be with their owner. These adorable dogs are known for their loving and relaxed nature while also having a fantastic drive to play whenever their owners want. Furthermore, the Havachon is a hypoallergenic breed that has wavy to curly hair that comes in a wide array of colors and patterns. 

As you continue to read this article, we will dive into everything about Havachons. First, we will discuss the history of the Havacon breed and go over some of its traits. Then we will provide a care guide that will cover grooming, feeding, and exercise requirements. Finally, we will discuss some of the health risks associated with this breed and its life span.

History of the Havachon

The Havachon is a mixed breed that combines the best traits of a purebred Havanese and Bichon Frise. Both of the Havachon parent breeds belong to the Barbichon family, which are known worldwide for being perfect lap dogs. While the exact date of the Havachon breed is unknown, it’s widely believed they originated in the early 2000s in the United States and Cuba.

The Havachons have become increasingly popular over the past decade due to their sweet temperaments, loving deposition, and adorable looks. Unfortunately, as a fairly new breed, the Havachon lacks a comprehensive history that most purebreds have. However, we can take a look at the history of its parents to get a sense of what the Havachon has in store for you.

The Havanese breed is the national dog of Cuba and is also known as the Havana Silk Dog. The Havanese is a member of the Barbichon family that initially arrived in Cuba with Spanish colonists centuries ago. After their initial arrival in Cuba, they became a beloved breed and soon gained a reputation in Europe as they sailed across the sea on trading ships. While in Europe, the Havanese became a prevalent breed with European royalty. As a result, the Havanese has been represented in portraits of Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens, among others. 

The Bichon Frise is another member of the Barbichon family and is well known to be a fantastic family dog. It originated in the Canary Islands in the 13th century. There they became as famous as the Havanese and were traded across Europe, and became another famous dog among royalty for their loving nature and tendency to always want to be with their owner. Like The Havanese, there are plenty of portraits that feature this breed. Prominent royal figures like King Henry III, Queen Victoria, and Federico II had portraits painted of them with their Bichon Frise. Furthermore, it was documented that Cleopatra was a massive fan of this breed. 

Havachon Traits

The Havachon is a beautiful mixed-breed that is also known as the Frise Havanese and is the most popular bichon mixed-breed. Havachons are a hypoallergenic breed with a lush and minimal shedding coat, making them an excellent choice for people who have allergies. 

Havachons are sweet and adorable dogs that are obedient, eager to please, and very smart. This breed quickly picks up on training habits, making it an excellent breed for first-time owners. Furthermore, the Havachon are very aware of their surroundings and make for a great watchdog. Havachons have been known to do great with other dog breeds and will even go fetch their larger canine siblings if they sense danger. 

Havachons are non-aggressive and highly affectionate dogs that love to spend time with their owners. They are fantastic family dogs and love to play and hang out with their human siblings. They are also incredibly adaptable to their surroundings and situation. They make great dogs for owners of all ages and work well to adapt to new arrivals to the family. 

These dogs have a moderate energy drive that can be turned on or off at a whim. They love to play with their owners but can tire out quickly. Havachons also love lounging around on lazy days. Staying inside and on their owner's lap is one of the Havachons' favorite pastimes. 

Havachon Appearance

Havachons have a small and cuddly demeanor paired with a friendly disposition. They have round dark-colored eyes that are very expressive, and their noses are small and black.

The Havachon breed has a long coat that can range from wavy to curly. They always have a dense coat that requires weekly brushing to keep healthy. The coat has a wide range of colors: cream, brown, black, white, silver, blue, and everything in between. Havachons have a wide range of color patterns like merle, solid, sable, Parti Belton, pied, etc.

Havachons are a toy breed which makes them a small breed. Males tend to be larger than females, have a height range of 10 to 15 inches, and weigh up to 18 pounds. On the other hand, females have a height range of around 9 to 13 inches and can weigh up to 15 pounds.

Havachon Care Guide

Here we will be discussing everything you need to know about keeping your Havachon happy and healthy. 

Havachon Grooming

Havachons are a hypoallergenic breed, which means they shed small amounts of hair and dander. While Havachons are hypoallergenic, they still need to be brushed regularly to keep their shedding to a minimum. Havachons have a moderate amount of grooming requirements, and to keep their coat healthy, you should brush them at least three times a week with a sticker brush to remove undercoat shedding. It would help if you also brushed with a dematting brush regularly to help prevent their hair from getting tangled and forming knots. 

Havachons have sensitive skin and should have a regular bathing schedule. They should be bathed once every three to four weeks to keep their skin clean. However, be careful not to wash them too often. Doing so can lead to skin irritation. 

Havachons should have their ears cleaned every week. This is because Havachon coats are very dense and can even block liquid and dirt inside their ears. It would be best if you gave your Havachon treats that focus on cleaning their teeth. Something like Dentastix or Dentalife is a fantastic tooth cleaning treat that you can give your Havachon weekly to promote tooth health.

Havachons need to have their nails clipped once every one or two months. If your Havachon regularly plays outside, you can spread out nail clippings once every three months if their activities help keep their nails in check. Finally, Havachons grow their hair reasonably quickly and need to get a haircut every six weeks or so. 

Havachon Exercise Needs

Havachons are small but energetic dogs. While they love lounging around all day, they still need exercise to keep their bones and muscles healthy. Fortunately, Havachons love playing with their owners and canine siblings. They are not built for heavy exercise or endurance and prefer short-burst activities. Activities like playing fetch or a game of chase are fantastic. To keep your Havachon in shape, we recommend 30 to 40 minutes of daily exercise and playtime.

Training Your Havachon

When it comes to training your Havachon, you will quickly find that they pick up on commands pretty quickly. The truth is, Havachons are an intelligent breed and strive to please their owners. So, when they realize that they get praised for doing something, they will do it every time. So, something as simple as teaching a Havachon to sit can only take a couple of days at most for your Havachon to pick up on this command. 

One of the downsides to intelligent dogs is that they get bored very quickly. When it comes to Havachons, they develop a stubborn habit instead of getting bored. For example, if you are teaching your Havachon to sit and you praise them every time they follow that command, they are ecstatic. However, after some time has passed without you praising or giving your Havachon a treat after following a command, they will ignore your commands and instead stare at you unless they know they will get some attention or a treat. 

Socialization is a crucial step when it comes to training. Getting your dog to be comfortable around your friends, family, and other pets is essential to your dog's happy home. While Havachons is an amiable breed, you should start socialization training when they are a puppy. Puppies are very impressionable and pick up on commands and their environment a lot easier than they would if they were older. The easiest way to do socialization training is by slowly introducing your puppy to your family, friends, and other pets in a low-distraction area. This gives your puppy time to adjust to their new friend by making them the only thing they can focus on.

Potential Havachon Health Issues

As a mixed-breed, a Havachon's health can be difficult to predict. Mixed breeds tend to be sturdier than their purebreed parents when it comes to health risks, but this is not always the case. Sometimes a mixed breed can be dealt a bad hand and can experience some common health issues for their purebred parents. However, a mixed breed like the Havachon will often experience a few health-related problems. Some health risks you should look out for in your Havachon include:

• Both food and environmental allergies
• Ear infections
• Bladder infections
• Cataracts
• Luxating Patellas
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy
• Portosystemic Shunt
• Distichiasis

Havachon Lifespan

Both Havanese and Bichon Frise are known to have long lifespans and can regularly live for 15 years. The oldest Havanese dog on record lived to be 18 years old, and the oldest Bichon Frise lived to be a staggering 21 years old. This bodes well for the Havachon as they have an average life span of 13 to 15 years. However, it is not uncommon for a Havachon to live to be 16 or 17 years old. 

Final Thoughts

Havachons are a beautiful breed with an adorable and cuddly demeanor and are very loving. The purebred parents of the Havachon are very similar when it comes to personality, traits, and appearance, which lead to the perfect mix that is the Havachon. They are playful and energetic fur balls that also love lounging around. As long as a Havachon gets to spend time with its family, they are loving life.