Havanese dog breed is one of the cutest, playful, and gentle-natured dog species. However, many people who already own one of them or contemplating owning one might get confused about their coat type.
And it’s possible that you might be one of them, herefore, getting confused about their fur type and thinking do Havanese dogs have fur or hair.
Do Havanese Have Fur or Hair?
Havanese dogs have beautiful, long, and silky hair as their coat. Fur is shorter and denser but dog hair is slightly wavy, undulating, and profuse. Havanese dog’s coat has the same texture like it’s thick, soft, silky, and light. And they can have both straight, wavy, and curly long hair coats.
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Dog fur is meant to be shorter and denser, however, dog hair is longer, wavy or straight, or even curlier and it’s supposed to be soft and silky. And Havanese dog’s coat features all of these qualities.
Havanese dog’s coat is long, a little wavy, very soft and silky, and profuse. Though they are a double-coated breed but their coat is not excessively dense, neither coarse. In fact, it’s rather soft and light. And all these characteristics prove that Havanese dogs have hair, not fur.
What Kind Of Hair Does A Havanese Have?
The texture of the Havanese dog’s hair is thick, lightweight, soft, and silky, also the hair can vary from straight, to wavy, and even to curly. If not groomed regularly, their hair can mat naturally as well.
Another noticeable thing about their coat texture is, though they are a double-coated breed but their outer coat is not excessively dense.
It’s not even coarse as well. In fact, if you touch their outer coat, it is soft, cool like unrefined silk. Also, some may have a harsh or cotton textured coat having a frizzy appearance.
A significant nature of these Havanese dogs is, their coat is naturally designed to work as a sunshade on scorching hot days.
That also means you must protect and keep their coat warm and long during winter. As Havanese are originated from Cuba, which is a tropical weather country so their coat is more adjustable to hot weather but not to cold weather.
Do Havanese Have Curly Hair?
Havanese dogs have mainly three kinds of hair and one of them is curly. That simply means Havanese dogs can have curly hair coats.
There are lots of exciting facts about this cheerful furball’s curly coat that might surprise you quite a lot. As said Havanese can have a curly coat too but the surprising fact is that us absolutely not like a Poodle’s curly coat.
Their curly is coat is lightweight, silky, soft, and thick like other straight or wavy coat Havanese dogs. This curly coat can get long too nearly 6 to 8 inches long.
But you should know that the Havanese pup with a curly coat is prone to matting. If they are not brushed regularly, their coat will start matting. Therefore, curly-coated Havanese requires a daily brushing session and regular grooming.
Another important thing, you might think their curly cost is abundant and warm. But no, they are from Cuba which has got tropical hot weather.
Therefore, no matter if they have curly coat it’s prone to adjust with hot weather only. So, in cold times you must protect and keep their coat warm to avoid any kind of sickness.
Do All Havanese Have Long Hair?
All Havanese dogs tend to have long hair. Because long hair coat in Havanese dog breed is dominant and most preferred.
Havanese dogs are mostly known for their soft, silky long coat. It comes from the ancient Bichon family. And is bred from Bichon Frise and Maltese dogs.
Therefore, it is inherited with a long-hair gene. So naturally, all Havanese dogs have long hair as both of their ancestors have long hair.
Havanese dogs have long and thick hair but it’s lightweight. And the hair is soft and shiny, similar to Maltese dogs. Also, the curly-coated Havanese dogs have long hair. So, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a wavy, curly, or straight-coat Havanese, it always will have long hair.
Well, if you are wondering about short-haired Havanese then just know that short-haired Havanese pups are really not breedable or showable.
You only can see a short-coated Havanese if any dog inherits a short hair gene from father and mother. Though it’s rare, however, short-coated pups are healthy too.
How Can You Tell If Your Dog Has Hair Or Fur?
If you are a new dog owner and want to know if your little pup has hair or fur, there are a few ways by which you can comprehend the differences by touching and observing.
Dog hair tends to go through a longer hair growth cycle. This means if your dog has hair it will be longer in length. And, when your dog has a longer hair growth cycle, it sheds very little.
Dog hair typically feels really thicker, smoother, silkier, and softer. It looks nice too and gives a shine sometimes. Dog hair can be either straight, wavy, or curly. However, the curly coat is prone to matting but doesn’t shed so much.
Another thing is, normally dog hair grows in just one single layer. So the top hair will not feel that much different from the closer to the skin hair. Dog hair is neither dense nor coarse.
On the contrary, Dog fur is naturally shorter in length and much denser. Fur has a short hair growth cycle so it sheds a lot and grows as thicker hair in cold months.
Dogs with fur often have a double coat but it’s not always. That means their coarser, soft overcoat helps them in regulating body temperature. Also, their undercoat tends to have a nicer texture than their overcoat which also makes the shedding process.
With a dog with fur, you have to clean and brush more often to remove fur from everywhere.
Well, these are considered as the main differences. However, the most surprising fact about fur and hair is, both are identically and chemically the same.
Both hair and far are made of the same type of hair follicle and a protein named keratin. So, there are no differences chemically. The only differences you can see between them are in thickness, density, and length.
Do Havanese Dog Shed A Lot?
Havanese dogs don’t shed a lot. Havanese dogs are a low shedding breed. In fact, they are one of the lowest shedding dog breeds.
Havanese dogs have a long hair coat. This means they go through a longer period of a hair growth cycle. And this long hair growth cycle makes them shed less.
However, during early springtime and the late fall time, Havanese dogs shed but the amount is very less. They are double-coated dogs so during winter times their coat gets thicker and they need to shed some of the hair when spring comes.
Otherwise, in other seasons you can’t see them shed that much. So at that time you only need to brush the long hair to remove the expired hair from your Havanese pup.
Although they shed less but they highly do require quite a lot of grooming sessions. So that their long hair stays tangle-free and knot-free. Plus point is you don’t have to use any descending tool to brush deeper into their coat as their underlying coat doesn’t get fluffy that much.
How Long Does It Take For Havanese Hair To Grow Back?
After the coat changing season, it will take 3 to 4 years for your Havanese dog to grow back its hair fully in full length. Havanese have a specific coat length which is 6”- 8” long. So in 3- 4 years, a matured Havanese dog will develop its coat in this length.
And after a grooming session, your fluffy Havanese dog will take at least 3 months to grow its hair back evenly. However, as it’s a double-coated dog breed so in some dog’s cases, it might even take longer than 3 months, probably 6 months to grow back hair again.
How Often Do You Have To Cut Havanese Hair?
If you are a owner of a Havanese fluffy dog then you must cut your pup’s hair in between every six to eight weeks. Because if you don’t groom/trim/cut their hair regularly, they grow fastly. And it will end up matting and tangling.
Every month your Havanese pup grows hair about 1/2 inches though it’s very from dog to dog. Not all dogs have the same hair growth but it’s confirmed that if they are not groomed/trimmed regularly they will grow very long hair.
Not only body hair but also the areas around their eyes, paws, and mouth will also grow long hairs. And long hair develops mats and tangles. So if you don’t cut their hair every three to six weeks it will grow really long and that’s a problem then.
Which Dog Breeds Have Hair Instead Of Fur?
Here is a list of dog breeds that have hair instead of fur.
- Shih Tzu
- Maltese
- Poodle (Standard, Toy, Miniature)
- Tibetan Terrier
- Brussels Griffon
- Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
- Bichon Frise
- Havanese
- Cairn Terrier
- Labradoodle
- Schnauzer( Standard And Miniature)
- Yorkshire Terrier
Born of two hair coat parents, Havanese dogs have silky, smooth, and soft fur. People for ages have been loving and adoring them for such an appearance. Also, they don’t shed much. Therefore, you can have this little fluffball as your beloved pet even if you are allergic to dog hair. A Havanese hairy little dog can be your best companion.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why are Havanese puppies so expensive?
What were Havanese dogs originally bred for?