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How Often Do Havanese Need To Be Groomed? (Complete Guide)

When you are a Havanese dog owner, often you might have thought of this unavoidable question, “ How often do your Havanese need to be groomed?”

Because Havanese is a dog breed best known for their silky, smooth, long hair so regular maintenance and grooming are necessary. Therefore, as a Havanese owner wanting to know the exact time period must be a common query for you. 

How Often Do Havanese Need To Be Groomed? 

Havanese dogs don’t require routine grooming, so trimming their hair every 6-8 weeks is sufficient to keep their hair tangle and matt free. And at home, a full brushing out 2-3 times of their hair in a week and giving baths every 1- 2 weeks mostly does the job of professional grooming sessions.  

How Often Does A Havanese Need To Be Groomed?

One of the biggest advantages of Havanese dogs is, they don’t need routine grooming sessions to maintain their look and hair.

So, trimming Havanese’s hair about 1-2 inches every 6-8 weeks is enough to keep their hair matt-free and tangle-free. 

Also, just home grooming is sufficient for these Havanese dogs. Every week 2-3 times a  full brushing out session of their hair already brush off all expired hairs.

And a bath every 1-2 weeks is also enough to keep Havanese clean. So, a routine home grooming session meets up the need for professional grooming. 

Should Havanese Be Shaved? 

Havanese shouldn’t be shaved fully ever. Because they are a double-coated dog breed. And if you shave your Havanese it will be harmful to them as it will cause harm to their hair coat and skin. 

Shaving prevents cool air to get absorbed into their skin as the undercoat is already there being a barrier. So cool air can’t go in and cool down their body. 

Moreover, shaving lets their body skin stays exposed under the sun. And it causes damage to their skin. As the skin gets sunburnt, suffers from overheating, and sometimes it causes cancer too. 

Besides, a shaved body can’t protect your Havanese from getting big bites.

How Much Does It Cost To Groom A Havanese Dog?

Full grooming session( bath, glass, nails, ears, and haircut) of a Havanese dog by a professional groomer can cost nearly between $55-$65. But it is without scissoring, if you want your Havanese to have a scissored cut then it can cost up to $85. 

And, a full grooming session for one Havanese with minimal haircuts ( hear and ears) can cost around $90 to $125. However, if you want your Havanese pup’s body to have a scissored cut it will cost around between $175 to $200 for each dog. 

Note that the grooming price may vary depending on the cut you’ll be choosing for your dog. Also, grooming a baby Havanese of 2 to 4 months year old can cost about $35. 

Also, if you want a cost-effective way to groom your Havanese then you can purchase essential grooming appliances and give your Havanese a home grooming session at a low cost. 

How To Groom A Havanese At Home?

Your Havanese furry friend doesn’t require a professional grooming session frequently like other breeds. Therefore, you can groom him fully at home by following a few necessary steps explained below. 

Detangle Matts, Knots, or Tangles. 

A full grooming session at home starts with detangling the knots, matts, or tangles in your Havanese’s hair. Gently run your fingers through his hair to detangle and remove matts and knots. Don’t brush it out, it will break his hair. 

Brushing 

After detangling, now brush your Havanese’s hair from root to top. Make a line and part his hairs in two sections. Then hold the brush flat and gently brush his hairs.

But before brushing, spray a detangling mist or make your own mixture by mixing dog conditioner and water and spray that. Brushing will remove any remaining knots. 

And you should brush his hair at least 2-3 times per week to keep your dog’s fur tangle-free.

Bathing 

Now, it’s time to bathe him. Use a mild dog shampoo for bathing and a dog conditioner to give a little extra food to his silky, long hair. 

Dry Hair Fully

You must dry your pup’s coat fully before going to any other process. Use a hairdryer to dry out his hairs. Remember to keep the air warm, not cold or hot.  

Again Brush Hair 

After drying, again brush his all body and face hair. Because it will help in cutting/trimming your Havanese’s hair in the next step. 

Trim/Cut Hair 

Now choose how you want to cut or trim your baby’s hair. If you just want him to have short hair without any haircut. Then simply trim his hair about 1-2 inches. 

Or if you want to give him a specific haircut then choose a desirable haircut. Puppy cut or teddy bear cut would be good as these two haircuts are popular for Havanese dogs.

If your Havanese is a puppy give him the puppy cut. Or if he is an adult give him the teddy bear cut to look like a soft teddy plushies. 

However, remember to use the right tool for a haircut and trimming as areas around his eyes, nose, mouth, and tail are very sensitive.

Cleaning Ears And Eyes 

Before bathing, wipe off the tear stain from your Havanese’s face with a soft cloth and tear stain cleaner for dogs. And put some ear cleanser liquid also. After sometime, use a Q-tip to clean out the ear wax. 

Toenails 

Nails are a very sensitive part. So very slowly with a dog nail clipper cut your dog’s nail. Don’t get nervous otherwise, you will end up making him bleed. 

Keep Your Dog Calm

Throughout the whole trimming session at home, keep your dog calm. Because they are too playful. Use a dog harness or treats to keep him calm. 

How Long Does It Take For Havanese Hair To Grow Back?

Roughly in 3 to 4 years, a Havanese will grow back his adult coat in the fullness after the coat changing phase when he was a puppy. However, his puppy coat will be rebuilt with an adult coat in 2-4 months after the coat changing period.

If your Havanese’s body hair is fully shaved then it will start growing back around in 3 months. You will notice them having an even coat just within 3 months, it’s also known as the undercoat. But, for some Havanese, this hair-growing period might be different.

Some may need a longer period to develop hair and some may grow hair back in less than 3 months. It depends on every dog’s genes. 

When Should Havanese Get Their First Haircut?

The recommended age for Havanese to get his first haircut is around 12 weeks old. But you must wait until he turns 8 weeks old and more to give him his first haircut.

The haircut/trimming process builds a strong bond between the owner and the puppy so you should wait for the age until your Havanese become familiar with you and the environment to get his first haircut. 

Can You Cut Havanese Hair Short?

You can cut your Havanese dog’s hair in short. A buzz cut, a puppy cut, or a teddy bear cut are the perfect hair cut to keep your Havanese’s hair short. 

All three of the cut will give your Havanese an even short hair coat. The only difference is the buzz cut is a little shorter than the other two. 

Can You Keep Havanese Hair Short? 

Your Havanese dog’s hair certainly can be kept short. However, you must not cut or trim his hair more than 1-2 inches. 

It’s always recommended to keep Havanese hair short instead of shaving it fully. Shorter hair is easier to manage as well as it makes your Havanese feel comfy especially in hot weather. Moreover, a little shorter hair prevents tangling and matting. 

Havanese Teddy Bear Cut VS Puppy Cut? 

Here are the noticeable differences between Havanese Teddy Bear Cut and Puppy Cut.

  • Difference 1: Puppy cut is generally for trimming baby Havanese’s hair in an even-length. But these days puppy cut is using for adult dogs too. On the contrary, the Havanese teddy bear cut is suitable for both adults and puppies to give them a soft baby bear look.
  • Difference 2: Puppy cut is used for giving the entire body an even-looking coat.  But the Havanese teddy bear cut only trims the body hair around 1-2 inches. And keeps the leg hair full and round. Teddy bear cut also cut the facial hair round and full.
  • Difference 3: A standard puppy cut doesn’t require high maintenance but the Havanese teddy bear cut requires a regular touch-up every 6-8 weeks to maintain the cut.

Do Havanese Dogs Shed? 

Havanese are known as one of the lowest shedding breeds so they certainly do shed but in a very little amount than other dog breeds. 

Havanese are a double-coated breed with a long hair growth cycle and it makes them shed less. However, during the winter season, their hair gets thicker and they shed quite much of their hair in early spring. So, except season changing period, your Havanese dog will not shed so much. 

Your Havanese might not need a high-maintenance lifestyle like others but you should give him a routine grooming session to maintain his gorgeous coat and look. Also, it will keep his hairs tangle-free. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much food should a Havanese eat per day?

Are Havanese dogs high maintenance?

How do I keep my Havanese from matting?

How much do Havanese sleep?

How long can Havanese be left alone at home?

Can you shave a Havanese dog?