How big do Havanese puppies get full grown?
A full grown Havanese stands 8½ to 11½ inches at the shoulder under the AKC breed standard and weighs 7 to 13 pounds, according to AKC. Where breeders have given the parents' adult weights, the mothers weigh 10 to 12 pounds and the fathers weigh 14 to 15 pounds.
The standard names an ideal height inside that range, and it treats young dogs a little differently, both of which help when you look at a puppy.
What does the breed standard say about height?
Under the AKC standard the ideal Havanese is 9 to 10½ inches tall at the withers, and anything from 8½ to 11½ inches is acceptable. A dog under 8½ inches or over 11½ inches is disqualified, with one exception, which is that the minimum height does not apply to dogs under twelve months of age.
The standard also describes the shape, saying the height is slightly less than the length from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks, which gives the breed a rectangular outline, and it should be moderately boned without looking coarse or fragile.
Is there a mini or teacup Havanese?
Not in the standard. It describes one Havanese with one height range, so mini and teacup are words a breeder chooses. If a listing uses either, ask how tall the parents stand and what they weigh as adults.
How can you estimate a Havanese puppy's adult size?
Start with the parents, and find out how tall both stand, what they weigh, and whether either is still young. A puppy from two parents near 9 inches is likely to finish at the smaller end of the breed, and a puppy from parents near 11 inches at the larger end. If the same pair has had a litter before, ask what those puppies measure now.
Judging size by eye is harder with this coat, since the standard describes a long, abundant, wavy coat that stands off the body slightly, so heights and weights are the figures to compare.
When does a Havanese stop growing?
A Havanese is a small breed, and VCA Animal Hospitals says small dogs are generally fully grown at 6 to 12 months, with some very small ones finishing at 6 to 8. The standard's exception for dogs under twelve months means a young Havanese can be short of the 8½ inch minimum without being disqualified.
What health checks matter for a Havanese?
AKC says the Havanese is generally healthy and fairly long-lived, and gives it a life expectancy of 14 to 16 years. Among the conditions the breed can be prone to, it lists patellar luxation and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which affects the hip joint, along with eye disorders, chondrodysplasia, deafness and heart murmurs. The national club recommends patella, hip and eye evaluations for breeding dogs, and AKC notes that the Havanese Club of America rewards members whose dogs pass and register OFA eye, hearing, hip and patella results. Ask the breeder for the parents' results.
See Havanese puppies
Havanese litters on Puppy Connection are posted by the breeders themselves. Pick a puppy and send its breeder a note asking for both parents' measurements.