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The Havashire is an excitable and lively dog breed with plenty of personality. The breed can make the perfect pet for the perfect people, but who exactly is the perfect person?
It’s always super important to make sure that you know enough about a dog breed like the Havashire to ensure that you’re a good fit before you pick one up to bring home!
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Havashire (Havanese x Yorkshire Terrier Mix) History
The Havashire, sometimes called the Yorkenese Terrier, is a hybrid breed of the well-loved Yorkshire Terrier and the Havanese. The breed does not have a very specific or traceable history at the moment, as the breed is relatively new and as a result has no standard or great amounts of documentation.
There is, however, plenty of information about the Havashire’s parent breeds. The Havanese and the Yorkshire Terrier are very popular breeds that are well-established across the world, so experts have done a fair amount of research into the breeds, their pasts, and their temperaments.
For example, we know that the Havanese developed in Cuba. The breed first appeared around the 15th century, after the Spanish settlers brought their Bichon-type dogs over in 1492. The breeds were bred with local dogs, producing the Havanese as we know it today. In Cuba, the Havanese has been incredibly popular since it first emerged. They were kept by the rich as a symbol of status and eventually by the poorer classes in big cities due to their size and adaptability.
After a while, nobility in Europe caught wind of the breed, and its popularity spread across the continent. Eventually, though, the population began to deplete as the breed’s popularity began to decrease, until eventually in the mid-20th century, the breed found its way to the United States when Cubans fled the revolution. Quickly, the breed regained popularity and its numbers increased dramatically.
The Yorkshire Terrier, on the other hand, is a breed that was created in a breeding program in the 19th century. Scottish workers had moved to Yorkshire looking for work and had taken with them Clydesdale Terriers. These dogs were then bred with other small terriers in an effort to create small and fearless dog breeds suitable for the northern countryside.
Today, the breed is still just as feisty as when they developed, but are much less hardened to the British countryside, and are more likely to be found on the couch or in someone’s lap. The breed spread across the UK pretty quickly and eventually made its way across the pond to the U.S., where it is still a popular breed today.
Havashire Appearance, Coat, Size, and Weight
As a relatively new dog breed, the Havashire does not have a breed standard. It has not yet been determined what exactly makes a Havashire. Sometimes, the breed will look more like one parent than the other, so it’s not necessarily easy to determine what your Havashire will look like.
However, generally speaking, the breed will have brown or amber eyes. It will stand around 12” in height and will weigh 6 to 11 lbs, with a long straight coat that can be black, sable, cream, white, fawn, or brown.
Typically, like most small dogs, the Havashire will reach its full height by the time it is a year old. It will then likely need to fill out a little, but its growth rate will slow down dramatically.
Havashire Maintenance, Activity, and Space Requirements
Below, we’ll talk about some of the requirements for keeping this breed.
Havashire Grooming Requirements
The Havashire’s precise grooming requirements will vary to some extent and will depend on which of the parents their coat is most like. For Havashires with longer coats, the breed will need brushing on a daily basis just to keep it from tangling. You may also need to trim the coat on a regular basis, too. Especially if you intend to take the breed out in the countryside, as the coat will get caught up and tangled.
The breed will need washing when visibly dirty or beginning to smell, and you should be sure to only use a mild dog shampoo on the Havashire as the breed needs its natural oils to moisturize its skin and keep the coat shiny.
On top of that, owners will need to regularly maintain the breed’s ears by trimming the fur around them and wiping them clean with a dog-friendly cleaner on a regular basis. The Havashire will also need its teeth brushed and eyes cleaned regularly.
Havashire Activity Requirements
The Havashire is by far not a breed for the light-hearted. It is an excitable dog that is absolutely full of energy and is always on high alert. The breed is likely to need a few walks or a long walk each day in addition to playtime at home. You should aim to keep the Havashire mentally and physically stimulated as much as possible in order to prevent them from becoming restless and frustrated.
On a daily basis, Havashire owners should aim to provide their dogs with 90 minutes of exercise each day. On average, the breed is likely to walk up to nine miles per week with their owner, just to burn all of that bubbly energy off!
If walking feels too mundane for you, do not worry. There are other ways to wear out a Havashire, including running, jogging, swimming, or even intensive play or agility training. So long as the breed is up and moving, you should be working them out.
Havashire Space Requirements
The Havashire is a reasonably adaptable dog breed, it is high energy but its small size does mean that the breed is suitable for apartment or condo living. However, simply due to the breed’s energy levels, it’s not recommended to have the breed in somewhere smaller than an apartment like a studio or in a nomad living situation.
It’s also worth noting that the breed has been known to bark quite a lot, and as a result can become a nuisance for neighbors in places like apartments. To avoid this, socialization and training are key.
Havashire Temperament and Intelligence
If you’re looking for a quiet dog to chill out with on the couch all the time, the Havashire is not that breed! The Havashire will need to burn off plenty of energy on a daily basis, but a lot of this is likely to be done at home with the breed running around following you and chasing their toys.
In addition to being full of energy, the breed is also prone to being quite noisy. It’s a yappy little dog, but that shouldn’t deter you. Excessive barking can always be trained away, especially in the Havashire if you get the breed as a puppy.
The breed is loving, and can be affectionate once sufficiently worn out, but will need to have played for a good few hours before it’ll take a nap on your lap. Owners have reported that the Havashire is particularly fond of chasing, seeking out hidden things, and running between people.
Whilst the Havashire is relatively intelligent, it is very much an independent-minded dog breed. As a result, the breed will often prove quite difficult to train and will likely test the patience of anyone who tries. That’s not to say that the breed is untrainable, though. With plenty of patience, repetition, and positive reinforcement, there’s every chance that you can get a Havashire to learn most commands.
Havashire Health and Lifespan
All dog breeds will have a list of health conditions and injuries that they a more likely to develop than others, simply because of their genetics. Purebred dogs are more likely to have more of these conditions, as they tend to have a much narrower gene pool. Hybrid breeds, like the Havashire, are luckier in that their larger gene pool allows them to develop fewer health concerns.
In terms of the Havashire, the breed is susceptible to patellar luxation (dislocating knees), chondrodysplasia (a condition that affects the cartilage and growth of bones), mitral valve disease, Legg-Calve Perthes disease (a condition that affects the function of the hip by reducing blood flow to the area), generalized bone and joint problems, deafness, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, and cherry eye.
As a result, owners of the Havashire may find that the breed’s vet insurance costs a little more than some other hybrid breeds and that during the dog’s lifespan, they will likely need hearing and ear examinations, x-rays, ECGs, eye examinations, ophthalmic exams and may even need neurological exams.
Since the breed is so new, it is hard to determine precisely what the average lifespan of a Havashire is. It has currently been estimated, though, to be around 12 to 14 years.
Is Havashire the Right Breed for You?
In addition to knowing all that you can about the Havashire, it is also important to consider your own lifestyle and habits to see if you’re the right fit for the breed. It is not recommended to choose a dog breed that will involve you having to change your lifestyle or routine dramatically, as this can make the adjustment period much harder.
That means that you need to be sure that the Havashire will slot into your life pretty well. For example, if you have children, or tend to have children around your home a lot – say babysitting or friends’ children – it is crucial that you choose a breed that will not put those children in danger.
Fortunately, the Havashire is a very child-friendly breed. The breed adores children, and loves the fuss and play that children tend to give them. Since the breed is small, it is important that any children be taught how to correctly interact with a dog, but so long as that conversation has happened, a Havashire is a great fit for a family.
Similarly, anyone with other pets, whether that be other canines, cats, or even smaller pets like rats and hamsters, should check that the dog breed is happy to live around other animals. Some dogs are incredibly territorial and some try to assert dominance over other animals. There are even some dog breeds whose prey drive is just too strong to be around small animals without trying to hunt them!
Luckily, the Havashire is none of those. The breed is happy to live with cats or dogs and should be alright around smaller animals – although it is not recommended to leave the breed alone with animals like mice or hamsters for too long. The breed does not demonstrate aggression and is not particularly jealous.
Another important thing to consider is whether or not the breed can handle your social life. Ensuring your dog can cope with lots of new people in its home, or a breed that can handle extensive time alone whilst you are at work is really important. Some dogs can develop separation anxiety, and this can lead to health concerns.
The Havashire breed should be absolutely fine in both of these situations. The breed loves people and has plenty of socializing energy, but is also happy to chill on its own so long as they have enough mental and physical stimulation to keep them busy.
The breed is an all-around wonderful pet. It’s full of energy and will keep you entertained, but it does need a lot of time and patience when it comes to grooming and training requirements.
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