Daily Brushing
Bathing
Drying

Non-shedding does NOT mean no-maintenance. Your Dog will benefit from frequent grooming sessions several times a week. Routine grooming helps to keep your Dogs’ skin, coat, teeth, gums and nails in peak condition as well as generally improving your Dogs’ overall appearance.

Grooming should be considered by both of you as an enjoyable experience. Lay your Dog down on his side and tell him “STAY” in a firm but affectionate voice. You will definitely have to struggle with him to begin with but remember you are the boss. You will most likely have to start out by holding three or all four of his feet with one hand while you brush with the other. Gently brush his side and tummy while telling him “GOOD STAY” or some such phrase. This should begin as very short, gentle grooming and not particularly serious. As he gets used to the position, he may even take a nap during the grooming session. When finished give him a treat.

Good grooming behaviour should start at an early age, as soon as you acquire your Dog. Begin by getting him used to being placed on a steady table for grooming. Use a rubber backed mat, small carpet or towel to prevent slipping. Teach your Dog to lie down and/or stand quietly and to relax and enjoy your undivided attention. Scratching the ears or chest may help to sooth an anxious Dog, while a hand under a young Dogs’ stomach provides support and promotes confidence as you gently brush through the coat. This early training taught by repetition, correction and praise is important to ensure that your Dog learns to accept grooming and thinks of it as a pleasant experience.

Puppy coats go through at coat change between 6-8 months of age when they start getting their adult hair. During this time, you have to brush, brush, brush, or you will have a matted dog.

Daily Brushing:

The reason why daily grooming is a must is because the Havanese has long air that can easily collect dirt and pollen and build knots and tangles. A quick brushing every day and one good, thorough brushing every week will ensure that your dog is clean, healthy and looking great free of mats and tangles.

Get your Havanese used to a grooming routine at a young age.

Place the dog on the table, lying down on its side and; brush in layers, starting with the front leg of the top side. Using a small brush with fine metal teeth; brush against the fall of the hair until you get to the shoulder. Use the same method for the back legs.

The shoulder is the point where the hair is separated by making a line to the buttocks. The layer of hair above the line goes up, along with the ear, and the lower layer of hair goes below of the line. Using a large brush with metal teeth, comb the top layer of hair against the growth of the hair. Comb the lower layer of hair down towards the abdomen. Once this is done comb the hair in layers toward the abdomen, until that side is completed. The lower part of the neck, chest, buttocks, tail, and flank is brushed toward the outside the same way.

Once this is done, put the dog in a standing position and brush down all the hair that was just worked.
Lie the dog down on the other side and brush in the same manner described above. Once both sides are well brushed put the dog in a standing position and brush all the hair down. The head is brushed back from the stop and the rest of the hair is brushed towards the fall of the hair.

Next turn your dog on its back and brush the tummy, paying careful attention to under the arms. Next,
Next, place the dog facing forward, and comb using a metal comb. Then use a small metal comb with thin teeth to comb the snout from the bottom of the eyes to the end of the cheeks. Use the same comb for the underside of the neck.

To end the section, brush the hair gently to give it the desired fall. Let the dog shake if it wants to.

Removing Knots:

Brace the skin of your dog with one hand while working on knots, and always brush in the direction of hair growth.

Eyes: Clean once a week

You will likely need to clean the surrounding eye area of the Havanese at least once a week. Gently remove the built up gummy discharge and wipe the area clean.

Ears: Check ears once a week.

Your dog’s ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.

Ear Hair Plucking: Every two weeks.

Hair growing into the ear canal can prevent the canal from drying properly and trap bacteria, causing infection.
Paws: Check daily/Trim every two weeks.

It is very important to Check between your dogs pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.

Tools: Small, blunt scissors, slicker brush or comb.

The Havanese has hair that grows between its pads. This hair can mat and trap bacteria, besides
becoming painful to walk on.

Bathing:

Always brush out your Havanese coat prior to bathing. If you do not, any tangles already started will become larger and impossible to work out

Choosing the shampoo and the conditioner that best suits your dog is a complex chore that is done with patience. It helps to know that not all the Havanese‘s hair is the same.

Ensure that bathing forms a regular part of your Havanese grooming routine. Bathe your dog once every one to two weeks or as often as needed. When bathing a Havanese be careful not to get water in their ears as this can lead to ear infections. If water does enter the ears they can be dried by wiping out with a clean tissue. The first step for a proper bath of the Havanese is the daily brushing. Put the dog into the bath and wet it completely, taking care not to put water in the nose or directly into the ears. When the water has saturated the hair, apply the shampoo by gently massaging the hair towards the direction of its growth, until a thick lather is obtained. Rinse until there is no trace of shampoo in the hair. Apply conditioner by spreading it evenly throughout the hair. Wait one or two minutes for it to take effect and then rinse until the excess conditioner is removed completely.

Drying:

Remove the excess water with your hands by squeezing the hair downwards, and then wrap the dog with a towel.
To dry your Havanese properly you will need a blow dryer. Do NOT use a blow dryer designed for people. These use heat and will damage your dog's coat.

Never brush the coat wet. You must be drying it WHILE brushing to avoid over-stretching and damaging the hairs. The airflow from the dryer helps the hairs maintain their elasticity.

First you will need to mist your dog’s coat with conditioner. You will comb this conditioner into the coat as you work around your dog.

Drying a full-coated breed works best if done in a specific order.

Comb the conditioner into the coat as you work. Always blow the coat the direction you want it to lay.

Begin by drying the stomach hair.

Next you will dry the front and insides of the back legs. Then the backs and insides of the front legs. You will then finish the back legs first and then the front legs.

By now, your Hav's tail may already be dry. If not, you will dry it next.

The hairs should not be allowed to dry without being brushed. If the hair becomes dry before being brushed, dampen it again before brushing. Brush the hair until the whole animal is completely dry.