Havanese care on Cape Ann

The AKC calls the Havanese vivacious and sociable, affectionate with people and good with other nonaggressive pets. European traders brought its ancestors to Cuba in the 1600s, it became the pet of Havana's aristocrats and merchants, and refugees carried it to the United States after 1959; the AKC admitted the breed in 1996. That history leaves you with a dog that wants to be where you are, and the AKC is plain that it is not happy left alone for hours at a time.

The same page calls the breed sensitive and warns against scolding it harshly. Exercise needs are moderate: a brisk daily walk or a game at home is enough, and the AKC adds a rule worth remembering on a humid Gloucester afternoon: never over-exercise a Havanese, and if it is panting and struggling to keep up, it is time to go home. The coat looks warm, but the AKC describes it as insulation and a barrier against sun and overheating.

Our playgroups are 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, and a Havanese at 7 to 13 pounds goes into the small-dog group after the free evaluation, held weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment. Within that group, our handlers place it with dogs whose play is gentle enough for its size. A Havanese that likes every dog it meets still needs friends on its own scale, because a cheerful 60-pound retriever can flatten it without meaning to.

Half days at $33 fit the AKC's moderate-exercise advice: a morning of play, then home for a nap. A half-day 10-pack is $290 for the dog that comes two or three mornings a week. Dogtown Academy, $69 for a half day, adds a training session with our trainer, which suits a quick, eager-to-please breed during the house-training months. A new customer's first daycare visit is 15 percent off with FIRST15.

The AKC lists eye disorders, deafness, heart murmurs, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease of the hip and patellar luxation among the conditions the breed can be prone to, and notes that the Havanese Club of America gives awards for dogs that pass and register four health tests: an annual eye exam, a hearing test, a hip X-ray and a knee certification. Ask the breeder for those results. VCA describes a luxating patella as a kneecap that moves out of place, common in toy and small breeds; you may notice a skip in the step.

The AKC also suggests cleaning the corners of the eyes daily to prevent tear staining on light hair, and checking the ears often for wax and debris. A Havanese that tilts its head, scratches at an ear or squints after a day at the beach is showing you something for your vet. Some Havanese put on weight easily, the AKC adds, so count the training treats into the daily food and keep table scraps rare.