Havanese grooming in Gloucester, MA

The breed standard describes a coat that is silky to the touch, soft and light in both the outer coat and the undercoat, and long, abundant and wavy. Two soft layers tangle into each other with very little help. The AKC says the coat needs grooming every day to stay free of mats and tangles, and suggests running a comb or soft brush over the dog while it sits on your lap. Puppy coats are shorter and softer, so the work grows as the adult coat comes in.

The same coat can be corded on purpose. The AKC standard says a corded Havanese coat separates into wavy sections in a young dog and in time forms tassel-like cords that cover the adult. Some owners choose that look deliberately and build it over months. It is not the same as a coat that has simply gone unbrushed, which felts into a flat layer against the skin instead of separating into clean cords. Knowing which one you have is the first conversation at check-in.

A short Havanese trim usually starts to lose its shape and tangle behind the ears after four to six weeks, so that is a sensible gap to keep. A longer coat needs fewer haircuts but much more brushing at home, and it still benefits from a regular bath to keep dirt and dead hair from binding the soft coat together. The AKC advises bathing as needed and cleaning the corners of the eyes every day to prevent tear stains on lighter hair.

Skipping a cycle on a Havanese tends to show up as tangles that felt toward the skin. De-matting is charged at $15 for every 20 minutes of careful work, and the groomer agrees the estimate with you at check-in, before the bath. Felt that has tightened against the skin is uncomfortable to brush out, and you may decide together that a shorter trim is the better route. Rebooking at pick-up takes $5 off the next visit and keeps the coat from getting that far.

Use a soft slicker or pin brush and a metal comb. Work in layers from the skin outward, the way the AKC describes brushing a Havanese on your lap, and finish each area with the comb before moving on. If the comb finds a knot, tease it apart from the tips toward the skin rather than pulling. Our how-to on handling a mat before it spreads covers what to do when a knot is already there.

Two Cape Ann habits help. The fenced Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park has a separate small-dog area where a Havanese can run, and a quick comb afterward catches burrs and grass seed before they bind into the coat. And in tick season, roughly April to November here, the brushing session doubles as a tick check, because a dense wavy coat hides ticks well; part the coat at the ears, collar and armpits as you go.