Havanese Grooming Guide: 4 Tips for a Healthy and Beautiful Coat

Havanese have very luxurious, non-shedding coats, which is one reason they are so popular. When properly cared for, these dogs are a truly stunning breed. However, all that hair comes with one big responsibility: grooming!

If you want your Havanese to look soft and fluffy, you’ll need to groom them properly. In some cases, this can be a lot of work. However, if you follow these steps, we can help you make an efficient grooming schedule that keeps your Havanese healthy.

1. Brushing

Brushing is the key component of grooming your Havanese. These dogs have a coat that’s prone to matting. At the very least, all Havanese require at least three grooming sessions a week, which is around one every other day.

However, if you decide to keep your Havanese longer, you should brush them daily according to the AKC.

The brush you use matters. A pin brush and a slicker brush are best. Use the pin brush first to detangle and remove mats. In more sensitive areas, you may want to use a comb for this purpose. It all depends on your dog’s coat.

After detangling their coat, use a slicker brush to smooth it out and help distribute their natural oils. These oils are important for keeping their coat shiny and clean.

As with most breeds, start at the dog’s head and work your way down, detangling as you go. If your dog has very long fur, you’ll need to start at the bottom of each section and work closer to the skin. If you try to pull the tangles out closest to the skin first, you’ll end up snagging other tangles on your way.

For especially tangly dogs, you’ll need to use a detangling spray or conditioner. Luckily, if you stay on top of brushing, you won’t need to use these extras all that much!

2. Bathing

Unlike other dog breeds, Havanese need to be bathed pretty regularly. You can absolutely bathe them once a week, especially if they have longer fur. However, most owners can get away with stretching it to every two to three weeks, especially if you keep their fur shorter.

Because you’re bathing them so much, using a gentle shampoo is essential. Otherwise, you’ll strip their coat of their natural oils, leading to irritated skin.

You may need to try several shampoos before you find one that works for your dog. Feel free to experiment.

We recommend using a conditioner, too. Conditioners should be applied after shampooing, and most must be washed out. Some conditioners are designed to be left in, though. You may want to try both kinds out before settling on one.

Air drying is best for Havanese, but some owners choose to use a dryer. If you go this route, keep the dryer on the lowest heat setting and hold it at least six inches away from the skin.

3. Trimming

Your Havanese also requires trimming every six to eight weeks. While you can do this at home, it’s often best to go to a professional groomer. These dogs have a lot of fur, and cutting it isn’t exactly straightforward.

If you keep their fur short, you may need to take them as often as once a month to maintain the same length. On the other hand, if you keep their fur longer, you can potentially go longer between trimming sessions.

In the end, it’s mostly up to your preferences. Dogs with longer fur require more brushing but less trimming. Dogs with shorter fur are the opposite. They require less brushing but more trimming.

It typically depends on whether you prefer to pay for grooming or brush your dog more often.

4. All the “Extras”

Brushing, bathing, and trimming will cover the major points of Havanese grooming. However, there are a few other small tasks that need to be done, too.

One of these is nail trimming. Your Havanese must have their nails trimmed once or twice a month. If you take them to a professional groomer, this task is often included in the typical grooming fee. Overgrown nails can also be trimmed at home if you feel comfortable doing so.

Your dog’s teeth must also be brushed a few times a week. Every day is best, but even doing it twice a week can be helpful.

Havaneses’ ears tend to hold onto moisture and dirt due to how hairy they are. Occasionally, you may need to clean your dog’s ears with a cotton ball and water. Getting your dog’s ears trimmed can also prevent ear infections.

Havanese Grooming Schedule

Here’s a quick schedule with all the tasks above put together:

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Dorottya_Mathe/iStock via Getty Images