# Another Havanese Misconception



## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Another Havanese Misconception…..along with non shedding……as far as my two are concerned.

Ok to quote many as saying the Havanese hair is to keep the heat out in the tropics, I’m going to have to say ‘Bah Humbug”. In our summer months my girls go from shade to shade and want back into the air conditioned house. Now that we are having our coldest days all they want is to be outside. They play more and enjoy the cold much more than the heat. No clothes on them both have a fairly full coat. The wind will blow their hair enough that I see their skin and they seem to love it.

How about the other Havs in different parts of the U.S and World…..Hot or Cold weather their favorites?


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Sandi, my two definitely enjoy the cool weather more than the hot, muggy summers we have. They have long coats, and Ricky's is very thick and the sun and the muggy heat just makes him want to stay inside or in the shade too.

Winter? They are snow bunnies, but don't stay long when it's brutally cold of course.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

My boys love the cold weather, even now, shaved down. They would stay out for a long time if I let them.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Abby could stay out all day snooping around in this really cold weather - not so much the heat - like yours, Sandi, she hunts out the shade or dirt in the garden and lays down and pants her head off! Then comes inside to cool down in the AC!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Same here. Love the cold much more than the heat (but not I).


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Well, like any creature, you also adapt to your climate. My mother lives in the hot, tropical weather of the Philippines and when she comes to visit California, even if in the summer, she has to pull her coat out of storage and wears it because she is so chilled here. She looks funny wearing a coat in summer, but she's miserable without it.

I think if our dogs lived in the Cuban heat all the time, it would be a different story.


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## murphymoesmamma (Apr 1, 2009)

My Murph loves the cold!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Marley loves the heat and cold and rain too, but Rufus prefers the heat! He loves to lie out on the back porch right in the sun and now with his hiney shaved down he ducks down to the ground every time there's a breeze.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

I agree with Kimberly on this one. It's just because they've adapted to cooler weather and thus prefer it. Scientifically their hair DOES protect them from the heat, but that doesn't mean that they're used to the heat!


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## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

um, neither posh nor i enjoy this frigid tundra. in fact, she is my summer city girl who seems to thrive on a noisy summer sidewalk in the middle of the city where her tail and heart seem to wag. what a lovely girl.


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## heatherkurt (Sep 1, 2009)

My two love the cold and the rain! We haven't seen any snow yet this season, but I imagine they would enjoy that too.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Beamer much more enjoys the winter, spring and fall months Vs. the humid summer. 
You know, I've been to cuba 10 times in the last 10 years or so and have NEVER seen a Havanese dog.. lol.. I have only seen street mutts and cats. Do they actually exist in cuba or what? lol (or are they hiding in the shade?)

Ryan


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## Sissygirl (Aug 8, 2007)

Sissy loves the snow. We have had snow on the ground since Christmas Eve. Today she keeps ringing her bell and going out - licking the snow, finding her a dry spot and soaking up the sun - she is loving it!! I have to go out and coax her back inside.


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

Same here. Henry loves the cold and snow much more than the hot summer. He can stay out for an hour with no coat on even on the coldest day.


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

Tucker loves being outside regardless of the temperature. He seek out the shade when the weather's hot though. He loves the cold and especially the snow in NH. His coat is thick and the blustery winds don't seem to bother him.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

J & C love the cold too...but not too cold and windy (and not with any clothing on!) But I have to say I have been thinking a lot about the long hair thing protecting their eyes from the sun, as Jasper has developed a sun spot/age spot on his very fair eye lid. It looks like a black freckle and the vet was not concerned and we are watching it. But I think I am going to keep their bangs a bit longer now.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Beamer said:


> Beamer much more enjoys the winter, spring and fall months Vs. the humid summer.
> You know, I've been to cuba 10 times in the last 10 years or so and have NEVER seen a Havanese dog.. lol.. I have only seen street mutts and cats. Do they actually exist in cuba or what? lol (or are they hiding in the shade?)
> 
> Ryan


LOL

Ryan, I have shown and sold homes to a number of Cuban families and they have never heard of a Havanese, I show them pictures and get a blank look, ask about the national dog of Cuba and they have never heard of it.


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## TheVintageVamp (Oct 14, 2009)

I thought I read somewhere that after the revolution in Cuba they were considered bourgoise (sp?) and pretty much wiped out. Can't recall where it was that I read it, though....


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Sally this is where I got the National dog stuff from AKC

http://www.akc.org/breeds/havanese/


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## TheVintageVamp (Oct 14, 2009)

Here is the link on their history that I was recalling. It talks of them declining in popularity despite being the National dog prior to the revolution and then the revolution nearly destroyed them:
http://www.seantiagohavanese.com/sch_history.html

And this from about 2/3 of the way down the page:
*Revolutions are seldom kind to dogs. The Cuban revolution of 1959 nearly destroyed the breed. Thousands of people fled the island turmoil in great haste, with few of their possessions in hand. Since many fleeing people expected to return in a few weeks or months, their beloved little pets may have been left behind, entrusted to the care of a friend, or faithful servant. Since Havanese were associated with the ruling class, those that remained on the island may not have faired very well.*


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Beamer said:


> Beamer much more enjoys the winter, spring and fall months Vs. the humid summer.
> You know, I've been to cuba 10 times in the last 10 years or so and have NEVER seen a Havanese dog.. lol.. I have only seen street mutts and cats. Do they actually exist in cuba or what? lol (or are they hiding in the shade?)
> 
> Ryan


How many breeds can you name that are native or have been developed in Canada (or the U.S.) and do you see those breeds around? Most purebreds are going to be kept indoors or contained - not on the streets. 

The only breed I can think of off the top of my head is the Boston Terrier. I only see them at dog shows or conformation classes, although I did see one in a pet store one time. I know they exist, but I certainly don't see them around my neighborhood. LOL


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## michi715 (Apr 8, 2008)

I'd say Guapo doesn't have a weather preference...wherever he can be outside and/or with his peoples, that's where he prefers to be!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

SMARTY said:


> Another Havanese Misconception&#8230;..along with non shedding&#8230;&#8230;as far as my two are concerned.
> 
> Ok to quote many as saying the Havanese hair is to keep the heat out in the tropics, I'm going to have to say 'Bah Humbug". In our summer months my girls go from shade to shade and want back into the air conditioned house. Now that we are having our coldest days all they want is to be outside. They play more and enjoy the cold much more than the heat. No clothes on them both have a fairly full coat. The wind will blow their hair enough that I see their skin and they seem to love it.
> 
> How about the other Havs in different parts of the U.S and World&#8230;..Hot or Cold weather their favorites?


I can't say how much Kodi "likes" hot weather... I don't, and he was very small last summer. So I made sure that our outdoor activities were either early or late and/or in the shade. I CAN say that he definitely DOESN'T like cold weather, especially if its windy, unless he's got a nice warm coat on. He's got as much hair as any 8 month old that I've seen, but he really hates it when the wind hits his skin. With a warm coat on, he'll play in the snow for quite a while, though.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

*The Debate*



Havtahava said:


> Well, like any creature, you also adapt to your climate. My mother lives in the hot, tropical weather of the Philippines and when she comes to visit California, even if in the summer, she has to pull her coat out of storage and wears it because she is so chilled here. She looks funny wearing a coat in summer, but she's miserable without it.
> 
> I think if our dogs lived in the Cuban heat all the time, it would be a different story.


I have to agree with this one especially with people! Count me in for sure! I go visiting in Florida and I feel like I am going to have a stroke because my son's family is use to the heat and keep their a/c at 80 degrees.

Having said that....these are my views.... Dexter does love the cold, and he lasts longer playing, I don't, so we do not stay outside long, especially if I am cold and can't stand the chill......so, therefore, Dexter is not outside very much during the Winter.

Dexter likes the warmer weather also, but tires out quicker, drinks lots of water, pants, cools off and takes a long nap.

I am not talking about 90 degree plus weather, I can't stand the hot weather either, so we do not stay out long in very hot weather.

So, having said all this.....are dogs the same as people and adapt to our weather? The books say that the Havanese has his long coat to protect him from the heat. Typically, the Havanese would be close campanion dogs for the wealthy people in Cuba, so I am thinking the Havs would be in the house where it would be cooler. What is the typical outside temperature in Cuba?

This just got me thinking......I am going to look up the typically temperature in Cuba!


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Kimberly,

Your right, I can only think of one Canadian breed of dog that is quite prominent. I see Newfoundlanders quite a bit. I know 4 or 5 in my area, and I see them around town.

Beamer does like the cold quite a bit, but once the temp was -20 (-35 with windchill) this past weekend up at the cottage, He ran out and pee'd and or crapped as fast as possible and tried to run back inside. By the time he was done both, he could not keep a paw on the ground.. as if he was almost frozen solid.. lol.. i had to pick him up and carry him inside..

Ryan


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Benji and Lizzie love the snow and cold but hate windy, chilly days, ice and rain. They are miserable in the summer when it is hot and humid. Lizzie sits on the A/C vents in the floor to cool herself. Most nights they both sleep in the bathroom on cool tiles during summer.


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## Amy R. (Jul 1, 2007)

Both my dogs really dislike the heat and are visibly uncomfortable. And it doesn't even get that hot here by SF Bay~~like 70's and rarely 80's tops. They just deflate when it's warm. Don't want to walk far, just sleep. We have often wondered how they'd survive in Cuba.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Scooter gets cold and will shake but the other two don't mind it. Gracie seemed a little freaked out when she first went out in the grass after a frost but now her and Murphy run like maniacs out there in the cold. Scooter is the one who does his business and runs back up the steps.

Heat they don't mind, they'll stay out until I make them come in!


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## karin117 (Mar 29, 2008)

My dogs LOVES warm...
We do have snow and cold here in sweden and they spend much of their time in front of the fire place. They lay there in a row, with the bellys in the air..

So look sooooo sweet

They hate rainy days, and to get wet on the feet...LOVE hot summer days and to be right by the fireplace when it is cold outside...

They can play in the snow, and enjoy it...but love to get inside...


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I am so glad others have mentioned this . . . Henry never wants to come in from the cold.
brrrrrr.


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## dotndani (Mar 19, 2007)

Duncan prefers the cooler weather...when it's warm here,he looks for the coolest spot in the house or jumps in the pool to cool off,lol
He likes to bunny hop thru the snow,but the frigid temps we have been having lately only allows for a quick romp outside and then he high tails it inside.


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## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

I do believe that the Havanese's coat protects it from the sun, but that probably doesn't mean every Havanese will love the hot weather. At our house Pepper enjoys sunbathing, but he's definitely more active and playful in cooler weather.

Kimberly, I can think of a couple more 'native' American breeds...the Australian Shepherd (yep, created here in the USA) and the Catahoula Leopard Dog. We see a lot of Australian Shepherds out here - lots of livestock to work. I've only seen two Catahoula Leopard Dogs in person, though. But I have seen several Boston Terriers in and around L.A.


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## Lunastar (Feb 9, 2009)

My girls like the cold. OF course the cold in FL is not the cold of the north. They run and play much more in the cool weather.


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

Brody is from Florida where we got him at 5 months of age. He traveled back to Oregon with us to a very hot summer (we live east of the Cascades in high desert). He hates the heat; spends every possibel minute with his belly on the air condiotioner vent! His first winter in Oregon was cold with freezing rain and snow - he loved it! So much for his Floridian genes!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

this is my favorite picture of Jasper in the snow. Hmmm how comfy I think I'll take a nap!


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## suzyfrtz (Nov 12, 2007)

Cazzie does not like hot weather, but loves the snow and cold. When we brought him north for Christmas one year, he (and Chelsie) had a ball, running through the snow, digging and making tunnels with their noses. In the heat they wilt, and will stay inside with the air conditioning.

But they do adapt, I'm sure. Some of us are old enough to remember life without air conditioners. I grew up near NYC, with its hot humid summers, and we kids were always outside playing. We rolled the windows down on the car and stuck our elbows out. (That left arm was always tanned.) We sat on the porch and drank ice tea and talked to the neighbors. We were hot but survived, didn't we. Now with AC all the kids are inside and we never meet our neighbors! 

So yes, I believe the Havs used to a warm climate are happy in it. Just strange that my little ones, having both, prefer the cold.


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

It seems clear, after reading about all the Havs who prefer the ice and snow, that this breed is NOT from the land of Fidel and cigars, but from another Cuba. Maybe there is a small town in Antartica called Cuba?


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## onemoreokie (Jul 21, 2009)

Chloe hates the heat and sun so much even on a 75 degree day she will choose to stand or sit in your shadow for some shade. Snow, wind, cold are no problem. Only once this winter was she shivering and it was snowing like crazy and the wind was blowing about 50 mph. At that point the puffer vest and sweaters came out and she was set. 

I was pretty surprised with her responses after reading so much about heat tolerance. This summer we got our walks out of the way early in the morning. She seemed to prefer it that way!


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

*Who Loves the Cold??!*

Here's on of my favorite photos from a horrible cold snap last winter with freezing rain, snow 40 MPH winds and temps under 20 degrees. Note my DH's look of pure torture with the happy Hav!


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I feel his pain Mary, I hate the cold.


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## TheVintageVamp (Oct 14, 2009)

Missy,
I LOVE that picture of Jasper curled up in the snow. Too dang cute. Boy, his coloring and the overall appearance of his coat is so much like Murray! 

Sally~


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## tuggersmom (Oct 16, 2008)

Lina said:


> I agree with Kimberly on this one. It's just because they've adapted to cooler weather and thus prefer it. Scientifically their hair DOES protect them from the heat, but that doesn't mean that they're used to the heat!


The one exception being black dogs. I did a little research last summer about shaving vs not shaving my black havanese. Most dog coats do give protection from the sun and keep the dog cooler than having the coat shaved. But black coats were the tipping point as the black colour absorbs heat and will make the dog much hotter. Not so many black havanese in Cuba I bet!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

The Fussy Puppy Gang said:


> I do believe that the Havanese's coat protects it from the sun, but that probably doesn't mean every Havanese will love the hot weather. At our house Pepper enjoys sunbathing, but he's definitely more active and playful in cooler weather.
> 
> Kimberly, I can think of a couple more 'native' American breeds...the Australian Shepherd (yep, created here in the USA) and the Catahoula Leopard Dog. We see a lot of Australian Shepherds out here - lots of livestock to work. I've only seen two Catahoula Leopard Dogs in person, though. But I have seen several Boston Terriers in and around L.A.


Well,maybe because I'm in Mass, but there are LOTS of Boston Terriers around here! Weren't Blue Tick Hounds, **** Hounds and some of the other southern hunting breeds developed here in the U.S.?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

tuggersmom said:


> The one exception being black dogs. I did a little research last summer about shaving vs not shaving my black havanese. Most dog coats do give protection from the sun and keep the dog cooler than having the coat shaved. But black coats were the tipping point as the black colour absorbs heat and will make the dog much hotter. Not so many black havanese in Cuba I bet!


Maybe that's part of the reason so many change colors. Maybe they were selected towards ones who changed to lighter colors and tolerated the heat better.

BTW, that's the reason that the Kings and I didn't even consider one of Kodi's Irish Pied siblings for me... they knew I wanted to eventually do agility, and we all thought that a lighter dog would fare better competing in the summer heat.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

krandall said:


> Well,maybe because I'm in Mass, but there are LOTS of Boston Terriers around here! Weren't Blue Tick Hounds, **** Hounds and some of the other southern hunting breeds developed here in the U.S.?


The point of my comment was that if someone was traveling to the U.S. from Japan (or choose the country of your choice), would they see enough Boston Terriers to say "Oh, I believe they were developed here. I saw them all over the place." ? Probably not.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

SMARTY said:


> LOL
> 
> Ryan, I have shown and sold homes to a number of Cuban families and they have never heard of a Havanese, I show them pictures and get a blank look, ask about the national dog of Cuba and they have never heard of it.


I live in Miami (aka Cuba North) and most people who ask what breed Roscoe is know just what I'm talking about when I say "He's a Havanese!"

Havs were dogs of the wealthy Cubans who mostly fled Cuba and ended up in Miami during the revolution. So that explains why they know what he is, I don't know what the population of Havs in Cuba currently looks like.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

krandall said:


> Maybe that's part of the reason so many change colors. Maybe they were selected towards ones who changed to lighter colors and tolerated the heat better.
> 
> BTW, that's the reason that the Kings and I didn't even consider one of Kodi's Irish Pied siblings for me... they knew I wanted to eventually do agility, and we all thought that a lighter dog would fare better competing in the summer heat.


Karen-I find this funny cause I have an irish pied who is now in excellent after 5 trials so they do survive agility and heat (half of his trials have been outdoors down here in the south- which I prefer)  But isn't most of your competitions up in MA indoors? When I was in Ohio, almost all the competitions were indoors or at least in horse arenas even during the summer. Here about 25% are outdoors (but I looked for this one), most in just a covered area and I have been to one indoor trial but when I went up to Cleveland.

I do find Dash gets a lot warmer than Dora in the direct sun but I also believe it is what they get acclimated to. I have lived in a few parts of the country now and my dogs varied their preferred weather. Belle wouldn't play on the beach when it was 45F the first day of ou vacation- who would have known she was born and raised her first two years in Michigan!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

We have a couple of agility people who have specifically been waiting for lighter colored dogs of ours for agility. One is a big name trainer and the other is a very active competitor who competes a black dog. They in fact did not choose any of Kodi's littler simply because they all had black heads. The competitor is under the trainer. Her dog is black and has a hard time in the heat. He's not from our line. We just passed along the information. If you get to choose everything, that's just another factor.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Well your puppy buyers may want to get more familiar with the breed. I think of the AKC ranked agility Havs, only one of them doesn’t have black on them (there is one cream I know of) and they do quite well in the agility ring. BTW, the top akc agility hav is a black and tan and after seeing him run outdoors in so cal, he does quite well!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Our agility dogs are black too, but we let people make a lot of their own decisions with all the information possible. The one dog who does have trouble in the heat is a black Havanese which is what they are basing it on. These particular people spend a LOT of time outside working their dogs. This is the only Havanese that they have. They love his intelligence and work ethic, but he's not exactly a top athelete and they are just looking for what they want. They are not merely looking for a dog to be the top Havanese.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

krandall said:


> BTW, that's the reason that the Kings and I didn't even consider one of Kodi's Irish Pied siblings for me... they knew I wanted to eventually do agility, and we all thought that a lighter dog would fare better competing in the summer heat.


Well, I am just a pet person who maybe 2 hours max a week plays agility with her dogs thinks picking a puppy for agility based on color is just as silly as picking your pet based on color! I just don't want anyone reading this to think if you want to do agility with your Hav or are considering it, you should be concerned with color- cause go to most agility shows and half the dogs in the ring are black and white blurrs! I never considered color and have done pretty well with both my dogs. Temperament and structure is what one should be concerned with regardless of what you want to do with your dog.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Havtahava said:


> The point of my comment was that if someone was traveling to the U.S. from Japan (or choose the country of your choice), would they see enough Boston Terriers to say "Oh, I believe they were developed here. I saw them all over the place." ? Probably not.


I think that's true of any breed I can think of. They may have been developed in a certain country, but when you look at the STREET dogs around the world, they all have much more in common with each other than they do with any specific man-made breed.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ama0722 said:


> Karen-I find this funny cause I have an irish pied who is now in excellent after 5 trials so they do survive agility and heat (half of his trials have been outdoors down here in the south- which I prefer)  But isn't most of your competitions up in MA indoors? When I was in Ohio, almost all the competitions were indoors or at least in horse arenas even during the summer. Here about 25% are outdoors (but I looked for this one), most in just a covered area and I have been to one indoor trial but when I went up to Cleveland.
> 
> I do find Dash gets a lot warmer than Dora in the direct sun but I also believe it is what they get acclimated to. I have lived in a few parts of the country now and my dogs varied their preferred weather. Belle wouldn't play on the beach when it was 45F the first day of ou vacation- who would have known she was born and raised her first two years in Michigan!


Well, it may have been faulty reasoning, but it was suggested to me by several agility people (not Hav people) that if I had a choice, and ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, go for the lighter colored dog. They all said that heat could be mitigated by keeping them in the shade and/wetting them down but that light colored dogs, in general, handled the heat better than black dogs. I suspect that if the Kings had felt that one of the Irish Pieds looked to be a superior choice for agility, they would have discussed the pros and cons with me. But since they mentioned the same thing the agility people had, I just went with it. I can't say I'm disappointed with my choice.(except for the keeping clean aspect!<g>)

And as far as Belle and the cold is concerned, I have heard how many Hav here love the cold weather... Kodi does NOT, particularly if it is windy. Fortunately, once I got him some suitable clothing, his interest in being outdoors perked back up. But still, even with his thick puffy coat on, when we go out first thing in the morning and it's still really cold, he does his business as fast as possible and makes a bee line for the door!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> We have a couple of agility people who have specifically been waiting for lighter colored dogs of ours for agility. One is a big name trainer and the other is a very active competitor who competes a black dog. They in fact did not choose any of Kodi's littler simply because they all had black heads. The competitor is under the trainer. Her dog is black and has a hard time in the heat. He's not from our line. We just passed along the information. If you get to choose everything, that's just another factor.


Oops. should have read your post before responding.<g>


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> Our agility dogs are black too, but we let people make a lot of their own decisions with all the information possible. The one dog who does have trouble in the heat is a black Havanese which is what they are basing it on. These particular people spend a LOT of time outside working their dogs. This is the only Havanese that they have. They love his intelligence and work ethic, but he's not exactly a top athelete and they are just looking for what they want. They are not merely looking for a dog to be the top Havanese.


Tom, please pass on to Pam that yesterday as we finished one of our training sessions, the trainer told me that when she is in the market for another small dog, it will be a Hav, based on her experience with Kodi. She works with looks of breeds, and her current little dog is a Papillon. She has already told two students who were looking for small performance dogs to consider a Hav, but I thought it was fine praise indeed that she would want one for herself based on her experience with Kodi.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ama0722 said:


> Well, I am just a pet person who maybe 2 hours max a week plays agility with her dogs thinks picking a puppy for agility based on color is just as silly as picking your pet based on color! I just don't want anyone reading this to think if you want to do agility with your Hav or are considering it, you should be concerned with color- cause go to most agility shows and half the dogs in the ring are black and white blurrs! I never considered color and have done pretty well with both my dogs. Temperament and structure is what one should be concerned with regardless of what you want to do with your dog.


Oh, I couldn't agree with that more! If I had been REALLY concerned with avoiding black, I wouldn't have picked Kodi either... his body might be white, but he'll still bake his little brain.<g>

I was making the comment more in relationship to the general theme of this thread about how Havs in general handle heat, and whether color is factor in that.


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