How long does a Havanese live?

The listed lifespan for a Havanese is 14–16 years.

How tall is a Havanese?

The listed height for a Havanese is 8.5–11.5 in.

Is a Havanese good with children?

The AKC good-with-children score for a Havanese is 5 out of 5.

When is a Havanese full grown?

The growth size band for a Havanese is 8–12 months.

Toy Group

Havanese

Havanese is a small dog in the Toy Group. Adult weight is 7–13 lb, height is 8.5–11.5 in, and the listed lifespan is 14–16 years. AKC describes the temperament as Intelligent, Outgoing, Funny.

Last reviewed November 1, 2026.

Havanese dog — Photo: ScottM0312 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Lifespan14–16 years

Weight7–13 lb

SizeSmall GroupToy Group

Height

8.5–11.5 in

Energy

3 / 5

Shedding

2 / 5

Grooming

3 / 5

Trainability

4 / 5

Good with kids

5 / 5

The breed record

Across 45 single-size small breeds, a lifespan midpoint of 15 years is about 1.4 years longer than the 13.6-year average. A midpoint adult weight of 10 lb is about 6 lb lighter than the 16 lb average for those small breeds.

The listed origin is Cuba. The coat is described as silky, double, long. The AKC energy score is 3 out of 5, 0.3 points below the group average of 3.3 for the Toy Group. Shedding scores 2 out of 5, so loose hair is limited. Grooming scores 3 out of 5. Trainability scores 4 out of 5, which is a biddable score. Good with children scores 5 out of 5. Good with other dogs scores 5 out of 5. AKC ranked this breed number 25 in 2025.

Adult size is usually reached in 8–12 months (size-band statement (Salt et al. 2017): very small dogs reach maturity at 8-12 months). AKC parent-club recommended health screenings: Patella Evaluation, Hip Evaluation, and Ophthalmologist Evaluation. These are screening tests, not a list of diseases the breed is guaranteed to develop.

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