Dog Figurines

Description

If never primped, clipped or altered in any way, the Havanese gives a rugged impression in a little dog. The legs are strong and allow for free and easy movement. The dark eyes and long tail are covered with long silky hair. The profuse coat varies from wavy to curly. The Havanese is a double-coated breed with soft hair, both on outer and undercoat. Adult coat reaches 6 to 8 inches, and has a pearly sheen. Some Havanese carry a short haired recessive gene. If two Adults with this recessive gene have a litter of puppies, it is possible that some of the puppies will be born with smooth coats. A Havanese with a short coat cannot be shown and is a serious fault in the show arena. Some have nicknamed the Havanese born with short coats Shavanese. Eye rims, the nose and lips are solid black on all colors except the true chocolate dog. The Havanese comes in any color, including cream, gold, white, silver, blue, and black. Also parti and tricolors. In North America, all colors are recognized, no preference is given to one color over another. Black and chocolate are preferred colors with many North American breeders. A chocolate Havanese must retain at least a 1 inch (2.6 cm.) patch of chocolate hair. Chocolates also have green or amber eyes. In some European Countries the black and chocolate dogs, were not always recognized. But the black dogs have been recognized for several years, and the Chocolate dogs are now recently recognized. The gait is unique, lively & ‘springy” which accentuates the happy character of the Havanese. Tail is carried up over the back when gaiting. The breed is of solid physical type and sound constitution. The Havanese gives a rugged impression of a little dog, it is sturdy, and while a small breed, it is neither fragile nor overdone.

Temperament

Havanese are natural companion dogs: gentle and responsive. They become very attached to their human families and are excellent with children. Very affectionate and playful with a high degree of intelligence. These cheerful dogs are very sociable and will get along with everyone including people, dogs, cats and other pets. They are easy to obedience train and get along well with other dogs. This curious dog loves to observe what is going on. They are sensitive to the tone of one’s voice and will not listen if they sense that they are stronger minded than their owner, however they will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to be calm, yet possess an air of natural authority. The Havanese have a long reputation of being circus dogs, probably because it learns quickly and enjoys doing things for people. Few tend to bark a lot, as they can be taught not to do this. It is not their nature to bark a lot. It is best to teach them not to bark unnecessarily while they are still young to prevent it from becoming a habit. Havanese are good watch dogs – making sure to alert you when a visitor arrives, but will quickly welcome the guest once it sees you welcome them. Some dogs, who have not been properly socialized, may exhibit a degree of shyness around strangers, but this is not characteristic of the breed. Havanese live for your every word and gesture. They should be neither timid nor aggressive, for dogs who do, are a result of a human who is not providing proper pack leadership, and / or who are not treating the dog like a canine, but rather a human. It shows no cowardice, in spite of its size. Do not allow the Havanese to develop Small Dog Syndrome.

Origin

Following the French, Cuban and Russian revolutions, the Havanese were almost extinct. Now rare in Cuba, the breed has been facing a crises through the 1900′s, but is presently on the rise in popularity, having some dedicated believers in the breed who are actively campaigning for its preservation in the USA. This dog belongs to the family of Dogs called Bichons. The French word Bichon Frise means “fleecy dog” or “curly lap dog”. “Bichon”; refers to the bearded appearance of the breed, as the word “barbichon”; means little beard, the word “Frise” means curly. The Bichon Havanese originated in Cuba from an earlier breed known as Blanquito de la Habana (also called Havanese Silk Dog – a now extinct breed) The Bichon Havanese adorned and enlivened the homes of aristocratic Cubans during the the 18th & 19th centuries. Bichon Lapdogs were being brought to Cuba in 17th century from Europe, they adapted to climate and customs of Cuba. Eventually, these conditions gave birth to a different dog, smaller than its predecessors, with a completely white coat of a silkier texture. This dog was the Blanquito de la Habana. In the 19th century, the Cubans took to liking the French and German Poodles, which were crossed with the existing Blanquito to create today’s Bichon Havanese. In the development of the Havanese, the Blanquito was much more dominant than the poodle. The Bichon Havanese originated in the 19th century (1800-1900). It was continually bred in Cuba all through the 20th century (1900-2000) and was the preferred pet/dog of the Cuban families. Breeding the Havanese in the USA only started in the 1970′s. In the 1960′s many Cubans migrated to USA. Most Cuban refugees settled in Florida, and some brought their pets (Havanese). A US breeder, Mrs. Goodale saved the breed from extinction. She advertised in the Florida paper, and found two or three immigrant families who had brought their Havanese from Cuba with papers. From them Mrs. Goodale got 6 Bichon Havanese with pedigrees; a bitch with 4 female pups, and a young unrelated male. Later she was able to get 5 more males from Costa Rica. As an experienced breeder, Mrs. Goodale began working with the 11 dogs. Her first lines appeared in 1974. The UKC recognized them in 1991. The AKC recognized them in 1996. The CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) recognized them in 2001. Around 1980, several German breeders started finding odd-coated puppies in litters with regular Havanese. As these pups matured they did not grow full coats like their other littermates. They had feathering on the skirts, tail, legs, chest, and ears – the rest of the body hair was close lying. They oddly enough grew up to have smooth coats. Breeders got together and found that this was happening in other litters of Havanese and was not a chance genetic mutation in one single litter, but something carried in a lot of Havanese as a recessive gene. These dogs were called Smooth-Coated Havanese, but have picked up the name Shavanese somewhere along the line. The short coated Havanese are not showable or breedable, however they are perfectly healthy.

Description

The Basset Hound is a short, relatively heavy dog. The head is large and well proportioned with a rounded skull. The muzzle is deep and heavy with the size being greater than the width at the brow. The brown eyes have a soft, sad look to them and are slightly sunken with a prominent haw. The darkly pigmented lips have loose hanging flews and the dewlap is very pronounced. The skin hangs loose like elastic and falls in folds on the head. The velvety ears are set low and extremely long hanging towards the ground. The large teeth meet in either a scissors or even bite. The chest is very deep extending in front of the front legs. The dogs hindquarters are very full and round. The paws are big. The dewclaws may be removed. The coat is dense, short, hard and shiny. There are no rules concerning color, but it is usually black, tan, white, red, white with chestnut or with sand-colored markings.

Temperament

The Basset Hound is sweet, gentle, devoted, peaceful and naturally well-behaved. They fit into family life well. Their temperament should always be friendly, and never vicious, moody or harsh, and would only become so if the owners led the dog to believe he was pack leader over humans. They are mild but not timid; very affectionate with its master and friendly with children. It can be a bit stubborn with meek owners and need a firm, confident, and consistent owner who displays natural authority over the dog. Dogs need to know the rules of the house and have the humans stick to them. Bassets like to do tricks for food. It has a deep musical bark. Housebreaking is difficult, but they do well with positive reinforcement and patient, gentle training. With proper training, they are obedient, but when they pick up an interesting smell, it’s sometimes hard to get their attention, as they like to follow their noses and may not even hear you calling them back. Only allow your Basset off lead in safe areas.

Origin

The Basset Hound is an old breed which is a direct descended of the Bloodhound and has a nose that is almost as outstanding. Some sources suggest the Basset Hound may have originated from genetic dwarf dogs which were born in litters of different types of hunting hounds. The name “Basset Hound” comes from the French word “bas” meaning low. The Basset Hounds long ears have been poetically described by Shakespeare as: “Ears which sweep away the morning due.” The breed was first presented at a Paris dog show in 1863 which began the dog’s popularity. Their popularity spread to England and feuds soon arose between those who wanted the dog to be more of a show dog, keeping them more as a companion dog and those who wanted to keep it as a hunting dog. The breed spread to America where breeders started developing a dog which they felt covered both hunting and companion / show traits. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885. Able to hunt in both packs or alone, the dog is good at hunting in the den and in the open. They are used to hunt fox, hare, opossum, and pheasant. While the dogs reflexes are slow, it has an excellent sense of smell. The fact that they are relatively slow on their feet means they can be more convenient for hunters who are on foot. They are also less likely to scare game out of reach. It is said that George Washington owned Basset Hounds which were given to him by Lafayette after the American Revolution.