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Havanese

54 Havaneses in the atlas. Every number on this page has a source.

Population-genetic snapshot of Havaneses in the Sniff Atlas, source-graded Mendelian carrier frequencies from Donner 2023, and nutrition guidance tied to the genetic findings above.

Also known as Bichon Habanero, Bichon Havanes, Havanese Cuban Bichon, and Havaneser.

See in the atlas → From CanVAS
The plain version

Havanese dogs have a moderately diverse genetic background, which means they have a good mix of traits in their family tree. They’re small, usually weighing about 10 lb, and tend to live around 14 and a half years. One health note is that this breed’s gene pool includes a risk for certain spine conditions, so it’s a good idea to talk with your vet or consider genetic testing to keep your pup healthy. Overall, they’re a charming and sturdy little companion!

What the atlas says about Havanese

In the atlas, the Havanese clusters consistently as Havanese (100% of the 54 dogs here). Genetic diversity is high (mean heterozygosity 0.33), reflecting either a mixed-breed cluster or breeds with broad genetic backgrounds. At the trait loci, FGF4_retrogene_CFA18 runs lower than average (2% here vs 77%); SMAD2 runs lower than average (22% here vs 74%).

Mean heterozygosity is 0.330, notably high, indicates broad genetic background. Low breed predictability score (0.29), individual dogs of this breed vary widely in genetics, suggesting active substructure or sub-population diversity.

Median lifespan is 14.5 years, slightly longer than expected for the breed size (4.5 kg).

Genetic dimensions · CanVAS atlas

What the genome says about Havanese

Computed from the 18,477 research dogs in the Atlas.

Dogs in the Atlas
54Founders
43 from Hayward2016, 10 from Spatola, 1 from Shannon
Genetic diversity
0.33Moderate
Mean heterozygosity across the breed. Ranks 77th most genetically tight of 107 ranked breeds.
What does genetic diversity mean?

How varied a breed's gene pool is — the share of gene spots where a typical dog of the breed carries two different versions rather than two identical ones.

How to read it: Higher = more diverse. Among well-sampled breeds it ranges roughly 0.22 (least diverse) to 0.33 (most diverse).

Diversity is a strength, not a verdict on any individual dog. Lower diversity means it's worth paying attention to recessive-risk testing — not that a dog is doomed.

Cluster structure
Splits into two genetic sub-populations
Intra-breed RMS distance: 25.88 · likely working/show-line, regional, or kennel lineage split.
What does within-breed variation mean?

How much individual dogs within the breed differ from each other genetically.

How to read it: Higher = more internal variety among individuals of the breed.

Sensitive to how many dogs of the breed we've sampled.

Related breeds
Built from
Gave rise to
Close cousins
In the Toy group
Explore the full lineage map →
VBO foundation stock (breeding records) · AKC breed group
Relatedness is documented lineage + kennel family. Genetic-ancestry distance measures diversity, not kinship, so it isn't used here.
Trait genetics
Allele frequencies at named morphology loci

Frequency of the alternate allele in this breed at each locus's representative SNP.

Body size
IGF191%
HMGA230%
SMAD222%
LCORL100%
STC271%
ADAMTS1760%
Leg length
FGF4·CFA182%
FGF4·CFA1289%
Coat
RSPO296%
FGF580%
KRT71100%
MC1R97%
Ear set
MSRB396%
Skull shape
BMP389%
SMOC269%
n = 54 dogs · high confidence · CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Sniff Atlas
Names & origins

Other names

The Havanese is also recorded as Bichon Habanero, Bichon Havanes, Havanese Cuban Bichon, Havaneser, and Havanezer.

Identified as Havanese (VBO:0200662) in the Vertebrate Breed Ontology (Mullen et al. 2025, CC-BY 4.0) · registry IDs FCI 250 · iDog 125 · VeNom 14114.

What you see when you look at a Havanese

What does the genome say about how a Havanese looks?

Havaneses look the way they do because of a small set of fixed and near-fixed morphology genes that, taken together, define the visible breed. Each translation below pairs the gene with the trait an owner actually sees, the breed's allele frequency at that locus, and a one-clause causal phrase.

Where the breed-defining genes act, mapped on a generic dog-body key — and how fixed each marker is in the Havanese. The figure is the most-settled marker we read in that region; the full per-locus panel is below. (The silhouette is a shared anatomical guide, not this breed's outline.)

Body sizeLCORL · 100%Skull shapeBMP3 · 89%EarsMSRB3 · 96%Leg lengthFGF4 CFA12 · 89%Coat & colorKRT71 · 100%
CanVAS trait-locus panel (Brundage 2026)
15 morphology markers read across 5 regions. Allele frequency = how fixed a marker is in this breed, not whether your dog carries it.

Size and build

IGF1 is near-fixed at 91% for the small-body allele, which keeps the breed compact relative to its working-line ancestors.

IGF1what this gene does

IGF1 is a gene that plays a key role in determining a dog's body size. It influences how much a dog grows, affecting overall stature.

For your dog: Knowing about IGF1 gives you insight into your dog's size traits, but it’s just one part of the bigger picture when it comes to their health and care.

Full IGF1 gene page →

HMGA2 is at 30%, leaving most of the size signal to other loci in the panel.

HMGA2what this gene does

HMGA2 is a gene that influences body size in dogs, helping determine how big or small a dog grows.

For your dog: Knowing about HMGA2 helps you appreciate the genetic factors behind your dog's size, but it doesn't signal any health issues.

Full HMGA2 gene page →

SMAD2 is at 22%, leaving the height signal mostly to other size genes.

SMAD2what this gene does

SMAD2 is a gene involved in regulating body size by influencing how cells grow and develop.

For your dog: Knowing about SMAD2 helps understand your dog's size traits but isn't linked to health issues; no immediate action needed.

Full SMAD2 gene page →

LCORL is near-fixed at 100%, the NCAPG/LCORL height locus that is one of the strongest single contributors to canine body size.

LCORLwhat this gene does

LCORL is a gene that influences body size in dogs. It helps determine how big or small a dog might grow.

For your dog: Knowing about LCORL helps you appreciate the genetic factors behind your dog's size, but it’s just one piece of the bigger picture when it comes to health and care.

Full LCORL gene page →

STC2 sits at 71%.

ADAMTS17 sits at 60%. ADAMTS17 is a body-size locus also linked to lens disorders.

ADAMTS17what this gene does

ADAMTS17 is a gene that influences body size and also plays a role in certain eye conditions. It affects the structure of tissues in the eye and elsewhere in the body.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry ADAMTS17 variants, it’s worth discussing genetic testing and eye exams with your vet to stay ahead of potential issues.

Full ADAMTS17 gene page →

Leg length

The FGF4 retrogene on chromosome 18 is at 2%, the chromosome-18 leg-length variant, which keeps the breed short-legged like Corgis and Dachshunds.

The FGF4 retrogene on chromosome 12 is near-fixed at 89%, the chondrodystrophic variant associated with intervertebral disc disease risk in breeds that carry it.

Coat type, length, and color

RSPO2 is near-fixed at 96% for the furnishings allele, the genetic basis of the eyebrows-and-mustache pattern seen in Schnauzers and Wheaten Terriers.

RSPO2what this gene does

RSPO2 influences the texture and appearance of a dog's coat, particularly the presence of 'furnishings' like mustaches and eyebrows. It helps determine whether a dog has that distinctive wiry or textured look.

For your dog: If your dog has those wiry eyebrows or a mustache, RSPO2 is part of the reason—no health worries, just a coat feature worth knowing about.

Full RSPO2 gene page →

FGF5 sits at 80% for the long-coat variant. Coat length is influenced by other loci as well, so intermediate FGF5 frequencies do not always correspond to intermediate visible coat lengths.

FGF5what this gene does

FGF5 is a gene that influences the length of a dog's coat. It acts like a natural switch, telling hair follicles when to stop growing longer fur.

For your dog: If your dog has a notably long or short coat, FGF5 is likely part of the reason—no action needed, but it’s a neat genetic detail to know.

Full FGF5 gene page →

KRT71 is near-fixed at 100% for the wavy/curly variant. Coat curl phenotype varies across breeds at this fixation depending on modifier loci, and visible expression is not always curled even when the locus is fixed.

KRT71what this gene does

KRT71 is a gene that influences the curliness of a dog's coat. It helps determine whether a dog's fur is straight or has a distinctive curl.

For your dog: If your dog has a curly coat, KRT71 is likely part of the reason; it’s a natural variation, not a health concern.

Full KRT71 gene page →

MC1R is at 97% at the representative SNP. MC1R controls the switch between red-to-gold and black-to-brown pigment, with the e/e homozygous genotype producing the gold-to-red spectrum by blocking eumelanin (black and brown pigment).

MC1Rwhat this gene does

MC1R is a gene that influences coat color in dogs, affecting how pigments are produced in the fur.

For your dog: Knowing about MC1R gives insight into your dog's coat color but doesn't relate to health issues.

Full MC1R gene page →

Ears

MSRB3 is at 96% for the drop-ear allele, the genetic basis of the breed's signature dropped ear set.

MSRB3what this gene does

MSRB3 is a gene involved in the development of ear shape and structure in dogs.

For your dog: Understanding MSRB3 helps explain why your dog's ears look the way they do, but it isn't linked to any health issues.

Full MSRB3 gene page →

Skull shape

BMP3 is at 89%, contributing to the breed's brachycephalic skull shape.

BMP3what this gene does

BMP3 is a gene that influences the shape of a dog's skull, particularly contributing to a shorter, broader head shape known as brachycephaly.

For your dog: If your dog has a broad, short skull, it's worth discussing with your vet how this might impact their health, even though BMP3 isn't directly tied to illness.

Full BMP3 gene page →

SMOC2 sits at 69%, contributing to the breed's moderate head shape.

SMOC2what this gene does

SMOC2 influences the shape of a dog's skull, particularly affecting how flat or short the face appears.

For your dog: If your dog has a short nose, it's worth discussing with your vet how this trait might impact their health over time.

Full SMOC2 gene page →
Mendelian-disease genetics

What genetic diseases do Havaneses carry?

From a panel of 250 Mendelian-disease variants screened in 1,054,293 dogs (Donner et al. 2023), Havaneses carry 7 of them at observable frequency. Carrier frequency is not clinical risk. Most recessive variants require two copies for disease expression; many dominant variants show incomplete penetrance. Read this as a population fingerprint of what's in the gene pool, not a per-dog prediction.

Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk (CDDY)
Autosomal dominant
high 8.7%
n = 439 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000157-9615 · omia.org →
FGF4what this gene does

FGF4 influences leg length by affecting bone growth, leading to shorter legs in certain breeds.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry this gene, it's worth discussing spinal health with your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t guarantee problems.

Bandera's Neonatal Ataxia (BNAt)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.34%
n = 441 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000078-9615 · omia.org →
Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (prcd-PRA)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.34%
n = 441 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001298-9615 · omia.org →
PRCDwhat this gene does

PRCD is a gene involved in the health of a dog's retina, the part of the eye that detects light and helps with vision.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry PRCD changes, it's worth discussing eye health and potential genetic testing with your vet.

Bleeding disorder (Discovered in the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog; P2RY12-related)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.11%
n = 441 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001564-9615 · omia.org →
P2RY12what this gene does

P2RY12 is a gene that helps control how platelets stick together to form blood clots, which is essential for stopping bleeding.

For your dog: If your dog is from one of these breeds, it’s worth asking your vet about P2RY12 to understand any potential bleeding risks, especially before surgery or injury.

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Autosomal recessive (Incomplete penetrance)
low 0.11%
n = 441 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000263-9615 · omia.org →
SOD1what this gene does

SOD1 is a gene that helps protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For your dog: If your dog is a carrier of SOD1 variants, it's worth discussing with your vet, but remember carrier status doesn't mean your dog will get the disease.

Prekallikrein Deficiency
Autosomal recessive
low 0.11%
n = 441 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000819-9615 · omia.org →
KLKB1what this gene does

KLKB1 is a gene that helps produce prekallikrein, a protein involved in blood clotting and inflammation.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry KLKB1 variants, it's worth asking your vet about blood clotting tests, especially before surgeries.

Von Willebrand's Disease, Type 1 (vWD 1)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.11%
n = 441 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001057-9615 · omia.org →
Source: Donner J et al. 2023. Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651 · Evidence: Limited (DTC ascertainment, tag-SNP proxy) · Confounding MEDIUM · License CC-BY-4.0 · Phene IDs from OMIA (Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).
Sample size in this breed: 441 dogs from the Donner 2023 cohort.

Which Mendelian variants matter most for Havaneses?

The Mendelian-disease table above lists the variants found at observable frequency among the 194 screened in 441 Havaneses (Donner 2023). Only one carries real frequency; the rest are rarities.

Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk (CDDY)

Chondrodystrophy and intervertebral disc disease risk in Havaneses is caused by the FGF4 retrogene duplication on chromosome 18. Havaneses carry this variant at 8.7% (n=439), roughly one in eleven, but the breed standard shows normal limb proportions. The consistent expression in Havaneses is intervertebral disc disease risk, not the classical shortened limbs seen in Dachshunds. A dog with two copies faces elevated lifetime risk of a disc herniation with neurological consequences. Testing is available and worth ordering for breeding stock.

How should I test my Havanese?

A single-variant CDDY panel from a CLIA-accredited lab covers the one Mendelian variant with real frequency in the breed. The other six variants in the substrate list, Bandera’s neonatal ataxia, prcd-PRA, the P2RY12 bleeding disorder, degenerative myelopathy, prekallikrein deficiency, and von Willebrand’s disease type 1, all sit below 0.34% carrier frequency. Testing is available for each, but the yield is negligible at current population frequencies.

What should I feed a Havanese?

Feeding a Havanese well means feeding around the breed’s known genetic vulnerabilities and the breed’s size. The 8.7% CDDY carrier frequency shapes joint health considerations. The breed’s median lifespan of 14.5 years (atlas-derived) is among the longest in dogs; longevity itself becomes the nutrition lens.

Weight management is the single most important Havanese feeding decision. Havaneses typically weigh 7 to 13 pounds as adults (AKC breed standard). A 4-pound Havanese carrying the CDDY variant has disc herniation risk that compounds with every added pound. The breed is food-motivated and lives in close quarters with owners who treat feeding as affection. A maintenance kibble scaled for toy breeds with measured portions is the conservative baseline. The NRC 2006 nutrient requirements for a 4-kilogram adult dog sit near 700 kcal of metabolizable energy per day (NRC 2006, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, p. 354); commercial toy-breed kibble densities vary widely and portion guidance on the bag label should be the primary reference. Even small, consistent overfeeding compounds quickly in a toy breed; cumulative excess calories translate to measurable weight gain over months.

Longevity-focused nutrition is appropriate for a breed with a median lifespan of 14.5 years (atlas-derived). A toy-breed adult formulation with antioxidants (vitamin E, beta-carotene) and omega-3 supplementation has no downside and reflects what we know about aging in small dogs. The breed’s small stomach means three meals per day in puppyhood remain preferable to larger, less-frequent meals even after the growth phase ends.

What we don’t know

The CDDY variant sits at 8.7% in the Havanese population, but we do not know what fraction of Havaneses with two copies will develop symptomatic disc disease or at what age. The inheritance is classified as autosomal dominant, but the breed-specific penetrance is unstudied. Whether diet, activity level, or genetic background modulates the risk is unknown.

The other six Mendelian variants are so rare that their breed impact is genuinely unknowable from 441 dogs. A prekallikrein deficiency carrier frequency of 0.11% reflects a single carrier among the 441 dogs tested (Donner 2023); breed-wide population counts are not available.

Frequently asked questions about Havaneses

Are Havaneses prone to intervertebral disc disease? The CDDY variant, which increases IVDD risk, is present in 8.7% of Havaneses as carriers. The breed does not show shortened limbs despite carrying the variant; the consistent expression is disc herniation risk, not leg length. Weight management is the most important preventive measure.

How long do Havaneses live? The atlas-derived median lifespan for Havaneses is 14.5 years, placing the breed at the upper end of the lifespan distribution in the sniff.world atlas. Individual lifespans vary with genetic background and health management.

What is the most common genetic disease in Havaneses? No single Mendelian disease is common in the breed. The CDDY carrier frequency of 8.7% is the highest, but symptomatic intervertebral disc disease is not universal in carriers.

Should I do a DNA test on my Havanese? For breeding stock, a CDDY panel is worthwhile given the 8.7% carrier frequency. The other six variants are so rare that their testing yield is negligible in the current population.

What is the best diet for a Havanese? A toy-breed formulation with controlled portions is the foundation. Havaneses typically weigh 7 to 13 pounds (AKC breed standard), and weight gain compounds disc disease risk in CDDY carriers. Measure meals; avoid free-feeding. Antioxidant and omega-3 supplementation supports a long lifespan.

Are Havaneses good with kids? Havaneses are small companion dogs with no documented breed-specific behavioral barriers to households with children. Individual temperament varies. Supervision with very young children is standard for a toy breed, not a Havanese-specific concern.

What should I look for when choosing a Havanese breeder? Request CDDY testing results for breeding stock. A responsible breeder will have carrier status documented for their parents. Ask about the genetic background, the breed’s 54-dog atlas cohort shows two sub-populations, suggesting some genetic stratification worth understanding.

Do Havaneses have any breed-specific health screening recommendations? Routine veterinary eye exams are reasonable given the prcd-PRA carrier present in the population, though current frequency is negligible. Spine health awareness, including awareness of CDDY carrier status and weight management, is the practical corollary of the CDDY finding in this breed.

A gift to human medicine

Havaneses are a natural model for human disease

Because the same genes cause the same conditions across species, the inherited conditions documented in Havaneses help researchers understand, and work toward treating, the human diseases they model. This is the dog advancing human medicine. The breed models the human disease; it does not have it, and this is not a prediction for your dog.

Human equivalents via OMIA → Mondo / OMIM. Model-of, not identity.
Documented in OMIA

Every condition recorded in the Havanese

Beyond the testable carriers above, OMIA's literature catalogue records 2 genetic conditions in the Havanese, 2 of which have a known human equivalent. This is the documented landscape across all Havaneses ever studied, not a prediction for any one dog.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA); Nicholas, Tammen & Sydney Informatics Hub, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70
Documented in the breed's literature is not carrier status and not a forecast for an individual dog. Human equivalents are mapped via Mondo/OMIM. Carrier frequencies (above) are the separately-measured testable subset (Donner 2023).
The data behind this page

Where every number on this page came from.

This page draws on three primary data sources. Carrier frequencies for the Mendelian section come from Donner et al. 2023 (CC-BY-4.0). We grade these data at evidence Limited because the cohort is a direct-to-consumer ascertainment, which biases toward owners who chose to test their dogs. The panel also uses tag-SNP proxies for some variants rather than direct causal-variant assays. Limited is a study-design grade, not a quality grade: the Donner cohort is the largest open canine-genotype dataset in existence and we are grateful for it. We rate the confounding MEDIUM.

Population-genetic dimensions (heterozygosity, intra-breed PCA distance, nearest neighbors, trait-locus frequencies) come from CanVAS (Brundage 2026), harmonized through the Sniff Atlas. The exact release date and verification commit are pinned at the bottom of the page so a researcher can trace a number back to a specific snapshot. The disease-gene-variant graph comes from OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals; Nicholas, Tammen, and the Sydney Informatics Hub at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; retrieved April 2026, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).

What this page does not yet have. Inheritance modes and per-disease penetrance evidence from Donner 2023 are now in the structured data for every variant the panel covers. Mondo, OMIM, Ensembl, and HGNC cross-references on gene pages remain pending, they arrive in December 2026 alongside the imputed 9.67M-variant CanVAS dataset via the OMIA SQL dump absorption. Until then, gene IDs carry NCBI Gene and OMIA phene URLs only; the wider human-homolog and disease-ontology cross-reference set fills in with that release.

How to cite this page. The computed dimensions on this page are derived from the open Sniff Atlas v1.0.1 (Gehring 2026, doi:10.5281/zenodo.20566358, CC-BY 4.0). Full citation formats including BibTeX, RIS, and CITATION.cff at sniff.world/cite.

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References
  1. Donner J, Freyer J, Davison S, Anderson H, Blades M, Honkanen L, et al. (2023). Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651
  2. Brundage J, et al. (2026). CanVAS: a harmonized canine variant atlas. bioRxiv. doi:10.64898/2026.04.13.718238
  3. Nicholas, F.W., Tammen, I., & Sydney Informatics Hub. (2026). Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) [dataset]. The University of Sydney. https://omia.org. doi:10.25910/2AMR-PV70 (retrieved April 2026).
Last updated
Sources: CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Donner 2023 · OMIA