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Havanese

Lifespan
No cited life expectancy for this breed has been read in yet.
Most carried variant
Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk
8.7% of 439 tested · Donner 2023
Behind this page
54 dogs
in the atlas · 441 tested for variants

The most carried tested variant is Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk, in 8.7% of 439 Havaneses tested (Donner 2023).

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

See in the atlas → From CanVAS
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.
In plain terms

What these results mean for a Havanese

Chondrodystrophy and disc disease risk (CDDY)

8.7% of Havaneses in the Donner 2023 cohort carried it (n=439).

  • Two extra copies of a growth gene, FGF4, shape dog legs and spines. The one on chromosome 12 is the one tied to disc disease; the one on chromosome 18 shortens legs.
    OMIA 000157-9615

    “Two FGF4 retrogenes (FGF4L1 on chromosome 18 and FGF4L2 on chromosome 12) have been identified to cause dwarfism across many dog breeds.” OMIA 000157-9615

    “Brown et al. (2017) reported that an FGF4 retrogene insertion in chromosome CFA12” OMIA 000157-9615

  • Carrying it raises risk. It does not say which dog will have a disc problem. In Dachshunds researchers found the test is not a valid risk indicator on its own.
    OMIA 000157-9615

    “the FGF4 retrogene insertion on CFA12 is not a valid risk indicator on its own” OMIA 000157-9615

What to do
Ask your veterinarian what a carrier result changes for your dog. What lowers risk in a carrier is not established in the sources this page draws on.

No test, or a mix
Without a test nobody can say whether a dog carries it. Leg length alone does not tell you: the disc-disease copy and the short-leg copy are different insertions.

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.

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.

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.

For researchers Population genetics, disease models and every recorded condition Open the research detail for the Havanese
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.

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 atlas genotypes say about Havanese

Computed from the 14,478 CanVAS dogs in the Atlas, on an imputed genotype backbone: 77,215 directly typed sites per dog, imputed to 9.67 million variants.

The confidence below counts dogs, not reads: it is the size of the sample, and it is separate from how the genotypes were measured.

Dogs in the Atlas
54Founders
43 from Hayward2016, 10 from Spatola, 1 from Shannon
Genetic diversity
0.33Moderate
Mean heterozygosity across the breed. 31st most diverse of 107 ranked populations.
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.
n = 54 dogs · high sample · CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Sniff Atlas
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.

  • von Willebrand disease 3, modeled by the breed's Von Willebrand disease III via VWF, the same underlying biology.
  • OMIM:126300, modeled by the breed's Distichiasis , the same underlying biology.
Human equivalents via OMIA → Mondo / OMIM. Model-of, not identity. The named gene is the canine locus, not a claim that a pet has the human disease.
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 in the structured data for every variant the panel covers. Mondo, OMIM, Ensembl, and HGNC cross-references live on the gene and disease pages this page links to, rather than being repeated here. What is still absent from this breed page is anything not in the cited panel, and each such gap carries its cause where it appears.

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 DM (2026). CanVAS: A Harmonized and Imputed 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