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50 free Havanese trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
The Havanese is the national dog of Cuba, a small silky-coated companion descended from the extinct Blanquito de la Habana and, before that, the little dogs of Tenerife that sailed west with Spanish colonists. Admired by Cuban nobility, nearly wiped out after the revolution, and rebuilt in America from a gene pool of just eleven dogs, it is now one of the fastest-rising breeds in the AKC. These 50 questions cover the breed's history, from ship manifests and Havana drawing rooms to the 1970s rescue and AKC recognition in 1996, and its distinctive standard: the topline that rises toward the croup, the springy gait, the almond-shaped eyes, the ears that reach halfway to the nose, the tail that arches over the back without touching it, and the soft double coat that can be corded or brushed out but never trimmed. Health questions ask about life expectancy, luxating patellas and the liver shunt study. The rest of the set explores the bichon family the Havanese belongs to: the Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Maltese, Coton de Tulear and Lowchen, plus what toy and lap dogs were actually for. Easy questions ask which country the breed comes from; the expert tier wants the percentage of Havanese with portosystemic shunt. Every answer is cited to a page we checked and comes with a short explanation. Play it solo or print it for a dog-club night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The Havanese is the national dog of which country?
Cuba
It takes its name from Havana, where it was the companion of colonial nobility.
Q 02The Havanese developed from which now-extinct dog?
Blanquito de la Habana
The name means little white dog of Havana; it in turn descended from the extinct Bichon Tenerife.
Q 03The Blanquito is thought to have been crossed with which breed to make the Havanese?
Poodle
Other bichon types were involved too, according to the breed's accepted history.
Q 04What is the "Silk Dog" in relation to the Havanese?
A separate breed bred to old Cuban standards
It was bred to meet the original Cuban standards rather than the modern AKC one.
Q 05The Havanese's progenitors are believed to have sailed to Cuba from which island?
Tenerife
Ship manifests bound for Cuba list dogs among the passengers brought aboard.
Q 06Which ancient writer is cited by those who trace the bichon family to Malta?
Aristotle
Others believe the whole family descends from the Tenerife dog instead.
Q 07Which event nearly wiped out the Havanese in its homeland?
The Cuban Revolution
Communists saw the dogs as property of the old elite, and few fleeing families could bring theirs.
Q 08How many dogs made up the American Havanese gene pool in the 1970s?
11
Dedicated breeding and imports later made it one of the AKC's fastest-growing breeds.
Q 09In which year did the American Kennel Club officially recognise the Havanese?
1996
Recognition came more than two decades after American breeders took an interest.
Q 10Where did the Havanese rank in AKC popularity in 2013?
25th
It had climbed from 28th place the year before.
Q 11What is the ideal height range for a Havanese at the withers?
9 to 10.5 inches
The full allowed range runs from 8.5 to 11.5 inches.
Q 12What is unusual about the Havanese topline?
It rises slightly from withers to croup
The result is a topline that is straight but not level, and the angle does not change at a natural gait.
Q 13How is the Havanese gait described?
Springy rather than far-reaching
Strong rear drive and a slightly shorter upper arm produce the springy motion.
Q 21What life expectancy did a 2024 UK study find for Havanese?
14.5 years
That compared with 12.7 years for purebreds and 12 for crossbreeds.
Q 22Which knee problem is among the Havanese's primary health concerns?
Luxating patella
Liver disease, heart disease, cataracts and retinal dysplasia are the others listed.
Q 23A UC Davis study found what share of Havanese had a portosystemic shunt?
4.35%
Mixed-breed dogs in the same sample of 90,000 ran at 0.35%.
Q 24Which skin disease is the Havanese predisposed to?
Q 14Which Havanese colour is allowed to have brown rather than black eyes?
Chocolate
Chocolate dogs may also have dark brown rather than black nose pigment.
Q 15How far should a Havanese's extended ears reach?
Halfway to the nose
They arc slightly upward at the base and hang without touching the face.
Q 16How is the Havanese tail carried?
Arched forward over the back
The plume of hair falls on the body but the tail itself never touches the back.
Q 17What kind of coat does the Havanese have?
Long, soft and double
Unlike most double coats, the outer layer is soft and light, and the undercoat is sometimes absent.
Q 18The Havanese coat is said to feel almost cool to the touch, like what?
Silk
Breeders describe it as slightly wavy, profuse and undulating.
Q 19What grooming technique turns the long Havanese coat into rope-like locks?
Cording
The coat may be shown either naturally brushed out or in cords.
Q 20Which coats are acceptable in the modern Havanese standard?
All colours and patterns
There is still debate over whether the original dogs were all white.
Sebaceous adenitis
It is an inflammatory attack on the sebaceous glands, first described in the 1980s.
Q 25Which unusual sniffing job is listed among Havanese working roles?
Mould and termite detection
They also work as signal dogs for the hearing impaired and as therapy dogs.
Q 26How much trimming does the Havanese breed standard allow for the show ring?
Slight tidying around the feet only
Back-combing or other fussing is against type and can cost the dog a placement.
Q 27What does the AKC standard allow for the head furnishings above each eye?
Two small braids with plain elastic
The standard also specifies that the tail may not be docked.
Q 28Which dog sport is listed among those Havanese compete in?
Flyball
Agility, musical canine freestyle and obedience are the others mentioned.
Q 29The bichon type is believed to descend from which French water dog?
Barbet
The name bichon is thought to be a contraction of barbichon, meaning little barbet.
Q 30In which century were bichon-type dogs already common as pets of French royalty?
14th
From France they spread to the courts of Germany, Portugal and Spain.