angulation in the front coupled with a short upper arm and topline rising to the rear. Th e Havanese may or may not show a “ fl ash of pad” and should not be penalized either way. When looking at side gait, the dog should move freely with a springy gait, not with extreme reach and drive. Th e gait of a Havanese was best described by a renowned judge, at our National Specialty a few years ago, as he awarded Best of Breed. He said the dog’s movement was “jaunty”. Th e description of jaunty is airy, breezy, buoyant, carefree, gay, high-spirited, lively, perky, self-con fi dent, showy, sparky, sprightly, all adjectives that describe Havanese movement. We must also judge the temperament of the Havanese we are examining. Is the dog con fi dent; is he comfortable with a stranger examining him? Th is is a toy dog who has been bred to be a companion to humans; it should not be resentful or afraid to be examined. Before we make our fi nal selections we need to judge one more aspect of the Havanese, and that is grooming. Note: Havanese may have the hair over their eye braided; braids are acceptable in the ring. Are the dogs we are going to place shown in a well-groomed but natural condition? If not, the dog should not be placed. Over-grooming has become a major problem in many breeds. Th e Havanese Club of America has always stated that the Havanese should remain
a natural dog without extensive groom- ing or sculpting. We, as judges, need to honor the wishes of the National Parent Club and the breeders of the Havanese. Th is statement by the Judges Educa- tion committee was printed in the judge’s magazine Th e Standard two years ago. Th e Havanese club of America’s stand on over grooming stands today. Th e Havanese Club of America would like to remind judges that the Havanese is a breed which should be presented naturally. Havanese should not have their coats ironed, bleached or colored in an e ff ort to change the natural characteristics of the coat. Th ey should NOT be trimmed anywhere other than the genital area or around the feet for neatness. Th ey should not be sculpted by trimming the edges of the coat nor should coat be removed to enhance or change the lines of the dog.
Th e coat should never be deliberately parted down the back; a natural part due to the length of the hair is acceptable. Teasing the coat or brushing it into a “comb-over,” to create an illusion of a rising topline, is becoming more com- monplace and should be discouraged even to the point of withholding place- ment. Brushed and corded coats are equally acceptable. Th e hair on top of the head may fall forward over the eyes or may be brushed back from the face and allowed to fall NATURALLY to both sides of the head. Two small braids, one on each side of the head, are allowed. A Havanese should not be shown with the fall on its head groomed in any other manner. Dogs shown in any man- ner other than described above should be penalized to the point of withholding placement.
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