The Havanese coat belongs to the coat gorup 11a, this means that he has long silky hairs. The dogs in this group 11 have a single coat. Until now, it was assumed that the undercoat was missing, but that's not true. It's a double coat and thus consists of a top- and undercoat, but the hairs of that top- and undercoat are so alike that you can speak of one kind of hairs.

We are dealing with a single coat with a mosaic pattern. This means an 'out of the coat going'-pattern in the total coat. The coat is a mixture of live and dead hair mixed together. The dog doesn't lose hairs, but the hairs change constantly. The hair loss that he has is virtually nihil because the long hair keeps growing. The hairs that he loses, usually stays hanging between the coat and comes out while brushing or makes tangles.  

Coat group 11 is divided into:
a. The long silk hair, single coat. Dogs within this group include the Maltese, Havanese, Coton de Tulear. 
b. The curly hair, single coat. Dogs within this group include the Poodle, Bolognese. 

As for the hair care, you can "brush it with the wire", this means that you brush (comb, pick, etc) in the direction where the tip of the hair is generally pointed:
1. From head to tail
2. On the flancks, going backwards towards abdomen. Diagonally downwards. 
3. From the throat down.
4. Feet from top to bottom, both inside and outsite. 
 You always brush layers, starting at the bottom (the feet) and upwards from back to front (of the tail to the head). Be very careful and try as much as possible to brush near the skin. You can brush in the end with a coarse comb. 

Sources:
Rita Pouw, Stop het verharen van uw hond. 

These are just some tips. The key for the Havanese is that his coat is well maintained. It's very important to brush and comb the hair regularly to avoid tangles. Brushing is also good for the circulation of the dog. We never cut the hair of our Havanese. The most beautiful is when they have long flowing hairs. The hairs on the sole are trimmed regularly. 

Bathe

	The Havanese should bathe regularly, but you should have a good dog shampoo. Comb the coat well before washing, it should be tangle free. After massaging the shampoo, the coat should be rinsed out very well. You may also use a conditioner. After rinsing it out, you can dry the dog with a large towel. Then you can dry the dog with a (special dog) hair dryer.

A Havanese puppy can easily be washed into the sink.

Eyes, ears and nose

Also important is the care of the eyes and ears of the Havanese. Sometimes it's necessary to remove the normal discharge from the corner of the eyes to prevent the formation of crusts.   The Havanese has hairy, long drooping ears. If not cleaned regularly, it can cause problems, such as an ear infection. You can clear the inside of the ear with a cotton wool soaked in warm water. The excess hairs growing inside the ear must be picked out regularly, otherwise the ear doesn't get enough air and will bleed.

Teeth

An important part of the care is the dog's teeth cleaning. If the dog's teeth are not clean, he won't have a fresh breath. Poor oral hygiene can lead to various diseases. Plaque can be best prevented by brushing the teeth. Make a habit of the teeth cleanind since the dog is still young. You can also give chewing bones, but only under supervision.

Feet

If the dog has plucks of hair between its toes, it should be trimmed away. The hair between the toes are repositories of dirt, burrs, fleas and small felting. You can buy a scissors with rounded points.  Cutting the nails should be done regularly because long nails cause pain. You can use a nail clippers or a nail file. You should never cut in the nail bed (pink-red), there are the nerves and blood vessels of the nail.