When your table exam is concluded and you observe the dog doing his individual movement, be sure to look for the unique springy gait and rise of the topline and head carriage is high. Havanese should always be presented at a natural step on a loose lead. FINAL COMMENTS IN CLOSING: The Havanese Club of America, Inc. would like to remind judges, exhibi- tors and breeders, that the Havanese is a toy breed which should be pre- sented naturally. Havanese should not have their coats ironed, bleached or colored in an effort to change the natural characteristics of the coat, they should not be trimmed anywhere other than the genital area or around the feet for neatness, they should not be sculpted by trimming the edges of the coat nor should coat be removed
Assess the topline moving the palm of your hand over the length of the topline to feel the straight, but not level, topline called for in the stan- dard, without a roach. A flat topline is quite evident if you slide your fingers over the length of the topline. A flat topline (horizontal) and a topline that slopes downward should be faulted; the slight rise of topline is a hallmark of the breed. Please be sure to feel the structure of the rear legs to be sure the hocks are well let down, short and parallel. This is a very hairy breed and unless you are willing to get under the coat to feel the structure, relying solely on a visu- al evaluation will deceive you. Don’t worry about the messing up of coats! A trimmed dog, trimmed other than its paws and around the anal/genital areas should be so severely penalized as to preclude placement.
to enhance or change the lines of the dog. The 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 commonplace and should be discouraged even to the point of withholding placement. Brushed and corded coats are equally acceptable, the hair on top of the head may fall forwardover the eyes ormany be brushed back from the face and al- lowed 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 of its head groomed in any other manner. Dogs shown in any manner other than described above should be penalized to the point of withholding placement.
“The Havanese is a toy breed which should
be presented naturally.”
68 • T op N otch T oys , J uly 2018
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