24 Havanese Colors and Markings (With Pictures)

Havanese are natural companion furballs known for their loyalty, affection, and social skills. Nonetheless, it’s not only their personality that makes them natural dog celebrities but also the myriad of colors they come in!

As a dog breed native to Cuba, Havanese dogs come in 24 coat colors. These include rare combinations of blue, brindle, sable, and chocolate.

Find out about all the color variations of this cute and lovable breed in this article, including the breed’s coat color genetics, health concerns regarding their coat color, and more. Read on!

How Many Havanese Colors Are There?

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Havanese breed has 24 known coat colors, where 14 are considered to be standard.

Here’s a list of all known Havanese colors that you might come across:

1. Black 
2. Black and Silver 
3. Black and Tan 
4. Black and Brindle 
5. Black and Tan Brindle
6. Black and Silver Brindle
7. Blue 
8. Blue Brindle 
9. Chocolate 
10. Chocolate Brindle 
11. Chocolate Sable 
12. Cream 
13. Fawn
14. Fawn Brindle
15. Fawn Sable
16. Gold
17. Gold Brindle
18. Golden Sable
19. Red
20. Red Brindle
21. Red Sable
22. Silver
23. Silver Sable
24. White

While the color count may be kind of overwhelming, picking the one you like most may be easier if you see what they all look like. You should be warned, however, that all of them look adorable, no matter the shade!

24 Havanese Colors

Here are the 24 different Havanese colors you should know about:

1. Black Havanese

One of the most common Havanese coat colors is black. Black Havanese dogs have all-black fur from head to toe and tail. They also do not have any type of markings.

Any markings or other identified colors on a black Havanese would immediately be considered under a different variety, such as black and silver, black and tan, and so on.

Black Havanese dogs are unique in their breed; unlike most others, their color does not change as they age.

2. Black and Silver Havanese

One of the most unusual color combinations in the Havanese dog breed is black and silver. It might be challenging to categorize all black and silver Havanese dogs into a single aesthetic pattern.

Black and silver Havanese dogs often have a coat that is mostly black with silver patterns on the face and paws.

In other instances, the body’s black and silver fur seems blended throughout its coat, creating a dark, ashy appearance.

3. Black and Tan Havanese

Black and tan Havanese dogs are quite rare. With these dogs, black is the predominant color on most parts of the head, torso, limbs, and in most cases, the entire tail.

On the other hand, the tan markings are mostly exhibited in the face, particularly the muzzle and the area above the eyes. The neck, fore-chest, and paws may also have tan fur.

Havanese dogs in black and tan are confirmation that huge dog breeds like German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers are not the only ones that can pull off the black and tan look.

4. Black and Brindle Havanese

Black and brindle Havanese dogs have black main coats with red auburn hair. This coat shade was formerly referred to as “Havana Brown.”

Black brindles have varying amounts of red below their black coat. This means some have big areas with auburn coloration, while others could have this shade in a more confined area.

They could even have a deep, dark chocolate-like appearance. They will also have a dark black nose, a key brindle characteristic.

5. Black and Tan Brindle Havanese

Black and tan brindle Havanese dogs are very uncommon. Unlike black brindles, these pups have black and tan main coats with a lighter shade of auburn. Black and tan brindles have more predominant brown shades.

Although displaying the key black mask over their snout, just like all brindles, Havanese brindles such as this variation do not particularly display its stripe-like pattern.

6. Black and Silver Brindle Havanese

Such as black and tan brindles, black and silver brindle Havanese dogs have a double-shaded base coat of black and silver. Its brindle pattern is unpredictable and does not conform to the usual tiger-like stripes.

The auburn hair tint, however, is less obvious in this variation. Black and silver brindle Havanese dogs’ auburn shade is of a light tint which, when seen beside its silver fur, appears in an almost cream-like shade.

7. Blue Havanese

When it comes to color variants for the Havanese dog breed, blue may be the least common. It happens as a result of the dilution gene watering down the black pigments.

A blue Havanese look might be tough to nail down because they undergo significant change during its growth years. The coat will mostly appear to be a light, faded shade of black.

The coat of young puppies may have a silvery appearance. The color shifts to a more blue-gray tone as they age.

8. Blue Brindle Havanese

Blue brindle Havanese dogs are very hard to come by. As the blue shade usually changes in this breed, only the brindle pattern may be obvious on its coat at first.

Its brindle coat usually has a blue base which could appear black with a white, silver, fawn, or cream brindle pattern. These pups also have a distinct black mask.

9. Chocolate Havanese

The coat color of chocolate Havanese dogs is a very dark shade of brown. A standard chocolate Havanese shouldn’t have black, tan, or white marks on any part of its body.

However, the chocolate Havanese dog’s face, belly, chest, and paws occasionally have lighter hair than the rest of its body. These usually turn darker as they grow.

By the time the Havanese is at least two years old, these changes should have started to settle in the dog’s final hue of chocolate brown.

10. Chocolate Brindle Havanese

Havanese with a chocolate brindle coat have darker patterns on an undercoat of any shade of cream, champagne, gold, or red. Brindle stripes will be brown or liver.

These dogs do not appear as prominently chocolate-colored as the standard chocolate Havanese. This is due to a different shade of undercoat, which usually comes very different from the standard dark brown.

The chocolate brown shade patterns on these Havanese pups usually turn a shade lighter as they grow older. Due to this, the distinct chocolate shade will be less obvious.

11. Chocolate Sable Havanese

Like Havanese pups with black pigments, the coat of chocolate sable Havanese can also significantly lighten as they mature. Adult chocolate sables may have little brown tippings in the ears and tail.

Unlike the chocolate brindle Havanese, a puppy with a chocolate sable coat retains the dark brown tone on the tips of its fur, which overlays the shade of the undercoat.

It usually takes a lot of work to differentiate this shade from a chocolate brindle, as both have cream, gold, or red undercoats.

12. Cream Havanese

Many people are surprised to learn that cream Havanese canines are a variant of brown Havanese. Its very light shade of brown gives these pups a dirty white first-look appearance.

Looking closely, you’ll see that the fur is evenly cream, giving off a clean appearance. Standard cream Havanese, like other solid colors, should not display different colored markings or patterns.

Golden yellow to softer cream and off-white tones are common colors for these canines. As they age, their color intensity shifts.

13. Fawn Havanese

Fawn Havanese dogs have a beige-colored brown color that blends beautifully with their long, wavy coat. Some fawn Havanese puppies, however, have a little duller and more diluted shade of beige.

This shade, although quite similar to cream and gold, is a different hue of brown that displays a cooler gray tint.

The coat of a fawn Havanese can occasionally seem solid and quite vivid, in contrast to the light and diluted appearance of fawn coats in many other dog breeds.

14. Fawn Brindle Havanese

Fawn brindle Havanese coats are light brown to buff or tan with black splotches, stripes, or streaks. These pups have coats similar to what they call reverse brindle.

Instead of a black base coat, fawn brindles have prominent cream, gold, or red color with dark brown or black patterns. These pups also display the distinct black mask found in most brindles.

15. Fawn Sable Havanese

Unlike the fawn brindle, a fawn sable Havanese has a solid undercoat. These dogs have base colors of light brown to buff or tan with darker tips on the hairs.

The darker tips usually take on a chocolate or black-brown hue that fades into a lighter root color. The tips also usually change into lighter shades as they grow.

16. Gold Havanese

To be fair, distinguishing between gold Havanese dogs and other breed variants like tan or fawn Havanese dogs may be quite challenging, as they are all under variations of brown.

The best way to distinguish gold Havanese dogs from others is by looking at richer golden overtones in the coat.

In contrast to the other two light brown color variants of the Havanese breed, golden Havanese usually have a somewhat shinier appearance – such as a silver Havanese compared to a white one.

17. Gold Brindle Havanese

A gold brindle Havanese could easily be mistaken for a fawn brindle or a cream with striped markings. With the same coat pattern of brown shade with red or black markings, it is easy to interchange the three.

Gold brindle Havanese canines are distinct as their brown shade has a more yellow tint, making it shinier when combined with a dark brindle pattern.

These pups also have the key black pigment in their muzzles, as all brindles have.

18. Gold Sable Havanese 

A gold sable Havanese dog will have a solid gold undercoat with darker shade tips, such as dark brown and black. These undercoats are obvious due to the contrast of shades.

Some gold sable Havanese dogs will have undercoats as light as an off-white shade topped with dark brown tips. These tips are usually obvious on the ears, muzzle, or paws.

19. Red Havanese

The entire body of a red Havanese dog is covered in a reddish-brown color. The red can be quite vivid in some situations, giving the Havanese a rusty appearance.

A red Havanese can be frequently seen at dog exhibitions. This shade is also becoming one of the most sought-after varieties of the breed and is also progressively gaining popularity.

Some red Havanese have a slightly paler red, giving off an earthy reddish-brown impression. These colors usually start to become vivid as the pup matures.

20. Red Brindle Havanese

Red brindle Havanese dogs have black and reddish-brown coat patterns. This color is also starting to gain popularity in dog shows and exhibitions.

Red brindles are distinct as their dark reddish brown pattern mixed with black often changes shades and is not retained till the pup’s adulthood. Some red brindles develop a lighter shade of brown tips.

These pups, however, retain the reddish brown and black mix in their coat and root colors. They also have the trademark black pigment in their muzzle.

21. Red Sable Havanese

A red sable Havanese is easily distinguished from a red brindle as its coat takes on a lighter shade, such as cream or fawn, and develops a darker tip shade.

Like other sables, these darker tips are obvious on the ears, muzzle, and paws. They could also appear in other regions of the body, making the dog look parti-color or parti belton of red and cream.

This Havanese variant could be mistaken for a fawn sable or golden sable. It, however, will have tips of a different brown tint, which usually leans toward a red hue instead of a dark chocolate or black color.

22. Silver Havanese

The coats of Silver Havanese can be light gray or dark smokey in hue. While they have black hair at birth, as they age, it becomes lighter.

Even after the Havanese have reached adulthood, some areas may continue to be black; there may also be white flecks.

Silver frequently coexists with black, making the lighter shade of gray look bright or shiny. Furthermore, a silver Havanese will have a solid gray hue for an undercoat.

23. Silver Sable Havanese

A silver sable Havanese will have the same white to gray coat tone with a standard silver. However, its hair tips would usually be darker, from ash gray to black.

These tips, although unpredictable as to where they may show up in parts of the dog, would usually be obvious in its ears and muzzle. Some would usually have patches all over the body.

Markings for the silver sable are usually in parti-color or parti belton – darker shades of gray over a solid silver undercoat.

24. White Havanese

Maybe the most well-known and distinctive kind of Havanese is the full-body white one. These exquisite beauties often have all-white fur.

However, a white Havanese can have a few tiny blotches of brown or even red fur, mostly on the muzzle or feet. These are confined to small areas and do not distract from its pure white fur.

Havanese Markings

For the Havanese, the variation of colors doesn’t stop at their coats. They also boast a multitude of coat patterns and markings recognized by major kennel clubs!

Here is an overview of the common markings and patterns you may encounter with the Havanese breed:

White Markings

Compared to cream and tan markings, white markings on a Havanese tend to be more prominent and cover a larger area.

The white patterns usually appear on the dog’s lower or front-facing surfaces, such as the neck and chest.

The white markings can also be seen on the face or paws of some Havanese dogs. The distinct feature of white markings is that they only cover a portion of the coat.

Tan Points

Tan points normally cover a very limited region. This pattern appears and is distributed randomly.

The face often has brown markings, a little tan patch over each eye and on the nose, and a very prominent mask. Small patches of tan fur can also be seen on the collar or paw.

Cream Markings

Cream markings on Havanese dogs are often found in white variations. These marks usually cover a very small area – limited to patches on the face, the tips of the ears, the neck, or the paws.

The color of cream markings varies for each individual Havanese. Some pups’ cream shade will seem deeper and almost brown in color. For others, it could resemble a light shade of cream that is yellowish-white.

Parti-Color

Havanese dogs with parti colors are frequently mistaken for those with white markings. The difference between the two is the extent of the coat covered by white fur.

About 50% of the coat of a parti color Havanese is covered in white fur. But while the white hue covers less than half the coat, its coverage is still more than a Havanese with only white markings.

Silver Markings

Silver markings are usually mistaken as white because of their brilliant and sparkling look. If you look attentively and in excellent lighting, you’ll see that silver markings take on a more gray tint than white.

Another crucial characteristic of Havanese dogs’ silver markings is that they often only cover a very small area, mostly on the face, neck, and paws.

Irish Pied

The Irish pied kind of marking is another variety of the Havanese dog that is frequently confused. The bulk of these Havanese dogs’ coats, which cover more than 50% of their bodies, is white.

An Irish pied Havanese’s white fur is more of a primary coat than a marking. Similar to the parti-color variant, the distribution of the white fur in Irish pied Havanese is random.

Silver Points

Silver points normally cover a very limited region. This pattern appears almost white, just like silver markings. The distribution of points is also a little more predictable.

Differing from silver markings, these small patches are often found on their chest, chin, and feet instead of face, neck, and paws.

Parti Belton

It is quite challenging to distinguish Havanese dogs with parti belton markings. It is usually identified by the presence of hair spots in distinct color patches inside patches of another color.

In white fur, the dots are often black or various degrees of brown. The parti part of the name of this characteristic comes from how it appears on white fur.

Due to the long nature of the Havanese dog’s coat, the spots become isolated strands of different colored patches within the tuft of white fur.

Havanese Breed Standards & Disqualifications

Although 24 Havanese coat colors are identified by the AKC, only 14 of these are considered standard. Nonetheless, this is still a wide variety considering the number of total coat variations.

Standard Colors:

• Black
• Chocolate
• Cream
• Fawn
• Gold
• Red
• Silver
• White
• Black & Silver
• Black & Tan
• Red Brindle
• Red Sable
• Black Brindle
• Silver Brindle
• Gold Brindle
• Gold Sable

Non-Standard Colors:

• Blue
• Blue Brindle
• Fawn Brindle
• Silver Sable
• Fawn Sable
• Chocolate Brindle
• Chocolate Sable
• Black & Tan Brindle
• Black & Silver Brindle

According to AKC, all colors listed under the standard column are permissible and are of equal merit. The skin may also be any standard color. Aside from these, the AKC also permits any form of markings.

Nonetheless, a Havanese may be disqualified if it has an incomplete or total lack of pigmentation of the eye rims, nose, and/or lips. Pigmentation other than black or brown on the eye rims, nose, or lips is also not accepted.

Do Havanese Colors Affect Behavior and Health?

The color of the Havanese’s fur, coat, or skin does not affect its temperament, behavior, and personality. Likewise, the color does not indicate your Havanese’s health.

It’s more important to consider the puppy’s temperament, general behavior, and interactions with you and your family to determine its personality. A routine visit to the vet is recommended for its health check.

Do Havanese Puppies Change Colors as They Grow?

Havanese puppies change coat colors over time; your pup may not look the same after a couple of years. This is caused by modifying genes common to the breed that influence their coat’s tone, pattern, and color.

The fur can also be made lighter or darker by some modifying genes. The breed’s natural coat color, however, is also a factor that predicts how the Havanese’s fur color will turn out to be.

What Color Will My Havanese Puppy Be?

Your Havanese pup’s color would most likely be dependent on the parents’ colors. Although their initial color may change, they are likelier to take on a shade like their parents’ fur coat hue.

Dogs usually get their permanent adult coat at two years of age, when your Havanese pup could take on its permanent coat color.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Parti Colored Mean in Dogs?

Parti-colored dogs display more than one color on their patterns or markings.

They look similar to multi-colored dogs, except they usually have one predominant color broken down by different shades.

What Is the Rarest Havanese Color?

A Havanese with a solid blue coat is among the rarest colors for this breed, followed by chocolate and brindle colors. These colors are rare because a recessive gene produces them.

This means both parents must possess or dominantly display the pigment for the puppies to inherit the color. This also means that they are more costly than other common colors.

What Is the Most Common Havanese Color?

A solid black coat is the most common Havanese color. A black coat with markings or a combination of black, tan, and silver coats is also quite common for the breed.

Other solid colors such as cream, white, and silver are also not unusual shades among Havanese pups.

Final Thoughts

Havanese dogs are Cuba’s national dogs and are natural stars in the canine world. These furballs have 24 variations of unique coat shades, excluding the count for possible markings and patterns.

Aside from a wide range of colors, these pups have the trait of changing coat colors as they grow. This means owners should be aware that their Havanese pups may look quite different after a couple of years.

With this said, it is important for those who want to adopt a Havanese pup with a specific color in mind that adopting the one they picture may be challenging with their quite unpredictable coat shades.

While the number of Havanese colors could be a bit intimidating, choosing a pup you like might be simpler than you think if you have done your research well.

Which Havanese color do you think is the best? Let us know in the comment section!