Havanese vs Papillon

Compare the Havanese to the Papillon. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Havanese and Papillons.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Havanese and Papillon are excellent choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both breeds are child friendly, but the Havanese is the most friendly between the breeds.
Grooming - The Papillon is easy to groom. The Havanese has high grooming requirements.
Barking - Both the Havanese and Papillon are average barkers.

Choose Another Breed to Compare

vs

Highlight Differences
Highlight Similarities

Havanese vs Papillon

Breed Name	Havanese	Papillon
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	Yes	No
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	12-16 yrs.
Height	8-11 in.	8-11 in.
Weight	7-13 lb	4-9 lb
Intelligence	Average	Average
History
Origin Country	Cuba	France
Origin Year	1800 AD	1500 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Good
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Personality
	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please	Affectionate Loving Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	No	No
Medium Yard	No	No
Large Yard	No	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	50°F to 75°F	50°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Below Average	Below Average
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	High
Exercise Required	Medium	High
Top Running Speed	12 mph	14 mph
Strength	Low	Low
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium	Low
Shedding	None-Low	None-Low
Dander	Low	Low
Drool Amount	None	None

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	Havanese	Papillon
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	Yes
Family/Pack	Yes	No
Independent	No	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	No
Average	Yes	Yes
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Below Average	Below Average
Chasing	Below Average	Below Average
Follow Commands	Below Average	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Very Low
Guarding	Very Low	Very Low
Herding	Below Average	Very Low
Hunting	Below Average	Below Average
Protection	Below Average	Very Low
Remove Vermin	Below Average	Average
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	Very Low	Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Havanese	Papillon
Lifespan
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	12-16 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Cataracts	Yes	No
Chondrodysplasia	Yes	No
Collapsed Trachea	No	Yes
Deafness	Yes	No
Elbow Dysplasia	Yes	No
Heart Murmurs	Yes	No
Hip Dysplasia	Yes	No
Hypoglycemia	No	Yes
Legg-perthes Disease	Yes	No
Mitral Valve Disease	Yes	No
Open Fontanel	No	Yes
Patellar Luxation	Yes	Yes
Portosystemic Liver Shunt	Yes	No
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Havanese	Papillon
Coat
Fur	Yes	No
Hair	No	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	No
Single Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Silky	Yes	Yes
Wavy	Yes	No
Straight	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Long	Yes	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black	Yes	No
Black & Silver	Yes	No
Black & Silver Brindle	Yes	No
Black & Tan	Yes	No
Black & Tan Brindle	Yes	No
Black Brindle	Yes	No
Blue	Yes	No
Blue Brindle	Yes	No
Chocolate	Yes	No
Chocolate Brindle	Yes	No
Chocolate Sable	Yes	No
Cream	Yes	No
Fawn	Yes	No
Fawn Brindle	Yes	No
Fawn Sable	Yes	No
Gold	Yes	No
Gold Brindle	Yes	No
Gold Sable	Yes	No
Red	Yes	Yes
Red Brindle	Yes	No
Red Sable	Yes	No
Silver	Yes	No
Silver Brindle	Yes	No
Silver Sable	Yes	No
White	Yes	Yes
Black, Brown, & White	No	Yes
Black, Red, & White	No	Yes
Brown & White	No	Yes
Fawn & White	No	Yes
Red, White, & Sable	No	Yes
Sable	No	Yes
White & Black	No	Yes
White & Lemon	No	Yes
White & Liver	No	Yes
White & Red	No	Yes
White & Sable	No	Yes
White & Silver	No	Yes
White, Black, & Tan	No	Yes