Home / Shih Tzu vs Havanese
Shih Tzu usually wins on sturdier build and a much longer AKC pedigree. Havanese usually wins on faster house-training and a lighter, no-blowout grooming routine. Here is the honest, numbers-first breakdown.
Short answer: pick the Shih Tzu if you want the sturdier build on paper and a much longer AKC show history. Pick the Havanese if you want the easier dog to house-train and a lighter grooming routine with no seasonal coat blowout to manage. Longer answer: both breeds get compared constantly because they are small, long-coated companion breeds with similar lap-dog personalities on paper, but the real differences show up in build, coat maintenance, and exactly how forgiving house training is, not in some vague "better breed" verdict. Here is the honest side by side.
Our take
The Shih Tzu is the sturdier of the two on paper: the AKC standard calls for a "compact, solid" dog carrying real weight and substance, and at 9 to 16 pounds it runs heavier than the Havanese's 7 to 13 pounds. It also has 27 more years on the AKC books, recognized in 1969 against the Havanese's 1996, which means more documented generations and breed-club health data to review. The Havanese, in turn, was bred for one job across roughly two thousand years, staying close and being loved, and that shows up today as a dog that is eager to please and typically house-trains much faster than a Shih Tzu, whose small bladder and well-documented dislike of bad weather can stretch the process to several months. The Havanese's soft double coat also sheds in a steadier, more predictable way than the Shih Tzu's, which mats more easily and needs near-daily brushing to stay in good shape. Both are affectionate, people-oriented lap dogs, not allergy-free, and neither loves rough, unsupervised handling. If you are choosing on sturdier build and breed history, lean Shih Tzu. If you are choosing on faster house-training and lighter grooming upkeep, lean Havanese.
Twelve points that actually matter when you are choosing between the two, not just breed-standard trivia.
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| What matters | Shih Tzu | Havanese |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 9 to 16 lbs by breed standard | 7 to 13 lbs |
| Height at shoulder | 8 to 11 in, ideally 9 to 10.5 in | 8.5 to 11.5 in |
| Coat structure | True double coat, dense woolly undercoat under a long silky topcoat | Soft double coat, silky outer coat and undercoat, no dramatic seasonal blowout |
| Shedding | Low day to day, but the undercoat releases more heavily each spring and fall, mostly trapped in the topcoat | Low and fairly steady, never allergy-free |
| Temperament | Affectionate and people-oriented, bred for centuries as a palace companion, can get willful if allowed to call the shots | Cheerful and gentle, rarely defensive with strangers |
| With young kids | Compact and solidly built per the breed standard, generally good with kids, but its short muzzle makes it more prone to overheating during rough or excited play | Cheerful and patient by temperament, but lighter-boned than a Shih Tzu, so gentle supervised handling still matters |
| Trainability | AKC rates it very trainable overall, but house training specifically is notoriously slow, often several weeks to a few months | Eager to please, house-trains quickly with positive methods |
| Exercise needs | Short daily walks plus indoor play, but its short muzzle means care is needed in heat or humidity | Short daily walks plus indoor play |
| Grooming | Brushing every 1 to 2 days (daily if kept long), professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks | 2 to 3 brushings a week, trim every 6 to 8 weeks if kept short |
| Health testing to ask for | Eye exam (CAER, required for a CHIC number), patella evaluation; hip and cardiac are optional | Hip, patella, eye exam (CERF or CAER), cardiac, BAER hearing |
| Average lifespan | 10 to 18 years, a wide range per the AKC and PetMD | 13 to 16 years |
| AKC recognition | 1969 | 1996, 27 years later |
| Typical price | $1,000 to $3,000 on average, $1,200 to $4,000 from reputable breeders | $1,500 to $3,500 from a reputable breeder, most commonly $2,000 to $2,500 |
If you have only ever seen a Havanese in a show-ring topknot, the breed's actual background explains a lot about its temperament and coat.
The Havanese descends from small companion dogs brought to Cuba centuries ago and was developed there purely as a lap dog, with no herding or hunting job ever bred into it. The Havanese Club of America built the breed's US registry through the 1970s, and the AKC recognized the breed in 1996, 27 years after the Shih Tzu. That purely-companion history still shows up today: a cheerful, eager-to-please temperament that trains and house-trains faster than most toy breeds.
Unlike the Shih Tzu's dense, woolly undercoat, the Havanese carries a softer double coat, a silky outer layer over a softer undercoat, that grows more continuously rather than releasing in one big seasonal dump. That means fewer surprise mats to chase, though it still needs 2 to 3 brushings a week to stay tangle-free. The Havanese also has a normal muzzle length, so it carries none of the brachycephalic heat and breathing considerations that come with the Shih Tzu's flatter face.
The honest part
It would be easy for a Shih Tzu site to only tell you what is good about a Shih Tzu. Here is where the Havanese is genuinely the better dog on paper, not a consolation prize.
The Havanese, generally. Havanese are eager to please and respond quickly to positive training, including house training. The Shih Tzu is just as people-oriented and the AKC rates the breed very trainable overall, but house training specifically is notoriously slow: small bladders plus a documented reluctance to go outside in rain, cold, or wind can stretch the process to several months.
The Shih Tzu, by a real margin. The AKC breed standard puts a mature Shih Tzu at 9 to 16 pounds, heavier than a Havanese's typical 7 to 13 pounds. Height is closer, Shih Tzu stand about 8 to 11 inches at the shoulder against the Havanese's 8.5 to 11.5 inches, but on weight the Shih Tzu is the sturdier, heavier-bodied breed of the two.
Both are low-shedding, for different coat reasons. The Havanese has a soft double coat that sheds in a fairly steady, low-key way with no dramatic seasonal blowout. The Shih Tzu also carries a true double coat and sheds lightly day to day, but its undercoat releases more heavily during spring and fall coat changes, with most of that loose hair trapped in the topcoat rather than falling free, which means more frequent brushing to prevent mats during those stretches.
Neither is allergy-free, but both are commonly recommended to allergy-sensitive owners. The Shih Tzu's double coat sheds less around the house than most breeds because loose hair tends to stay trapped in the long topcoat. The Havanese's soft double coat sheds steadily rather than in a big seasonal dump. If allergies are a real concern, spend time with an adult dog of the specific breed before you commit to either.
It's close, and the ranges overlap. The AKC and PetMD put the Shih Tzu at 10 to 18 years, a wide range that stretches further at the top end. The Havanese averages 13 to 16 years. Individual health and genetics matter more than the small gap between breed averages.
The Shih Tzu, by 27 years. The AKC recognized the Shih Tzu on September 1, 1969. The Havanese did not enter the AKC Stud Book until 1996. That gap means more documented generations and more historical breed-club health data to review when vetting a Shih Tzu breeder's lines.
Leaning Shih Tzu? See what to look for before you buy and what day-to-day life with the coat and brachycephalic care actually looks like. Leaning Havanese? See Havanese puppies at Havanese Finder, a family-owned site in the same network.
Read the breeder checklist