The havanese is considered a very popular breed in the U.S., but this little dog has an exciting past. This dog was brought over from the sailors from the Canary Islands of Spain to Cuba in the 17th century. At one point, this dog was considered a dog to the aristocrats, but eventually became a beloved dog to everyone.
The breed has a loving moniker of “little white dogs of Havana”. This breed also makes a great pet because they come in a good size, are playful, intelligent, and aren’t considered high maintenance dogs.
When your pet becomes a beloved member of your household, you want to make sure to provide the best for them, whether its a carrier to bring them on trips with, a great brush or with a healthy diet. The last few years, people are becoming not only aware of what we put in our own bodies, but what we put in our pets bodies, too.
There are too many stories about dogs being too lethargic or suffering from digestive issues. Ideally, many dog experts recommend feeding your dog a raw diet. Unfortunately, for many people this is not realistic because it is not cost-effective or there is a time constraint. The good news is there are plenty of other options you can find so you can rest assured you’re providing the best for your little friend.
We will take a look at the best food for your adult havanese, and luckily these brands offer the best dog food for a havanese puppy, too!
Different Types of Dog Food
Our article will focus on the best dry dog food, but we did want to quickly explain the different options. Also, no matter what diet route you decide to go, make sure to remember that the havanese thrives on water so make sure to keep them well hydrated.
Raw Food
As mentioned before, many experts believe this diet is ideal for pets. However, it can be very expensive and not something that can be left out all day for your dog since refrigeration is usually required. There are some people who even make their own food, too, but the next best thing would be visiting the refrigerated section at specialty pet stores or even some chains like Whole Foods. If you want to switch your pet to a raw food diet, make sure to make gradual changes. Ideally you should go from dry to canned to raw.
Canned food
Canned food normally has 70-80% water, which is way many experts still recommend giving your havanese some canned food. When purchasing canned food, you want to make sure the first ingredient is a protein. After that, make sure to look for ingredients like sweet potatoes or tomatoes. You want to think of it as the same thing a human would eat, and avoid any fillers.
Dry Food
This is the option we will discuss in this article. Dry food typically gets a bad reputation since there are so many “junk food” brands out there. However, during the last few years, more and more natural brands are appearing to give people a cost-efficient way of taking care of their dog, but still giving them the best quality. With dry ingredients, it is the same as canned food: make sure the first two ingredients are a protein and the ingredients after are healthy fruits or vegetables.
Best Havanese Dog Food Comparison Table
The Top 5 Foods for a Havanese Dog
Of course you want to provide delicious, but quality food for your furry friend. These brands are the ones that receive the best reviews from owners. Looking at the top dog food reviews might seem overwhelming at first. You may think, “how will I know what my pet will like best?” The good news is we selected the best options that all offer very similar ingredients.
1. Taste of Wild Dry Dog Food
This brand is considered a best seller on sites like Amazon, and the reviews make it one of the best food for havanese dogs. The Taste of Wild brand recognizes that throughout the years, dogs have become very domesticated. However, they believe that dogs should indulge in a diet “dedicated by their genes”.
They offer unique flavors like bison & venison, boar, lamb, salmon, and wildfowl assisting you in giving you the customization and variety your dog craves. The bags also range in sizes from 5-pound to 30-pound perfect so you never have to worry about having too much food or worry about running out.
This brand is extremely popular because the best food for havanese breed will always have real roasted meats listed as the first ingredient, as mentioned earlier. This specific brand is also great because it is for all stages of life making it an option for the best puppy food for havanese breed. Many users raved that since they switched to this brand, their dogs have suffered from less digestion issues. This is in part to being grain-free, but also offering antioxidants to boost the immune system.
This brand states that they have a “nutritional philosophy” that dogs should have a diet based primarily of meat. This is another brand that offers the best food for havanese breed thanks to not using fillers and offering quality meat with real vegetables.
Besides being grain-free, you can rest assured you will not find any artificial colors or preservatives, nor soy or corn either with this product; many havanese dogs can experience digestive issues if those items are found in their food. Many reviewers also commented about how much their dogs digestive system improved after switching to this brand.
The original flavor offers debone turkey and chicken. Also, if you’re looking for the best puppy food for a havanese puppy, be sure to check out Wellness Core’s Puppy Formula. Wellness Core also boasts that their products are made in the U.S. This brand also highly recommends mixing their dry food with wet food to increase water levels for your dog’s diet.
While many dog owners praise grain-free dog food, this brand has decided to offer complex carbs in their food. You may question why a brand would offer that if so many dog owners are not fans of grains for their dogs, but Blue Buffalo believes dogs need complex carbs to increase their energy. And, it is important to understand the difference of rice versus wheat.
Wheat is the ingredient that should be avoided, but rice can be great for many of the dogs. The havanese are dogs filled with a lot of energy, and you want to help them maintain it in a healthy way. This product is also recommended because it has a smaller amount of animal protein, which is ideal for a breed like the havanese because too much animal fat can lead to liver issues according to many havanese specialists.
Blue Buffalo also makes their dog food in the U.S. Many users raved about this product improving the coat of fur their dogs had. Not only did their hair have more shine, but also any weird rashes went away. Blue Buffalo is another company that takes pride in not manufacturing food that has preservatives, wheat, soy, or any artificial colors. Your dog will enjoy the finest nutrient-rich ingredients like whole carrots and sweet potatoes.
This brand is the best food for havanese dogs if you are trying to get the best bargain, but still want to provide high quality ingredients to your pet. The flavors offered are beef, chicken, or lamb.
The Diamond Natural brand notes that their food is prepared with antioxidant formulation (vitamin E and selenium) and balanced omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) and because of this, many people commented how shiny and healthy their dog’s coat of hair became.
This food also is considered a “crunchy kibble”, and the company states this is ideal for healthy teeth for your dog. However, there are some havanese dog experts who question that theory. Again, it’s important to do thorough research.
Merrick is a brand that wants dogs, in all stages of their lives, to thrive on quality ingredients. They offer flavors like beef, buffalo, chicken, duck, salmon, and venison. Their food is usually 70% meat and 30% produce. They also proudly state that their first ingredient is always deboned meat, which as I said, is always key when buying dog food. Like many of the other brands listed here, they also don’t have any ingredients from China and offer grain-free as well.
Merrick also has the essential omegas needed, but also has glucosamine to support joint health. Merrick also states that all their food is cooked in the U.S. in an organic certified kitchen, and one batch at a time to ensure quality. They also locally source their produce ingredients, offering the best sweet potatoes or blueberries for example.
The Next 5 Best Dog Foods for Havanese
1. Canidae Grain free pure dry dog food
Here is another grain-free option, with lamb being the optimal flavor. This specific product is marketed towards dogs with sensitive stomachs.
2. Organix Small Breed
Here is another recommendation from the Organix brand, but this time targeted ideally for the havanese size. The only flavor option is chicken, and it offers 32% protein that your dog needs. The rest of the ingredients are all organic, and this option is grain-free, too.
3. Victor Grain Free
The grain-free trend continues yet again. The flavor option for this popular choice is salmon (32% protein) and sweet potato (34% carbohydrate). All the essential omegas are found in this brand, but this brand has also added prebiotics to ensure healthy digestion.
4. Fromm Gold Small Breed Adult Dog Food
Here is another food option targeted specifically to the smaller breeds again. There aren’t too many flavor options, but reviewers still raved how their finicky dogs ate up this brand. This brand makes note that their kibble size is smaller, ideal for the havanese breed.
5. Merrick Classic Small Breed Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food
This final option is for smaller breeds as well. The company proudly states they make all their food in the U.S. This brand also incorporates unique food options like quinoa or chia seeds to make sure your dog gets extra nutrients.
Other Quality Brands of Food for the Havanese breed
Most of the best food for havanese comes from brands listed above, like Taste of the Wild, because these brands have great reviews and produce quality food. However, there are other brands you can consider like the ones listed below.
Organix
This brand says they’re “obsessed with pet nutrition” and for the last decade have been working on providing the healthiest and delicious treats for pets. All their food is made in the U.S. and they say the test, and then re-test, every product to make sure your pet is getting the best quality from organically certified kitchens. You can rest assured your dog will not get fillers or artificial ingredients with this brand.
Victor Dog Food
Victor is another brand that is great for all stages in your dog’s life. They offer grain-free, but do a lower protein level, but have a higher (healthy) fat percentage. This is great to consider because remember, many havanese experts say you don’t want them to have to high of a protein diet. Victor’s salmon recipe is a popular alternative to dogs that may be sensitive to other type of meats. Victor also uses the best ingredients and state their produce is locally sourced.
Buying Guide/ Things to consider
The good news is there are countless options when you’re looking for the best dog food for the havanese breed, but the search can seem overwhelming at times. It’s important to remember that what may work for one owner does not guarantee it will work for your havanese dog. When you doing your research, here are some things to consider.
Protein
Remember, this is important with any dog. However, with this specific breed you want to make sure you’re offering them an authentic, lean protein. The protein should be part of the first three ingredients. You also want to make sure the protein is derived from an actual meat source and not with fillers that can cause digestive issues for your dog.
Healthy Fats
The keyword here is healthy. Just like for humans, dogs need fats, too. Looking for brands that offer fish oils, or omega-3 specifically, will keep your dog’s coat shiny and healthy. The omegas will also help with eye and brain development. This is extremely important when searching for the best dog food for havanese puppies. The healthy fats will also promote a healthy heart, which will lead to an easier digestion, better metabolism, and healthier liver.
Natural Ingredients
Without a doubt, you want to give your dog premium ingredients. It is always important to read the labels because of this. Avoid preservatives and artificial colors or flavors. To take it a step further, look for dog food manufactured in the U.S. Unfortunately, there are too many horror stories about dog food recalls from warehouses located in other countries. Plus, they may not have the high quality standards for ingredients like many U.S. brands.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide on choosing the best food for havanese has helped. Our top pick is the Taste of the Wild Grain Free dog food. Let us know what you went with in the comments and how your havanese liked it.