GALLERY 8 - HAVANA BROWN

An intriguing coat colour is the one we call Havana Brown. Whether this is a variation of brindle or a pattern of its own has not been determined yet. That it causes confusion is the one thing we do know about it.

Some registries call this colour Black Brindle or Brown Brindle, but truly, they are not at all alike, either as puppies or as adults. Black or Brown brindle is a stripey black or brown on silver/cream giving a streaky look to an adult coat. Havana Brown is a tobacco brown appearance throughout. Some countires call the colour Tobacco. Puppies are born so dark as to appear almost black, though some may have hints of red in the coat. There is no visible streaking or striping. As the dog matures, the coat turns to assorted shades of tobacco brown. The colour development is similar to that seen in silvers, but the coat turns tobacco brown rather than charcoal or silver. In other breeds, dogs of similar colouring are sometimes referred to as Seal. It may be that an unidentified colour filter is at work, or a modifier that allows red to be partially expressed on a black coat. There are theories, but geneticists have not yet positively identified what causes this colour, so, for now, this intriguing colour remains an enigma.

Havana Brown dogs can exhibit many shades from dusty brown to deep reddish off-black or a mix of different colour strands. The colour is not uniform; there may be darker shadings of colour, especially on the upper half of the body on the head, ruff, and tail. In some cases, as first glance, adult Havana browns can appear chocolate. The determinant factor to tell the difference is to look at the pigment. A Havana brown dog has black pigment while the chocolate dog has liver pigment. The majority of Havana Brown Havanese will have been registered as black, according to their puppy colour at time of registration. The distinct choice of Havana Brown or Tobacco is uncommon on the colour lists of most official registires, although some may have the choice available as "Other".