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Comparison

Havanese vs Labrador Retriever

Side-by-side comparison from peer-reviewed sources. Lifespan and health figures draw on Royal Veterinary College VetCompass and AKC breed data.

"Havanese studio portrait"
Small14.5 yr avg

Havanese

AKC · Toy

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"Labrador Retriever studio portrait"
Large13.1 yr avg

Labrador Retriever

AKC · Sporting

View breed
At a glance

Side-by-side

The numbers that most change day-to-day care. A citrus border marks a meaningful advantage.

Small

Havanese

Lifespan14.5 yrrange 14–15
SizeSmall
Weight7–13 lb3.2–5.9 kg
Height8.5–11.5 in21.6–29.2 cm
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12
AKC groupToy
Energy3/545 min/day
Trainability4/5
Shedding2/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs5/5
Large

Labrador Retriever

Lifespan13.1 yrrange 13–14
SizeLarge
Weight55–80 lb24.9–36.3 kg
Height21.5–24.5 in54.6–62.2 cm
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10
AKC groupSporting
Energy5/590 min/day
Trainability5/5
Shedding4/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs5/5
Health

Common health issues

Top 3 prevalence-ranked conditions for each breed. See each breed's full health profile for screening schedules and source data.

Havanese

  • High prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Labrador Retriever

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Synthesis

Which is right for you?

The Havanese tends to live about 1.4 years longer on average than the Labrador Retriever (14.5 vs 13.1 years).

Size gap is meaningful: the Havanese is small and the Labrador Retriever is large. Expect different considerations for housing, travel, and vet-care costs.

Energy levels differ significantly. Labrador Retrievers need substantially more daily exercise than Havaneses — plan for 90+ active minutes per day with the Labrador Retriever.

Havaneses carry a heavier breed-specific health burden (1 high-prevalence conditions vs 0 for the Labrador Retriever). Budget for screening accordingly.

See Havanese profileSee Labrador Retriever profile
Or calculate your dog's age
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