Neither standard contains a weight. Both are written in inches: the Bichon Frise at 9½ to 11½ inches preferred, the Havanese at 9 to 10½ inches ideal. Every pound figure you see for either breed comes from a veterinary or descriptive source, not from the breed’s own document.

Two standards written entirely in inches

These are the two standards on this site that are pure height documents.

	Bichon Frise	Havanese
Height, from the standard	9½ to 11½ in given primary preference; never over 12 nor under 9	9 to 10½ in ideal; 8½ to 11½ in acceptable
Weight, from the standard	None anywhere in it	None anywhere in it
Weight, non-standard sources	VCA 10 to 16 lb; PetMD 12 to 18 lb and “just under 1 foot tall”	VCA 7 to 13 lb
Coat, as written	Soft undercoat under a coarser curling outer coat that springs back when patted	A corded coat is permitted
Trim	Scissored to the natural outline	Corded, or brushed and trimmed

Where the pound figures actually come from

A breed standard is the written description a breed’s own club maintains. When it gives no weight, there is nothing authoritative to quote, so each website fills the gap with a different set of real dogs. That is the whole explanation for the figures you have been reading.

For the Bichon, VCA puts adults at 10 to 16 pounds and PetMD at 12 to 18 pounds, with height described as “just under 1 foot tall”. We leave that phrase as written rather than converting it, which would give it a precision it does not have. For the Havanese, VCA puts adults at 7 to 13 pounds. Those sources are the best available, but none is a standard.

What the standards do give is a floor and a ceiling in inches. The Bichon gives primary preference to 9½ to 11½ inches, never over 12 nor under 9. The Havanese calls 9 to 10½ inches ideal and 8½ to 11½ acceptable. Those ranges overlap, so height is not what separates these breeds. Our breed information pages work through each clause.

None of it predicts a puppy. Small breeds finish growing earlier than large ones, but nobody can read a puppy’s adult weight off a photograph. Judge condition by feeling the ribs and looking for a waist, the only method that works on a coated dog.

Coat is the real difference

The Bichon standard is unusually specific about texture. A soft undercoat sits under a coarser, curling outer coat, and the combination springs back when patted. The coat is then scissored to the natural outline of the body. That clause is a grooming instruction as much as a description: the shape you see is partly a haircut, kept by a groomer working to an outline rather than clipping to a length.

It also means the Bichon carries a double coat. The undercoat is part of how the dog regulates temperature, so it should not be shaved for summer. Ask for a shorter scissored trim instead.

The Havanese standard permits a corded coat, where the coat separates into cords rather than being brushed out. That is a different commitment, and a corded dog takes a long time to dry. Owners who skip the cords keep the coat brushed and trimmed, which is still daily work. The standard also describes a body slightly longer than tall.

So one coat is curly and scissored to a shape, the other soft and possibly corded. Both are standing-groomer-appointment dogs, plus brushing at home between visits. Better said plainly now than discovered in year two.

Temperament, as the standards phrase it

We have no sourced temperament wording for either breed, so we will not characterise them. Plenty of sites will tell you which is calmer or easier. Nobody has measured that, and we will not repeat it.

Individual dogs vary a great deal, within a breed and within a litter. The way to learn anything real is to spend time with the puppy and ask the people raising it what they have seen.

Both in a Georgia summer

Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, and both of these are small dogs under a lot of coat. Air conditioning, shade, water, walks at either end of the day. Humidity mats a curly coat faster than owners expect, so brushing through July is not optional in Lawrenceville.

Use a harness rather than a neck collar, since tracheal collapse is associated with toy breeds. Take any question about a particular dog’s tolerance for heat to your veterinarian.

Which one suits you

Are you comfortable with a breed whose adult weight is nowhere in its standard?
Do you want a coat scissored to a shape, or one you may let cord?
Can you keep a standing groomer appointment for the life of the dog?
Have you put your hands on both coats rather than judging from photographs?

Those are yours to answer. Work through our other breed comparisons, then see available puppies by breed for what is in the showroom.

Common questions

Which is bigger, a Bichon Frise or a Havanese?

Their height ranges overlap and neither standard gives a weight. On the non-standard sources the Bichon reads heavier: VCA gives 10 to 16 pounds and PetMD 12 to 18, against VCA’s 7 to 13 pounds for the Havanese.

Why is there no weight in either standard?

Because both are written in inches. Each breed club made that choice, and it is why pound figures for these two vary between websites.

Can I shave a Bichon down for summer?

You should not. The standard describes a soft undercoat under a curling outer coat, and the undercoat is part of how the dog handles temperature. Ask your groomer for a shorter scissored trim instead.