Origin
The Havanese has become a popular choice with people all over the world thanks to their charming looks and delightful natures. They are lively little dogs known to be intelligent, affectionate and they love nothing more than to be the centre of attention in a family environment.
Once known as the Havanese Silk Dog, these little dogs are quite high maintenance in the grooming department, but they are not heavy shedders so they don't leave much of their long silky hair around the home. The Havanese is a great choice for families with children, but they also make loyal and loving companions too.
In their native Cuba, the Havanese is known as the Habanero and they are the country's National Dog. It is thought the breed originally hails from Spain and that these little dogs were taken over to Cuba by either Italian traders or Spanish colonists. Once in Cuba, these charming little dogs soon became popular with wealthier Cubans. However, when communism took hold in the country, many Cubans took flight and relocated to the USA taking their beloved Habaneros with them.
The Havanese is related to the Bichon because both breeds share the same ancestors, namely the Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog and the Water Spaniel. However, these little dogs are quite unique because over time, they were developed in their native Cuba without any outside influences which resulted in them having very specific traits, one of which is they are extremely heat tolerant all thanks to their rather unique coat which is profuse and very similar to raw silk and it insulates the Havanese efficiently when the temperatures are high.
The Havanese became very popular in England during the mid-eighteenth century with Queen Victoria owning one of these charming little dogs. Charles Dickens was another well-known person to own one. Very soon many of these delightful dogs were exhibited at shows both in the UK and Europe. In their native Cuba too, the Havanese were fast becoming a popular choice with people other than the rich and wealthy, but sadly the numbers of dogs went on the decline after the revolution after the revolution.
The Havanese we see today are all descendants of eleven dogs that were taken out of Cuba to America where the breed was further developed. With this said, not much has changed in the breed with dogs looking very much like the Havanese that were around back in the eighteenth century.
