About
The Havanese
Health
In Cuba
Standard Temperament
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Havanese History
Although it is new to the AKC, the Havanese is quite an old breed in dog years. Its history is fascinating and important to defining type, as it is unique in many respects. The Havanese is the National dog of Cuba and its only native breed. The flag of Spain was first raised over Cuba by Christopher Columbus in November of 1492. In the 10 years following, colonization was begun on the island by Spain, who owned it for the better part of the next 400 years.
The first settlers came from two distinct classes: farmers primarily from the island of Tenerife, and the "segundos," or second sons of the Spanish aristocracy. Ship's logs of the early sixteenth century reveal that dogs were brought along on these early colonists' voyages, and logic tells us they were most likely the dog of Tenerife, common ancestor to all the Bichon family. Because of the trade restrictions imposed on its colonies by Spain, Tenerife remained one of the only ports open to Cuba for trade, and it would appear these little dogs, who soon found their way into the homes of the resident Spanish aristocracy, developed without much outside influence.
It is believed that during the days of the Spanish Empire they were brought to Cuba by sea captains to be sold to wealthy Cuban families as well as given as gifts to win the favor of wealthy senoras who would encourage their merchant husbands to ship their merchandise on the sea captains' ships.
The dogs did, however, develop in response to the climate of this tropical island. The Havanese of today is still a remarkably heat-tolerant little dog, due in no small part to the unique coat. Once called the Havana Silk Dog, or the Spanish Silk Poodle, the dog has a coat like raw silk floss, profuse, but extremely light and soft, and insulating against the tropical rays much like yards of silk in an Indian sari protect the women of India. In its native country, the coat was never clipped for this reason, and the hair never tied into a topknot, as the Cubans believe it protects the eyes from the harsh sun.
In spite of the trade restrictions, Colonial Cuba developed and prospered. By the 18th Century, it was the cultural center of the New World, with an elegance that surpassed anything the British had managed in its colonies. The aristocracy of Europe found the city of Havana to be a great vacation spot, with its operas, theaters, and palaces. On their return to Europe, they brought back the little Dog of Havana, which found favor in the courts of Spain, France, and England. In both Spain and in the court of Louis XVI, they were shorn in the poodle style and were much admired for their diminutive size. The English, on the other hand, appeared to leave them au natural and called them the White Cuban, although they were also found in parti-colors and shades of fawn.
By the mid-eighteenth century, they were downright trendy in Europe. Queen Victoria owned two, and Charles Dickens had one, beloved of his seven children and named Tim. They were exhibited in the early European dog shows, and type was well established. In Cuba meanwhile, the times were changing. The aristocracy of the sugar barons was dying out and a new class was emerging, the bourgeoisie, and the little dog of Havana, adaptable as always, became a family dog
extraordinaire, playmate of children, watchdog, and herder of the family poultry flock, a position he has held there for the past 150 years.
With the advent of the Cuban revolution, the class of Cubans who owned Havanese was the first to leave. Many fled with their dogs to Costa Rica, and a handful of dogs found their way to this country until, by the end of the 1970's, a gene pool was being rebuilt. Most of the Havanese in the world today, save those from the Iron Curtain countries and those remaining in Cuba, stem from those early immigrants numbering less than a dozen. Remarkably, through all their travels, Havanese type has remained virtually unchanged from that of the dogs painted in the eighteenth century. To preserve it now and for the future is the challenge.
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