Havanese
About Breed
Havanese, the only dog breed native to Cuba, are cheerful little dogs with a spring in their step and a gleam in their big, brown eyes. These vivacious and sociable companions are becoming especially popular with American city dwellers. Distinctive features of the Havanese include a curled-over tail and a gorgeous silky coat, which comes in a variety of colors. Some owners enjoy cording the coat, in the manner of a Puli, and others clip it short to reduce grooming time. Happily, Havenese are just as cute no matter what hairdo you give them. Their small but sturdy bodies, adaptable nature, and social skills make Havanese an ideal city dog, but they are content to be anywhere that they can command the attention of admirers young and old alike. Havanese, smart and trainable extroverts with the comic instincts of a born clown, are natural trick dogs. Havanese are also excellent watchdogs and take the job seriously, but will usually keep the barking to a minimum.
History
The Havanese (singular or plural, the name’s the same) is from the ancient Bichon family of little white dogs and claims such breeds as the Bichon Frise and Maltese as probable common ancestors. Since the earliest days of human civilization, lively lapdogs of this type were bartered around the world by seafaring merchants. In all times and places, small, clever dogs that did no useful work were among the possessions that set royals and aristocrats apart from lower social classes.
The native lapdog of Cuba’s aristocrats and wealthy planters was the Havanese, named for the capital city of Havana, where the breed gained greatest favor. Depending on the source, the breed’s forerunners were said to be brought to the island nation by Italian sea captains or by the Spaniards charged with colonizing the New World in the 1600s.
