All About Havanese

About the Breed

The Havanese is a small, silky coated dog of great charm. They are silly, smart and will quickly steal your heart. They are so endearing and sensitive to their families and quickly desire to 'help' if anyone is not feeling well.

They have a spring in their step with their tails curled over their back and always look joyful as they prance around. They have a beautiful silk coat that comes in a variety of colors, causing them to be called a 'rainbow of colors'. The coat can be kept natural, which takes quite a bit of grooming, or can be clipped into a shorter cut that is easy to maintain. Regardless of how the coat is kept, the Havanese is adorable.

The Havanese has a way of adapting to their environment and learning the expectations. They are naturally silly and enjoy the attention of others. Their outgoing nature makes them good companions both in and out of the home as long as good manners have been taught. The Havanese can be good alarm dogs, but generally keep barking to a minimum except to let you know someone is at the door.

Havanese History

The Havanese is the National dog of Cuba and it's only native breed. It is also known as the Bichon Havanais, toy Havanese, Spanish Silk Poodle, Cuban Silk Poodle, Little Silk Dog, Bichon Habanero, and Havana Silk Dog. There are many different theories on the development of the Havanese, while the exact history appears to be lost in antiquity, it is thought the Havanese is a direct descendant of the ancient Banquito de la Cubano, meaning 'white cuban', and was a small white (or sometimes shades of fawn or parti-color) silky coated dog of the aristocracy. What has never changed in any version of Havanese history is the description of a delightful little dog from Cuba that has long, silky hair and comes in a large variety of colors.

The most likely origin of the breed (in my personal opinion): Originally they were likely brought in on Italian trading ships as gifts to the wealthy senoras, which would then open the door for them to sell their expensive, unique items they accumulated during their travels abroad. These dogs were of origins of the Tenerife and of the Bichon family of dogs, small in size and weight with tails curled over their back and wavy hair. In Cuba they were the lap dogs of the aristocratic elite. They developed into a uniquely Cuban dog exhibiting the characteristics of it's people. The coat developed to be like raw silk, light in texture and capable of protecting them from the harsh sun and heat.

During the eighteenth century Colonial Cuba became quite the vacation spot for Europeans and these delightful little dogs of Havana were transported back by European aristocrats and became very popular among the elite. Queen Victoria had two and Charles Dickens had one named Tim. During the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centruy

During the Cuban revolution many Cuban families had to leave their beloved pets behind as they fled to other countries for safety. The families thought it was to be for a short time, so left their beloved pets in the care of others. However, it was not to be that they could return to their homes. During this time the breed nearly saw extinction, though some dogs did survive the revolution through families who were able to bring their pets with them as they fled Cuba. These Havanese became the foundation stock for the re-establishment of the breed. In the late 1960's Dorothy Goodale learned about the breed and became enamored with their charm and began a process of finding dogs who had immigrated to America to begin a formal breeding program to re-establish the breed in the US. She used the 1963 FCI standard as the 'road map' to this endeavor. She was able to acquire 12 dogs which became the foundation of the Havanese breed in America and to a large extent Europe, as many dogs were exported to Europe as they learned about this delightful breed.

The description Dorothy Goodale gave of her Havanese is spot on to how most feel about their precious Havanese. 'He is the light of my life, the sun in my morning, the most charming and discreet of beggars at my table. He will play the clown when I am sad... never failing to charm the smile right out of me. He is the ear when I need to tell something that I can trust with no other. He will dance for me, talk with me, be my most enthusiastic traveling companion with the most exemplary of manners. His personality has as many facets as a priceless gem. What can I say? He is a Havanese!' (Havanese a Complete and Reliable Handbook by Dorothy Goodale) The Havanese is a member of the Bichon family, all originating in the Mediterranean and all consisting of small lap dogs with delightful personalities and making wonderful companions. Each developed in their own country of origin, according to the preferences of their native people. The relatives of the Havanese include the Bichon Frise, Maltese, Bolognese, Lowchen, Coton de Tulear, and Bolonka. Havanese Standard The Havanese was recognized by UKC in 1991 and AKC in 1999. The Havanese is bred under many standards including the UKC and AKC in the US, the CKC in Canada and FCI in Europe. There are some differences in the standard, but regardless of which standard or country the Havanese is bred under, they should all represent the beauty of the Havanese. The original FCI 1963 standard is the foundation for every other standard and all changes that have occurred were added to or subtracted from that original standard. Key elements for the Havanese Breed: - Small dog, 8.5-11.5 inches at the shoulder, weight in accordance to height 7-13lb (AKC does not have weight in the standard any longer, but all other standards do.) - Lean boned but a sturdy, little dog, neither fragile nor course/stocky - Long, silky hair that flows with movement, but is not so profuse as to obstruct the outline - Slight rise in topline - Rectangular outline, slightly longer than tall. - Length of leg floor to elbow equal to distance elbow to top of shoulder. - Soft, gentle, intelligent expression with large, very dark, almond eyes.

- Pigment black or dark brown in a chocolate dog. - Tail carried over the back (allowed to drop when standing still). - Head held high with distinction. - A playful demeanor and faithful companion.

Color and patterns of Havanese

All colors and patterns other than merle are found within the Havanese gene pool. Possible colors in the Havanese include cream, gold of many shades, red of many shades, sables including red, gold and silver in various shades, black/tan, black/silver, black/cream, brindles of silver, gold and red of various shades, black, chocolate of various shades. Each of these colors then may also have white spotting of various patterns from extreme parti (mostly white with a few colored spots), to Irish Pied (white on face, chest, stomach, all four feet, tip of tail and possible collar ring) or simply some tiny white markings, most common on chest and tips of toes. The white markings can be very small or very extreme. There is not a 'rare' color in the Havanese, all colors and markings are found. Some colors are dominant, such as black, and others are recessive, such as cream, black/tan, sable, chocolate, red, etc. However, Havanese carry for a very wide variety of colors and patterns and all are acceptable equally according to the standard. The only exception are dilutes which is a disqualification according to the standard. Havanese do not carry for merle.

Dilute (genetically, dd) causes the pigment of a chocolate to appear much lighter and is often called isabella, and makes black pigment appear more grayish, often called blue. The eyes of a dilute puppy are often much lighter, some appearing green, hazel or blue. Some dilutes may inherit a genetic disposition for color dilute alopecia, (CDA) which causes hair loss and skin irritation, and thus is a potential health issue. Dilute is recessive and requires two copies to be expressed, so it is wise if breeders do not breed two dilute carriers together, thus, this will eliminate the possibility of producing puppies with CDA.