The
Havanese is the National dog of Cuba and the only breed native to the island.
The Cuban love of the charming little Bichon Havanese is evident in their use
of his likeness on a 1992 souvenir issue postage stamp. Sadly, the
actual origin of the Havanese breed is foggy at best. Century's of conjecture
and mystery have blurred the specifics and left much of the early development
of the little breed to a patchwork of fact and fiction.
Most
historians seem to agree the roots of today's Havanese dog appear to have
originated in the western Mediterranean area. Early ship's logs from the
sixteenth century speak of dogs that traveled with the families of Spanish
aristocracy to Cuba. At that time the Bichon breeds were quite popular in
Europe as lapdogs. The enchanting little dogs were quite small and easily
carried. They were quick to learn, adept at performing tricks and games, and
were all around charmers. They became a favorite lapdog of the Cuban
Aristocracy, making their homes on the vast sugar plantations owned by these
wealthy patrons of the breed. They were often known as Havana Silk Dogs.
Litters
were never offered for commercial sale. Instead they were planned for the
express purpose of sharing with intimate friends and family members. The
little dogs were rarely seen outdoors, other than with their mistresses during
promenades. So desired were the dogs, that stories abound of ships
captains offering them as gifts to the affluent wives of Cuban businessmen in
the hopes of garnering business for the sea merchants. These dogs most likely
came from Tenerife, one of the few ports open to Cuba for trade at the time,
which would have made the dogs accessible to the ships passing through. The
Dog of Tenerife was able to develop with out much outside influence, becoming
the common ancestor to all Bichon breeds.
Once
on the Island of Cuba, the dogs seemed to acclimatize to the tropical island
extremely well. They became quite heat-tolerant. They developed profuse silky
coats, which protected them from the sun and heat, much as a sari protects the
women of India. The coat's silk floss texture became one of its distinctive
features. The coats were never clipped so as to allow the light airy layers to
protect the dog from the tropical rays, and the hair was allowed to fall
forward over the dog's eyes to protect them from the intense sunlight.
Even
as the "Bichon Havanese" emerged as a favorite of Cuban Aristocracy,
they also found their way to Europe. European Aristocracy vacationing in
Havana became quite enchanted by the dogs, returning home with them at the end
of their holidays. The Havanese proceeded to find favor in the courts of
Spain, France, and England. By the mid-eighteenth century, the little dog of
Havana was quite trendy. Queen Victoria owned two and Charles Dickens owned
one.
During
the dog's brief appearance in Europe, they could be found enchanting audiences
both at dog shows, and performing in circus acts. Unfortunately, none are
known to have survived the turbulence of the century in Europe.Near the start
of the twentieth century in Cuba, slavery was being replaced by mechanized
equipment. The aristocratic families who had closely guarded the ownership of
the dogs were disappearing, no longer able to maintain their vast sugar
plantations without the cheap labor they were accustomed to.
With
the absence of their wealthy patrons, the Bichon Havanese were now free to win
the hearts of the general public, ingratiating themselves into Cuban family
life, and becoming the preferred dog of the common people.Many wealthy Cubans
migrated from the island of Cuba after the Socialist Revolution of the 1960's.
By that time, the Havanese had virtually disappeared throughout the world, and
the little dogs were on the verge of extinction. Three families are known to
have smuggled their Bichon Havanese aboard ships with them. The Perez and
Fantasio families immigrated to Florida, while Ezekial Barba went to Costa
Rica. Once settled, these three families worked together to preserve the breed
by combining their gene pools.
In the early 1970's,
Dorothy and Bert Goodale in Colorado were able to acquire 11 dogs from the
three families. All the Havanese in the world today, except for possibly some
in "Iron Curtain" countries, and those remaining in Cuba, stem from
the 11 dogs the Goodale's acquired from the Perez, Fantasio, and Barba lines.
In 1991, 15 purebred havanese were found in Cuba and a carefully supervised
breeding program was put into place, using them as foundation stock with the
Cuban Bichon Habanero Club overseeing their resurgence.
