What is a Havanese Dog?

As with other illustrious dog breeds, Havanese history is a mixture of charm and mystery. Many people speculate regarding the humble beginnings of this regal breed. One of the few facts that we know is that the Havanese breed originated from Cuba around the 1800’s. The Bichon Havanese, as it is called in Cuba, is the National Dog of Cuba and is its only native breed. It is of no doubt to me that the Havanese won the hearts of the Cuban people with their endearing eyes, silky soft therapeutic hair, funny facial expressions, empathic loving interactions, ability to snuggle with their entire heart, and charismatic personalities. According the AKC’s 2023 “most Popular Dog Breeds List”, the Havanese ranks #25 out of 200 breeds in the United States. With a special Havanese named “Bono” winning best in show at the 2020 Purina Pro Plan competition, the breed is sure to gain in popularity.

Every dog breed, to a degree, reflects both its function and the character of the people who created it, and the Havanese is no exception. Developed on a small tropical island purely as a companion animal, the unique coat, ideal for the island’s climate, and the undeniable island personality mirror its whimsical Cuban roots. The question becomes, what is a Havanese dog? To which the answer is a much-debated topic among Havanese authorities and enthusiast alike. The history of the Havanese dog can be traced back to the Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Islands. It is believed the breed traveled on board ships from Tenerife to Cuba during the mid 1400s. There are wild stories of sea captains bringing Bichon Bolognese, Bichon Frise, and the Maltese to Cuba in the 19th century and cross breeding them to a poodle hailing from Argentina. We have no conclusive evidence cementing the husbandry of our beloved Havanese breed. However, we do know that the first litters making it into Cuban homes were identified by many names such as Blanquito de la Cubana (White Cuban), dog of Havana, Havana Spaniel, Bichon Havanese, Havana Silk Dog, the toy Havanese to name a few. The “toy’ was dropped from the name in the United States and thus we lovingly refer to our favorite dog as the Havanese. What has never changed over the past three centuries is the description of a small, silky double coated dog from Cuba, coming in a plethora of colors both straight and corded. Originally Havanese dogs were found with socially well-connected owners into the courts of England, Spain, and France.

Royals such as Queen Anne and Queen Victoria were not strangers to small dogs in their castles and welcomed Havanese dogs to their stately brood. Being intertwined with the aristocracy has led to difficult times for the Havanese breed specifically when the revolutionary war fell for Cuba. In 1979 wealthy Cubans abandoned Cuba with their Havanese in tow and built a new life in Puerto Rico, Costo Rica and the United States where the breed was preserved. With this small population of Havanese dogs in the United States the Havanese Club of America, now the AKC parent club for the breed, was formed. The Havanese was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1996, and a total of 1,307 HCA registered Havanese were granted AKC registration. As so often happens when AKC recognizes a new breed, the popularity of the breed has exploded since recognition. When Havanese began showing for championships in January of 1999, they were virtually unknown by breeders of other breeds of dogs. After a few months, the Havanese was being noticed by other breeder—a lot of other breeders. Breeders of larger breeds who were thinking of downsizing to a smaller breed were especially noticing them. According to the AKC Registration Statistics, in 1999 a total of 626 individual dogs were registered with AKC. In 2001 the Havanese was ranked 75th of 146 breeds. In 2011, Havanese were ranked 32nd of 173 breeds with 4,466 dogs registered that year. Havanese have become popular as competitors in companion events. They train easily and are willing performers. Many now compete in Obedience, Rally and Agility, and also participate in Tracking Trials, Flyball competition, and Musical Freestyle dance. Early on in Agility competition, the Havanese were dubbed “The Flying Furballs.” There are several OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion) and MACH (Master Agility Champion) titled Havanese, with others working toward those titles. With their joyful attitude, they do well in every venue. They excel in therapy work where their small size, loving disposition and happy attitude make them favorites. The future of the Havanese is exciting, with demand for the breed as both pets, therapy, agility, and show dogs continuing to be strong.