"My little dog - A heartbeat at my feet." - Edith Wharton

The Havanese is a very old breed with an oft-debated history that is as colorful as the little dogs themselves. While the breed was established and written about by the 1700s, it was known by many different names. However, the description of a small, silky-coated dog has never changed over the past three centuries. In 1993, it was officially designated the National Dog of Cuba. Although it is their only native breed, it is not indigenous to the island. (Cuban postage stamp of a Havanese.)

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The Encyclopedia of Dogs by Jones & Hamilton states that the ancestors of the Havanese traveled to Cuba during the days of the Spanish Empire. The Lampton's Observers Book of Rare Breeds writes: "Toy Havanese" — A member of the Bichon group. Essentially a toy dog, long-coated and spirited. Believed by some to be a descendant of the Maltese and Tenerife Dog. They are for the most part companion and trick dogs."

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In the ten years following Columbus’ arrival in 1492, settlers going to Cuba were farmers primarily from Tenerife (the largest of the Canary Islands) and the "Segundo's" or second sons of the Spanish aristocracy. Ship's logs reveal that small dogs were brought along on these early voyages. It makes sense that these would have been the common ancestor to the Bichon family of dogs.  However, Cubans think the breed came from Malta and Bologna. In any case, they developed without much outside influence.

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These loving dogs, much admired for their diminutive size, soon found their way into aristocratic palaces and estates. Cubans believe these dogs were first brought to their shores by sea captains who were thought to have presented them as gifts in return for the hospitality of wealthy Señora’s.

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By the 18th century, Cuba had become an elegant cultural center and popular travel destination of the European aristocracy. On their return to Europe, socially well-connected owners brought back with them their little Dog of Havana. It’s no surprise that these charming pampered dogs found favor in the courts of Spain, France, and England! Many paintings from the period prominently feature a favorite Havanese dog. The dogs were exhibited in the early European shows and type was well-established. (1529 portrait of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, considered an early portrayal of the descendants of the modern Havanese.)

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As early as 1700, Britain’s Queen Anne appears to be the earliest Havanese owner of note- after seeing a troupe of them perform at Court she obtained two for herself. Then in the 1800s, Queen Victoria, an avid animal lover, acquired two directly from Cuba. They were also popular among Britain’s literati. Charles Dickens had one named Timmy of whom he wrote about. The philosopher Thomas Carlyle also wrote about his dog Nero, who lies buried in his garden to this day.

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Meanwhile, the Cuban aristocracy of sugar barons sold out to a new class of professionals. The adaptable little dog of Havana then became treasured family dogs, watching over both children and small poultry flocks kept for eggs in suburban Havana. Yet the breed was not particularly popular in Cuba during most of the twentieth century.

The Cuban revolution in 1959 greatly threatened the breed, with the class owning Havanese being the first to flee the country leaving their beloved dogs behind. Eleven dogs were smuggled into America after the revolution and by the end of the 1970s, a gene pool was being rebuilt. In 1979, the Havanese Club of America was formed.

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In 1996, the AKC recognized Havanese in the Toy Group. Its popularity soared as Americans discovered the charms of this little Cuban dog. All the Havanese in the world today, except for those in Eastern Europe and Cuba, originated from those unwitting little immigrants.

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Throughout this fascinating history, Havanese breed type has remained virtually unchanged from the darling little dogs seen in those grand 18th-century paintings.