This Page: Havanese History
Beloved Havanese
Waverly Hall, GA 31831
Deborah Owens
706 577 5733
Office Hours, M-F 1-4:00, Call and leave message anytime. We Will Call you back as quickly as possible. It is usually best to reach us by phone. BelovedHavanese@aol.com
AS YOU CAN SEE IN OUR HISTORY PAGE AKC IS NOT THE ORIGINAL REGISTRY OF THIS BREED.
****WE HAVE REFUSED TO REGISTER OUR DOGS WITH THE AKC FOR YEARS AS WE DISAGREE WITH THEIR POLITICS COMPLETELY AND WE DISAGREE WITH THEIR POLICIES ON IN-BREEDING OF FIRST DEGREE RELATIVES! IN-BREEDING OF MOTHER TO SON, BROTHER TO SISTER, AND FATHER TO DAUGHTER IS NOT SAFE, THAT IS WHY IT IS NOT DONE IN HUMAN CULTURES AROUND THE GLOBE! ***
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, NEED PAPERS, NEED TO DISCUSS HOUSE TRAINING, IT IS BEST TO CALL ME, NOT EMAIL! IF YOUR PAPERS HAVE NOT ARRIVED PLEASE CALL ME! WE PROVIDE AMERICAN PET REGISTRY, APRI, PAPERS! APRI WILL REQUIRE A COPY OF YOUR SPAY NEUTER PAPERS TO REGISTER YOUR PUPPY. Email: BelovedHavanese@aol.com
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Havanese History - Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Havanese a new breed? No - it is about 300 years old. The Havanese breed is much older than the American Cocker Spaniel breed.
2. Were Havanese bred and developed exclusively in Cuba or were Havanese also developed and bred in Europe and elsewhere?
Havanese were developed exclusively in Cuba and though a few went abroad, with notable examples to the Queen of England and Charles Dickens, very few Havanese traveled outside of Cuba. Certainly there were not pockets of breeders located in other countries who maintained a population of the breed for breeding and distribution. There weren't many outside the US until some of the current and newer AKC breeders exported them outside of the US for breeding purposes, and for the purpose of being returned to the US and sold in PET STORES.
3. Are Havanese designer dogs?
No, absolutely not. A designer dog is a mutt that is a cross breed of two or more dog breeds. Designer dogs cannot be predicted to have well defined characteristics, as they are not a breed but a combination of breeds, making them unpredictable in temperament, appearance, health, size, and personality. Designer Dogs are mutts. For instance, a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Maltese might produce an offspring with a huge brain from the Shih Tzu parent and a small skull from the Maltese parent. Mismatched parts, that, not only do not fit together well, but which can cause unforeseen problems, can occur when breeds are crossed. Additionally, the diseases that run in both breeds can appear in the crossbreed, Designer Dog, mutt.
Havanese are a distinct breed and have been a distinct breed for hundreds of years.
4. How were the Havanese developed?
Well, we have to go back in time and look at the Age of Exploration, when ships were traveling from the Old World to the New World, the Americas. But, wait, let us look back in history a little further, to really understand where these little dogs came from and how they became Havanese.
Thousands of years ago, perhaps as many as five to six thousand years ago, little white spitz type dogs were known to inhabit Egypt and perhaps even southern Europe. The ancient Egyptians, may have worshipped the Maltese. The small white lap dog is the progenitor of all popular small dog breeds today. The Maltese type images appear in Egyptian artifacts found at Faryum, Egypt, dating from the time period of 300-600 B.C. The Ancient Greeks thought the Maltese were indigenous to Malta, however they may, in fact, have been fairly well distributed, perhaps nearly around the world, by the time of Aristotle. The Roman Emperor, Claudius, owned a Maltese, or small white lap dog. Their images were widely used on Roman vases.
When the Dark ages came to a close, the little white lap dog was still a part of the lives of influential Europeans. During the Age of Exploration, the prized little dogs were taken on board ships, for long voyages to the Americas. The Ship Captains took the merry, and hardy little dogs to the Americas, to use them to gain the trust and friendship of leaders and powerful people in the New World.
The little white lap dog was easy to transport. They were easy to pick up with one hand and they seemed to cling to people who had illnesses, hence their name, the comforter. They were so often used as trading tools to gain favor during the Age of Exploration, that the little white lap dogs became some of the most highly prized possessions of the controlling classes and aristocracy in the New World.
It is highly probable that each area of Europe had slightly different versions of the little white lap dog. These distinctions between the types of little white dogs may have been a function of personal preferences of the owner/breeders as well as a function of the somewhat limited European land travel. Each general geographic region may have had a slightly different version of the little white lap dog. These distinctions later developed into distinct breeds.
At the time of the New World Exploration, there may have been several slightly different versions of the little white lap dogs taken to Cuba. For instance, the little white lap dogs from Spain may have differed slightly, from the little white lap dogs from Italy.
When the ruling class of Cuba got the Little white lap dogs they bred them to their own tastes, with the Spanish dogs, which were the Spaniels, and the Water Dogs. The Spanish literature refers to the Little White Lap Dogs as Maltese, but they were not the Maltese you know today, nor Maltese at all. They probably were the Blanquito, a coarser, less refined animal than the small spitz type Maltese lap dog of Europe. They were, by then, coarser of bone and coat than the small European lap dog, because the lap dogs had been bred with Spaniels and Water Dogs to create the Blanquito, or White Cuban or Maltese as they were called in Spanish literature. They also bred the now extinct Blanquito with Poodles to create the Havanese, but we are getting a little ahead of ourselves, let's back up just one minute and discuss Bichons.
The classification of Bichon is somewhat like the classification of Spaniels. You may already know that there are many types of spaniels. For instance, you have probably heard of these types of Spaniels: Cocker Spaniels, Springer Spaniels, Boykin Spaniels, Water Spaniels, etc. Did you know that there are many types of Bichons? For instance, there are Bichon Frise, and did you know that the Maltese is a type of Bichon? So, too, are the Lowchen, Bolognese and Havanese; all are types of Bichons.
All of the different types of Bichons came from the little white lap dog that was so popular in Europe at the time of the New World Exploration. Each different type of Bichon is associated with a different geographic region.
Again, let us review for our purpose is to understand HAVANESE HISTORY.
1. Havanese is not a new breed. The breed is hundreds of years old.
2. Havanese is not a Designer Dog or Mutt. Havanese is not a mixed breed dog.
3. The Havanese breed is older than the cocker spaniel breed by hundreds of years.
4. The Havanese have been a distinct breed in Cuba for at least 250-350 years.
5. Havanese WERE NOT FOUND IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
6. The breed was developed in CUBA, from several different Spanish dogs, Spaniels, Water Dogs, a now extinct dog, the Blanquito, and Poodles.
"Bichon" is a classification of dogs ... All of the seven, or so, types of present day Bichon breeds, were developed from the early progenitor of the Maltese or the small, white European lap dog. When the early progenitor of the present day Maltese arrived in Cuba, aboard ship, it was highly prized and protected. In Cuba, the Havanese were developed when several different types of the Maltese progenitors, (you will remember that each locale in Europe had its own style of BICHON lap dog in the 1500- 1600's), were bred together and those dogs were bred to the Water Dogs, and Spaniels to create the mild mannered, cream colored Blanquito. The Blanquito is now extinct. It had a coarse, creamy white coat that may have had some wave to it. In the course of the development of the Havanese the Blanquito was probably bred with Water Dogs, Spaniels and Poodles. You can often see the Water Dogs' genetic legacy in today's Havanese in the breed's occasional water resistant coats. The Havanese also took the gentle, big dog personality, of the water dogs, and the array of colors of the Poodles. Some Havanese have longer ears, like Spaniels, and some have shorter ears, like the Maltese. The resulting dogs, or new breed, Havanese was so well liked by the Cuban people that the Blanquito was abandoned and eventually went extinct in favor of the Havanese.
Again, the Havanese, as a DISTINCT BREED, have been around since the late 1700's. They are older than the American Cockerspaniel breed.
Havanese thrived in Cuba until the Cuban Revolution. People left the island quickly with hopes of returning right away. Unfortunately, the people were unable to return to their homes and the dogs were left to run the streets. No one was doing purebred breedings, with purebred registrations.
In the 1970's Mrs. Dorothy Goodale made it her mission in life to find as many purebred Havanese as possible. She searched for years, advertising in newspapers across Central America, and the southern U.S. Mrs. Goodale, the Beloved Restorer of the Havanese Breed, found only 11 dogs that she could determine to be purebred Havanese. She took those dogs and bred them, and placed the pups in the hands of people she trusted. Eventually, the number of pups and breedings were large enough to take them to the old and respected United Kennel Club Registry. No One wanted the dogs to go to the AKC, because everyone knows that the AKC promotes dog competitions that are grueling on the dogs, as well as first degree relative breedings. The AKC affiliates actually put on seminars and pay geneticists to speak on first degree relative breedings. You may know that first degree relative breedings are mother to son, father to daughter, and sibling to sibling. In humans, practically the only taboo around the world, through eons of human history, has been incest, or coupling of first degree relatives. Humans do not produce offspring from closely related parents. There is a reason that humans do not breed with their family. It is risky, and it will cause serious genetic diseases. Everyone knew the AKC way of life was not what would be best for the sweet, healthy, and unspoiled breed, the Beloved HAVANESE.
Eventually, some breeders did take some Havanese to the AKC, though most older breeders objected. There were rumors that many of the early AKC dogs being bred were mutts, with questionable heritage, since many, if not most older breeders, would not allow sale to the novice AKC breeders. Since the Havanese breed went to the AKC, some of the new AKC breeders, who seized upon the heyday of Havanese, to make fast cash, have gone into deeply divisive schisms of breeding methodology, with diametrically opposed breeding philosophies, from those, of at least this Havanese breeder. Many of those original new Havanese AKC breeders have created a mytholoby that is self serving and advances their economic goals, some even stating, on their website, that they know there are two breeds within the Havanese breed. They need to do comic videos and call them selves "Senseless" because the very idea they promote, namely that there are two breeds, within one breed, is, on its face, a fallacy, of scandalous proportions. Can one breed contain two breeds after three hundred years of breeding all dogs together? While their thesis, that separate breeds exist within one old breed, is a contradiction, exhibiting their senselessness, worse still, is the travesty upon the public. They are AKC! They have created even more schisms among an already fractured AKC club. So much for the AKC breeders.
The Havanese almost went extinct, with only Eleven left in the world when Mrs. Goodale sought to revive the breed and save it from extinction. But now, we have built up the number of Havanese, and there are far more of them in the U.S., now, than anywhere else in the world.
We have been around the Havanese breed for 40 years, since the Cuban Revolution.
So the Havanese History Time Line is:
1. Euro Lap dog -from 4000 BC to 1600 AD, development of early Maltese-type white lap dogs, with each part of Europe having slightly different versions by the 1600's.
2. Euro lap dogs taken to Cuba in the 1600's & Bred to Water Dogs and early types of small Spaniels
3. Development of Blanquito, a coarser, mild-mannnered, white lap dog
4. Blanquito bred to Poodles, with possible continued breedings to Spaniels & Water Dogs, developing color in the breed
5. Development of Havanese in 1700's and extinction of Blanquito in late 1800's to early 1900's
6. 1960 Cuban Revolution & demise of purebred registered breedings
7. 1970's Mrs. Dorothy Goodale restored breed by finding 11 purebreds and starting breeding program
8. 1980 registration with UKC
9. Late 1990's Registration with AKC, and both registries vie for all of the registrations, and eminent potential demise of health with intense in-breedings of 1st degree relatives by unscrupulous show breeders - AKC will not register UKC and UKC will not register AKC so there are two distinct registration lines, creating a need for a registry that would allow AKC and UKC dog registrations in the Havanese breed.
We are breeding our AKC to our UKC lines. So our papers will sometimes be from yet another registry. The 34+ US purebred dog registries is a political quagmire unto itself- with all the tenacity of the teamsters, big biz, all over our precious little dogs. We prefer not to use the most well known registry, the AKC, as we consider many of their new policies/politics, with some of their congressional lobbying, to be anti-dog health and anti dog.
We produce three colors: white, cream with blonde ears, and white Partis (white mostly with 2-3 black spots), occasionally we have a solid black. All colors change to lighter- streaked versions except white/cream and white with black spots. This is precisely why we try to only produce white/cream and white with black spots.
They are clowns, they twirl and walk around on their back legs. Some Havanese turn flips and perform naturally, often without training. They are very, very intelligent and were used as circus animals in the 1800's. They are long lived and healthy and they LOVE people. They will not usually fight and have no hint of alpha characteristics. They are boldly friendly and at the same time somewhat submissive with no hint of stubbornness. They bond to the entire family and love to be with their people. They are the ultimate dog in gentleness and loving devotion.
The lap dogs were bred to other dogs to create the incredible little Havanese dog breed over 300 years ago in Cuba. Through the selective breeding of several types of dogs with the small white European lap dog, the Havanese breed was developed and became known as the world's most gentle, easy going, compliant and sweet little animal.
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Beloved Havanese
Cloudstepper Ranch, Box 70, Waverly Hall, GA 31831
Deborah Owens
706 577 5733 Office Hours Usually M-F 1-4:00, but call and leave message anytime
We Will Call you back as quickly as possible.
email: BelovedHavanese@aol.com
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