The Havanese Breed

From AKC Website: https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/havanese/

The Havanese is a descendant from the ancient Bichon family of little white dog breeds such as the Bichon Frise and Maltese. Since the earliest days of human civilization, lively lapdogs of this type were bartered around the world by seafaring merchants. Small, clever dogs that did no "useful" work were among the possessions that set royals and aristocrats apart from lower social classes.

The native lapdog of Cuba’s aristocrats and wealthy planters was the Havanese, named for the capital city of Havana, where the breed gained greatest favor. Depending on the source, the breed’s forerunners were said to be brought to the island nation by Italian sea captains or by the Spaniards charged with colonizing the New World in the 1600s.

During its approximately 300 years in the lap of Cuban luxury, the breed was refined, perhaps with Poodle crosses, into today’s Havanese, once called the Blanquito de la Habana (Havana Silk Dog). The pivotal event in the breed’s history came in 1959 with the Communist takeover of Cuba. Many Cubans fleeing Fidel Castro’s revolution brought their little dogs with them to America. With the help of American fanciers the refugees preserved and perpetuated the Havanese. The breed is now a popular choice for pet owners around the world.

Among celebrity Havanese owners were two of the world’s most celebrated writers. Ernest Hemingway fell under the Havanese spell during his 20 years in Cuba and Charles Dickens owned a tiny Havanese named Tim.