Blanquito de la Habana
Havana Silk Dog
The Blanquito de la Habana is an extinct dog of the bichon-type that was once found on the island of Cuba. It is debated which bichons were used to create the breed. Some experts state their ancestors were brought by the Spanish and others the Italians. The Spanish would have arrived with the Bichon Tenerife, the most likely ancestor to the modern Bichon Frisé. On the other hand, the Italians would have brought either the Bolognese or the Maltese.
The Bichon Tenerife theory is the more likely of the two as many of the Europeans that came to Cuba were from the Tenerife’s homeland of the Canary Islands. However, the Maltese is considered ancestor of all the bichon breeds, as it is by far the oldest of those surviving. Furthermore, as multiple dogs would have arrived at different times and there would have been a tiny breeding pool all small white dogs on the island were probably interbred at one point or another. Since all bichons stem from the Mediterranean region and share ancestry, it matters little which did or did not arrive on Cuba.
The Blanquito de la Habana remained popular in Cuba until the 1800s when outside crosses with Poodles transformed the breed into the modern day Havanese.
The Bichon Tenerife theory is the more likely of the two as many of the Europeans that came to Cuba were from the Tenerife’s homeland of the Canary Islands. However, the Maltese is considered ancestor of all the bichon breeds, as it is by far the oldest of those surviving. Furthermore, as multiple dogs would have arrived at different times and there would have been a tiny breeding pool all small white dogs on the island were probably interbred at one point or another. Since all bichons stem from the Mediterranean region and share ancestry, it matters little which did or did not arrive on Cuba.
The Blanquito de la Habana remained popular in Cuba until the 1800s when outside crosses with Poodles transformed the breed into the modern day Havanese.
Blanquito de la Habana Facts
- small toy dog, bichon-type
- drop ears were small and covered in fur
- tail was carried over back
- coat was soft, fluffy
|