The Havanese is a member of the Bichon family of dogs that originates from the North American island country of Cuba.  These dogs are believed to have developed from the now extinct Mediterranean Bichon Tenerife, which had been introduced to the Canary Islands by the Spanish and later to the islands and colonies of Spain in the New World.  It is believed by native Cubans that the Havanese's ancestors were a gift from Italian traders.

    Whether the Havanese were brought by Spanish sailors or Italian traders, the breed itself quickly wiggled its way into the hearts of the local Cubans.  For a short amount of time the little dog even traveled back to Europe where it found favor as a circus and trick dog in the late 19th century.  Unfortunately during the Cuban Revolution these pretty, but what were seen as useless, dogs of the wealthy landowners were killed.  While many of the upper class Cubans fled to the United States, few were able or thought to bring their dogs with them.  By the time the Americans became interested in the breed in the 1970s the only available United States gene pool was only a mere 11 animals.  Through careful breeding the Havanese was saved, but is still a rare breed today.

    Havanese are small dogs that are sturdy and never give the appearance of fragility.  They stand between eight and eleven inches at the withers, and are slightly longer than they are tall.  Their face is full of expression, making it rather mischievous looking rather than cute.  Any color of coat is acceptable, from fawn, white, black, and multi-colors as well.  Puppy colors may change once they are adult; this puppy fur is normally referred to as sable in color.  The Havanese should always look natural, they are unclipped, have undocked tails, and uncropped ears.

    The Havanese are playful dogs, that love people.  They get along well with children and most other pets, and will even try to gain attention by performing tricks.  This family bond makes it difficult for them to spend long hours alone, and they often will follow their humans around the house.  Havanese are rarely shy or aggressive around new people.

    Unfortunately the Havanese suffer from many health problems, including cataracts, patellar luxation, hips dysplasia, liver shunts, heart mumurs, and deafness.  This leads back to the small original gene pool, but most responsible breeders will produce dogs without these problems.  All Havanese, even ones that will not be bred should be tested through your veterinarian to screened for these issues.