5 Interesting Facts About the Havanese Dog Breed

Havanese dogs are well-loved and are popular among many dog owners for good reason. These toy dogs, which come in a variety of colors, are not just great to have as companions, but have an interesting history as well.

If these pooches have caught your attention with their adorable faces, then here are five interesting facts that will make you adore them even more!

1. The Havanese dog breed has a variety of names

The Havananese dog is part of the Bichon family. And the breed goes by several other names such as Havanese Cuban Bichon, Bichón Havanése, Havaneser, Bichon Habanero, Havanezer, and Bichon Havanais. That’s a lot of different names for such  a small dog!

2. They’re the national dog of Cuba

The dog breed originated in Tenerife, an island in Spain, just like the Bichon Frise. They came here after Spanish colonists brough the now-extinct Blanquito de la Habana, also known as the Havana Silk Dog, to Cuba in the 1500s. The now-extinct breed is thought to be where the Havanese breed descended from.

The Havanese breed then quickly became popular in Cuba. As a matter of fact, Cuban upper class loved having the breed as pet. The dog was also often given as gifts to visiting dignitaries.

This dog breed is the only dog breed native to Cuba, hence becoming the national dog of the country.

3. The breed almost came close to extinction

During the Cuban Revolution, the breed became close to extinction. It became extremely rare in the later half of the 20th century. As a matter of fact, in the 70s, the total population of this dog breed was only 11.

However, Cubans who migrated to the US who were able to bring their Havanese dogs with them were slowly able to build the breed back up.

Now, the Havanese dog breed is considered to be one of the top 25 most popular dogs in a list of 200 dog breeds. 

4. They have a great personality

Havanese dogs are born extroverts! They are affectionate, happy, intelligent and trainable dogs. Their personality is what made them so popular in Cuba in the first place!

Since they’re social dogs, they do well with children and other dogs, if properly socialized, of course. Furthermore, because of their affectionate and loyal personality, they make great family companions.

Furthermore, these dogs are very intelligent and attentive. So, training will not be as challenging, especially if you’re a first-time dog owner.

They’re very trainable, which is why they are used to sniff out mold, termites and herd ducks, and often used as service dogs.

In addition to these tasks, Havanese dogs also compete in a variety of dog sports, such as dog agility, flyball, musical canine freestyle, and obedience training.

5. They need constant human interaction

Havanese are sometimes referred to as “velcro dogs” as they literally try to stick beside their owner as much as they can. And because of their very social and affectionate personality, Havanese dogs crave being with their owners constantly.

The downside of this is that they easily get separation anxiety, so it’s best not to leave your dog on their own for a long time. This also means that they do not do well as kennel dogs because they prefer to be with their owners as often as possible.

So, if you don’t have time to always be with them, best to think twice about getting a Havanese!

And there you have it! Do you have any plans of owning one of these friendly balls of fluff? Which fact did you enjoy learning about the most?