| The Havanese is an old breed of the Bichon family. The earliest references to the ancestors of the modern Havanese go back to Plinius (23 to 79 B.C.) in the Mediterranean region, and the breed may have originated on the island of Malta. Dogs in both Spain and Italy played an integral part in bringing the Havanese to the New World. Also known as the Havana Silk Dog, today"s Havanese descended from the dogs that found a permanent home in Cuba, where they were popular among the wealthy Cubans. After the Cuban revolution in 1959, many of these dogs ended up in the United States. |
