Havanese - These small, charming dogs came to Cuba during the Spanish Colony period. The majority came from sea merchants from the Mediterranean region who brought them to Cuba as gifts in trade to the wives of the Cuban nobility.
The Cubans cross-bred variations of these small breeds until finally developing what is now known as the beloved Havanese.
When Castro took power in 1959, the breed was nearly lost as the wealthy families who owned them fled the country. They seemed to virtually disappear until 1974 when a woman named, Dorothy Goodale, came in contact with several of the families that had fled during the revolution. Dorothy and her husband purchased 12 Havanese dogs of various ages from these families in a committed effort to the preservation of this charming breed. These 12 dogs are the ancestors of most of the Havanese who now live in the USA and Europe.
The Havanese was accepted into the American Kennel Club, from the rare breed registries, in the year 2000.
