Crested Havanese

The name Crested Havanese comes from its two parent breeds: the Chinese Crested and Havanese, which is also known as the Bichon Havanais or Havana Silk Dog. The Chinese Crested has a somewhat debated history. Many believe it originated in Africa from an ancient hairless breed and migrated to Asia on merchant ships during the 1200s. Another theory contends that it comes from another hairless dog that originated in Mexico and was kept as a pet by the Aztec population - possibly the same dog that the Chihuahua descended from. Either way, the Chinese Crested eventually became prevalent in port cities around the world due to their tendency to be picked up by global traders, particularly in China where it got the prefix to its name. In the mid 20th century, there was a movement in the United States to popularize the dog breed by a select number of public figures and celebrities. This effort helped to establish the breed in North America and led to the American Kennel Club registering the Chinese Crested in 1991 - though it is not widely popular in the United States today. The Crested Havanese’s other parent, the Havanese, is the national dog of Cuba. It originated in the Mediterranean region and was brought to Cuba by Spanish traders in the early 16th century. The breed eventually became a symbol of wealth in Cuba and was bred exclusively for the country’s elite families. Many Havanese were trained as performers because of their intelligence and attention-seeking personalities. This increased their popularity not only within Cuba, but also in Europe during the mid 18th century. During the Cuban revolution, the class of Cubans that owned Havanese was the first to leave the country, bringing a handful of the dogs to the United States where the breed was recognized by the AKC in 1996. The origin of breeding the Chinese Crested and the Havanese together is unknown, but it is likely to have occurred in North America in the latter half of the 20th century to create the Crested Havanese.