Havachon

The Havachon is a combination of a Bichon Frise and a Havanese. Sometimes referred to as the Cuban Velcro dog for their tendency to stay glued to their owner, the Havanese is a toy breed which is the national dog of Cuba. It is a member of the Bichon family and is believed to have been developed from crossing the Blanquito de la Habana with other Bichon types. The Blanquito de la Habana are now extinct. There is speculation that all Bichon dogs can be traced back to the Teneriffe dog and that these dogs arrived in Cuba on ships. The Spanish colonists in Cuba at the time became fond of these cute, sturdy little dogs and kept them as pets. During the Cuban revolution many were left behind when people fled to the United States although a few were brought over. They were only officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1996 but are very popular now. The Bichon Frise is believed to have been descended from dogs called barbets or water spaniels who were crossed with small white lap dogs. There are four types of Bichons: the Bolognese, Havanese, Maltaise and Teneriffe Bichons, which were developed on the Canary Island of Teneriffe and all originated in the Mediterranean area. It is believed they were brought to Teneriffe by Spanish sailors and then later Italian sailors found them and brought them home with them where they were prized by Italian nobility. The French invaders of Italy took them home with them and they lived with many royals including Henry III who is said to have carried his dogs around with him in a special basket. The Bichon was brought to the United States in 1955 and became eligible to enter the American Kennel Club's Miscellaneous Class in 1971.