From the Inside Flap
The world-famous Bichon Havanese is the only existing purebred dog of Cuban origin, a rare blend of intelligence, personality and natural beauty. Bred for its family-oriented temperament and loving ways, the Havanese is prized in the homes of the Cuban people as well as by fanciers in Europe and America. This is a colourful, entertaining pet dog who is winning the hearts of dog lovers everywhere. This book provides the much-needed factual information about Bichons Havaneses and their ancestry, character and standard, as well as the proper selection, feeding, training, preventative health care and behaviour of the breed. The new owner will welcome advice about puppy-proofing the home, preparing for the pup’s arrival and preventing puppy problems. In addition to an extremely authoritative text written by a world expert, this book presents over 135 photographs in full colour, which prove to be as informative as they are attractive. Helpful hints and important information are highlighted to provide easy access to everything the reader needs to know about life with a Bichon Havanese.
About the Author
Zoila Portuondo Guerra is the founder and past president of the Cuban Kennel Club (FCC), and the founder and first president of the Havanese Club of Cuba. She has worked for the preservation and promotion of the Havanese breed and has organised dog shows in Cuba. She is a University of Havana History of Art graduate, has written radio scripts, and currently works in Cuban cinema. Her first research work on the Bichon Havanese, entitled 'En busca del Bichon Habanero' (Searching for the Bichon Havanese), was presented in Mexico in 1990 at the First Congress of the Americas on Purebred Dogs. She resides in Havana and continues her research on the Bichon Havanese.
Excerpted from Bichon Havanese (Pet Love) by Ziola Portuondo Guerra. Copyright © 1999. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Before you read the particular history of the Bichon Havanese, you should know that this breed belongs to the family of dogs called Bichons, who were known throughout Europe for many centuries. The French word Bichon means 'fleecy dog' and is thought to be a contraction of the word Babichon, or 'bearded'. It is probably related to the French word Barbet, which is an ancient breed of water spaniel similar to the Poodle, from which all the Bichons of the world are descended. With time and use, the term Bichon has become synonymous with a dog completely covered with hair with a delightful people-oriented personality. In cynology circles, the term Bichon is applied to a group of dog breeds whose distant ancestors are the same. Bichon-type dogs have a long ancestry. References indicate they were known in ancient Greece. Some centuries later, they appeared in all the countries of the Mediterranean Basin and became very fashionable in Europe during the Renaissance. !
In the fifteen and sixteen centuries, they were introduced to other parts of the world through the expansion of the Spanish Empire that dominated Middle Europe at that time. The Spanish used their maritime power to conquer and colonise much of the New World, as well as some parts of Asia and Africa.
In the fifteen and sixteen centuries, they were introduced to other parts of the world through the expansion of the Spanish Empire that dominated Middle Europe at that time. The Spanish used their maritime power to conquer and colonise much of the New World, as well as some parts of Asia and Africa.
