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We would like to dedicate this doggie web-site to our wonderful friends, customers, and all dog lovers who have shared our love for the Havanese breed. One of your most important tasks as a dog owner is to keep you pet healthy and happy. Working with your veterinarian you can help to ensure you dog lives a long, happy life and you can work toward preventing health problems before they begin. Knowing your dogs is a good place to start, each pup is unique. Our goal in writing this is to help you take the best possible care of your dog so that the two of you share a long lasting, and loving relationship.

The Bolognese is a rare toy breed of the Bichon group which originated in the Mediterranean and later introduced in the United States. This breed is a cousin to the Bichon, Maltese, the Havanais Bichon (Havanese), Bichon Frise. All of the Bichon breeds have some similarities, but differ in their main characteristics. With the influence of the nobility of the Havanese few breeders in Italy and Belgium who loved the breed introduced it to its present popularity in Europe.

Sources agree that Spain and Italy were instrumental in bringing the Havanese to the new world. The Havanese became a personal favorite to the wealthy Cuban families. Soon these little dogs became the national dog of Cuba. At the turn of the century, Cuba was in turmoil with Spain marking the end of the 400 year Spanish empire and Cuba became an independent republic.

Many of the families fled Cuba leaving their beloved pets behind, and some of the prominent families continued its attempt to preserve the breed during choas in Cuba. There were two known families who smuggled the breed out of Cuba in this time of crisis. In 1974 Dorothy Goodale of Colorado, together with other dogs found in Costa Rica got together to provide a gene pool of four bloodlines to save the Havanese.

The breed is shown widely and is gaining popularity in the United States. At this point of their history here in the United States they are considered extremely rare. The Bolognese Club of America holds the only U.S. Registry for the breed. The Bolognese Club of America, was found and formed by Bert and Dorothy Goodale to unify and assit the owners of these wonderful little dogs. The Havanese by far are the most intelligent and trainable. Their complete devotion to their owner is absolutely amazing. As a Havanese owner off twelve, this breed thinks and is a real "problem solver."