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Havana Silk Dog |
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He is not recognized by the F.C.I. |
Origin |
Cuba, U.S.A. | |
Translation |
Francis Vandersteen |
Brief historical summary |
| If the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel enjoys the distinction of being the only purebred dog born of dissatisfaction, the Havana Silk Dog surely enjoys the distinction of being the only purebred dog born of an effort to eliminate a genetic problem from within a breed. The Havana Silk Dog, like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is a "recreated breed". It represents the efforts of a group of dedicated 21st-century breeders to recreate a type of dog often referred to as the "Havana Silk Dog" that was popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries (long before purebred dogs were organized in formal registries) and generally considered to have been developed in colonial Cuba. Using old paintings, sculptures and written descriptions from the period as a guide, and carefully selecting basic blood stock from the USA, Eastern Europe and Cuba displaying the desired phenotype, breeders have succeeded in producing a dog that both closely resembles these adorable dogs. and now actually breeds. Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of American Havana breeders, who were determined simply to produce a healthier animal, the Havana Silk Dog has re-emerged, a breed of Cuban origin that was popular a hundred and fifty years ago and long considered extinct. It turns out that this disappearance was apparently less a matter of true genetic extermination than a case of what cultural anthropologists call extinction by assimilation. As was the case with the English Cavalier and Toy Spaniel, the genes that had originally created the Havana Silk Dog were still very much alive, but had simply been assimilated into the modern Havana breed over the years. Using only rigid selection in an effort to reproduce away from dwarfism, this elegant little Cuban breed was restored to its original form, first by accident, then by deliberate design, and proved true within a few generations. That the breed is very old is beyond doubt. As early as 1700, an entrepreneur by the name of Mr. Cowley brought a troop of small dogs advertised as "the little dancing dog ball" from Cuba to the court of Queen Anne, who was evidently enchanted by them and later owned several. Similarly, the Toy Poodle counts among its first progenitors a breed of Caribbean origin known in England as the White Cuban, which translates perfectly as "Blanquito Cubano", an early name for the breed in its country of origin. These so-called "little dogs of Havana", or "Havana Silk Dogs", were popular in European courts in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, and were exhibited in early shows there, but by the end of the Second World War, it seemed they had disappeared from the continent along with so many other things, and were all but forgotten outside their Caribbean home. Then, in the early 1970s, advertisements began to appear in American dog magazines for "Toy Havanese", a purely American name given to the little dogs apparently brought to the USA with Cuban immigrants in the decade following the Cuban Revolution. Descendants of these dogs formed the basis of the Havanese breed in America and were exported throughout the 1980s to Western Europe with the aim of rebuilding the breed there. In 2000, when it became clear that the particular form of dwarfism often found in Havanese across the USA and Europe was associated with numerous health problems affecting the breed, a small group of American breeders began selecting only dogs with long, straight front legs for breeding, adding straight-legged dogs from Russian and post-revolutionary Cuban gene pools to strengthen their lines. Within three generations, a "new" dog began to emerge, and to reproduce with astonishing consistency in a breed hitherto renowned for its absence. As well as displaying the straight legs and physical solidity that breeders chose, this "new" dog was invariably leaner of bone, with a much flatter, silkier coat, a longer, more refined muzzle and smaller ears, a longer neck, more angulation, a drooping croup and a carried crook tail waving like a plume above the croup. In short, this was a very different and much more elegant dog. In early 2007, enthusiasts who preferred both the appearance and overall health of these very different dogs broke away from the Havanese breed altogether, creating their own national parent club and registry with the specific aim of preventing any further cross-breeding with Havanese. The old name Havana Silk Dog was chosen for this newly restored breed because the traits so consistently displayed in these dogs (but not described in the current Havana standard) were precisely those represented and described in dogs from Cuba before the establishment and subsequent popularity. of Havanese in the USA. Because the restoration of the Havana Silk Dog was in truth a happy accident resulting from the founding breeders' recognition of the importance of soundness and health in a breeding program, full registration of intact animals by the Havana Silk Dog Association of America, the breed's national Parent Club, requires an OFA / CHIC number, DNA profiling and physical evaluation to exclude from the gene pool dogs with short or bowed forelegs and other deviations from traditional Cuban breed soundness and type. |
General appearance |
| The Havana Silk Dog is a pure Cuban invention and is attractive, fun-loving, charming, alert, resourceful and highly adaptable to all situations. They are elegant yet athletic little companion dogs with long, flat, silky coats in a variety of colors. Its pride and poise are reflected in its typically high head and tail carriage, and supple, elastic gait. |
Important proportions |
| The height at the top of the shoulder is equal to the distance from the top of the shoulder to the base of the tail. A well-balanced dog has about one-third head and neck, one-third body and one-third leg. Bone substance is medium throughout, neither coarse nor fine. |
Behaviour / temperament |
| Benevolent, curious and intuitive expression. The quintessential companion dog: very outgoing, self-confident, lively, playful, curious and intelligent. Must show kindness and acceptance of people and other dogs, but acts as an alert dog. Any reservations about strangers must be resolved quickly on introduction. Atypical temperament should be penalized. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
The length of the head, measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput, is approximately 50% of the height at the top of the shoulder. | |
Skull |
Broad and slightly rounded. | |
Stop |
Moderate. | |
Facial region |
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Nose |
Broad, square and always black except on chocolate dogs, which have dark brown pigment. Diluted pigment on the nose disqualifies. Pigmentation around the eyes and lips is ideally black, except on the chocolate dog, which has dark brown pigment. Any deviation from the ideal should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. A halo of dark pigmentation surrounding the eyes is highly desirable. Diluted pigment disqualifies. |
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Muzzle |
Rather refined. The length of the muzzle in relation to the skull is ideally 3 to 4. | |
Lips |
Parallel. | |
Jaws and teeth |
Jaws aligned in a scissor bite. Mandible flat and firm. | |
Cheeks |
Very flat cheeks. | |
Eyes |
Wide apart, rather large, very dark. Almond-shaped eyelids. Blue eyes disqualify. | |
Ears |
Set high on skull, broad base, with distinct fold at skull line. Triangular in shape with fine leather, the tip of which touches the outer corner of the eye when gently held forward. Worn neither folded along the neck nor framing the cheeks. When alert, the ears lift at the base, producing an unbroken line across the top of the skull. | |
Neck |
| Moderately long to allow head to be carried high. Neck length is about 50% of body length measured from top of shoulder to tail set. Slightly arched, blending harmoniously with the shoulders. |
Body |
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Body |
The body is slightly longer than the height, allowing greater reach and better drive, with a clearly defined tuck-up. | |
Topline |
Directly from withers to point of hip. | |
Loin |
The loins are short, broad and well muscled. | |
Croup |
Descending at an angle of 30 degrees from the point of the hip to the base of the tail. The length of the croup measured from the point of the hip to the base of the tail is about 4 centimeters. | |
Chest |
The rib cage is oval, with ribs well connected to the spine. The chest reaches to the elbows. The length of the ribcage is about twice the length of the loin. The chest is well defined. |
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Tail |
| Set so that it is naturally carried high and gracefully arched over the back. The tail can fall to either side. The vertebrae of the tail should not touch the back. The tail may drop when not in motion and should extend slightly beyond the hock. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Generality |
Straight and parallel when viewed from any angle. Bowing of the forelegs or valgus deviation of the carpus disqualifies. | |
Shoulders |
Well laid, muscular, strong and well relaxed. The angle at the point of shoulder is about 100 degrees. | |
Upper arm |
Well inclined, with forelegs well under the body. | |
Elbows |
The distance from the ground to the elbow is equal to the distance from the elbow to the top of the shoulder. Ideally, the distance from ground to elbow is equal to the distance from lower chest to ground. | |
Pastern |
Straight. | |
Forefeet |
Round and compact. | |
Hindquarters |
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Pelvis |
The angle between the hip point and the ischium is ideally 30 degrees to the horizontal. | |
Lower thigh |
Strong and muscular, with moderate angulation. When stacked, the rear foot falls slightly behind a vertical line dropped from the ischium. Legs straight and parallel when viewed from the rear. The distance between the hind legs corresponds approximately to the distance between the front legs. | |
Hock |
Short and straight, parallel when viewed from the rear, not exceeding 30% of the height at the point of the hip. | |
Hind feet |
Oval and compact. | |
Gait and movement |
| Smooth, elegant and elastic. The movement is solid with good reach and drive. Head and tail are carried high while moving. A level topline holds under the movement. |
Coat |
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Hair |
The adult coat is single, not dense and without undercoat. The hair is fairly flat and soft, naturally forming light, wispy waves at the ends of each strand. There are two coat styles. Silk : A typical drooping coat, with long silky hair covering the entire dog. A curtain of hair falls in front of the occiput, covering the eyes. Satin : Hair on head, feet and front of legs is short and fine. Coat of medium length, with longer, silky bangs on ears, chest, back of legs and tail. |
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Colour |
Any color or combination of colors, except merle, is also acceptable as long as the nose is black or dark brown on chocolate dogs. Merle pattern disqualifies. | |
Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
23 to 28 centimetres. | |
Weight |
Weight is proportional to height. | |
Faults |
| • Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
Disqualifying faults |
 Diluted pigment. Blackbird pattern. Blue eyes. Inclination of the forelegs or valgus deviation of the carpus disqualifies. |
NB : |
| • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
English (United Kingdom) 
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