Baba And Cha-Cha

Dear Dog Lady,

I am wondering if you could tell me what kind of dog Barbara Walters owns? I saw her with her dog on "The View" over a year ago and cannot remember what breed it is. It is the name of someplace in Mexico, I think. The dog was long haired and a smaller breed; very smart and affectionate. Please help!

Dee, Lima, OH

Fiddle dee Dee, this is one of Dog Lady's frequently asked questions in the matter of hounded celebrities. For some reason, Barbara Walters' dog is the focus of more curiosity than any other. After receiving your query, Dog Lady realized she couldn't bury the answer any longer.

Barbara Walters has a Havanese -- not Mexican, but Cuban. The breed originated in Cuba. Hence, the name: Havana-ese. Havanese are petite, hairy, cute-as-a-button dogs. They look like Maltese, with a dash of Pekinese, but they are hot-blooded Havanese, with a yen for breaking embargos, basking in bright colors, and wearing little Che Guevera berets when they foment revolution in the dog park.

Walters, whose interview with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro may have given her a yen for Havanese, calls her pet "Cha-Cha." The non-pareil TV talk mistress did bring the dog onto "The View," her syndicated morning show.

Walters not only presides on "The View," but she is creator and executive producer. She is an amazing woman, well past retirement age, who has withstood the competition from every TV news It-girl through the years. Little Cha-Cha has an enviable role model

Posted by Dog Lady at June 1, 2004 06:11 PM