This toy spaniel is named after the capital (now spelled Manila) of the Philippines, the city which was the breed’s stronghold.
A small companion breed, rarely mentioned today, this was popular at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, when there was an attempt by a British breeder, called Miss Pidgely, to established it in England. She was impressed by its physical appeal, by its intelligence and quickness to learn, and by its longevity, one of her dogs living to the age of 18.
The Manilla was a member of the bichon group, very similar to the Maltese but much larger. It weighed 16 lb (7 kg), compared with the 6 lb (3 kg) of the tiny Maltese. Breeders in the Philippines claimed that it was a native breed, but the chances are that it was one of the highly valued little lapdogs that were carried around the world by early trading ships, for use in exchanges of luxury goods. This would put it in the same category as the Bichon Fris from Tenerife, the Havanese from Cuba and the Coton de Tulear from Madagascar.
The Manilla Spaniel had a long, white, wavy coat, a jet black nose and large, lustrous black eyes. In Europe, it seems to have disappeared at some time during the early part of the 20th century, but it is not clear whether some survivors still exist in the Philippines.
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