How to train a havanese puppy: specific breed quirks to observe

Havanese dogs are such clowns at home, often inventing clever and amusing games or habits for themselves. It is good to for all potential dog owners to know that some of these antics may appear amusing to people, while others may find them irritating and frustrating.

Among the so-called signature behaviors or tendencies of the Havanese is its love for paper. The purpose and goal, of course, can only be to litter the house with the tiniest possible bits of toilet paper, cards, and even still-smaller slices of receipts and grocery lists. Those observing them usually suspect that Havs have an innate ability to tear up and mangle everything into tiny pieces, large enough to be “admired,” but small enough to escape the vacuum cleaner.

Havanese learn easily, and sometimes pick up even things not taught to them in Havanese training. If done improperly, treat-based training results to a dog that has its master around its paw in no time at all! So be sure to plan well how to train a havanese puppy.

This dog's cleverness shows up in the most creative ways. One specific example of this behavior is the way the dog is able to appear absolutely innocent of any wrong doing. There are even a few amazing instances wherein the canine culprit will lay its head down and pretend to go to sleep, in order to avoid the finger pointing. As the hunt for the culpable one picks up, the dog's long black lashes stubbornly guards the closed eyes, thus “exonerating” the sleeping dog from any guilt.

And a havanese owner or two can claim to having been conned and outwitted at least once by a smart aleck dog, despite a good house training at home. So the dog may be sent to the bathroom for its business, and will go through the motions of lifting a leg or squatting, but with no yellow pee spot to show! In any case, house training needs very much to be part and parcel of any plans on how to train a havanese puppy.

Havs are also famous for made-up games, with the rules known only to them. A silly game that will amuse you to no end begins when the dog picks some small light item to be part of the game. These are pounced on repeatedly by a bouncy Hav, thrown into the air in many different directions, chased all over the room, and also made to jump all over. The dog seems to dance, performing fake out moves, jumping and spinning, demonstrating traits that demonstrate why this dog is a consistent participant in agility contests.

While Havs are not yappy little dogs, they can nevertheless be vocal, and do not just settle for barks. They actually put to use a repertoire of vocalizations, packing grunts, warbles, whimpers and chortles that only the inner circle of family members can translate. Some Havs have been known to emit a rumbling “purr” when content and happy, or howl according to an internal pattern when musically inspired.

All this indicates that life with a Hav is never ever a dog's life (referring to the idiom, of course)!