Things i should know before buying a Havanese.

[MicheleS]

I wish I had known how wonderful this breed was many years ago!! Our Cappy will be 2 in March. We consistently crate trained him, meaning he was in his crate when we couldn't watch him until he was reliable and he slept in his crate at night. At about 9 months we were able to leave him home alone for several hours at a time. He's never touched a thing in the house when we're not home (except if you leave paper laying around ). He almost never barks. I've been able to teach him about 25 tricks and he passed his therapy dog test at a little over a year old. He is my 5 year old niece's best buddy and loves everyone - people and dogs! He is the best dog I've ever owned and if my husband would agree, I'd have at least another one!! Hope that helps.

[lise]

You are lucky he is not a barker. Ted is quite vocal when he wants to be!

[RitaandRiley]

Riley is not a barker per se either but he does bark when it's appropriate and his bark is bigger and deeper than you would expect. He barks like a big dog!

[Sarahdee]

Originally Posted by lise

You are lucky he is not a barker. Ted is quite vocal when he wants to be!

Can you train them not to bark or is that easier said then done? I have discovered the website dog star daily. WOW!!!! Is all that I have to say. That is a lot of information and training that you need to do in the first few MONTHS!!! Is it even possible?

[Momo means Peach]

Everything said above is generally true. I would never get another kind of dog - I am hooked.

However, my two have completely different personalities. The older is more reserved, more protective of me (guard dog), generally quiet except for the protective part and very independent. She's so quiet you don't usually know she's around. She also loves sitting on her perch outside and surveying the yard. Except when it rains, then I have to be prepared for accidents because she does not like getting wet.

The younger is gregarious in that he's never met a stranger, very vocal (he has some very interesting barks and growls and other noises), and stays close when I'm on the move. He demands your only attention by pushing aside the older one and flopping on his back or jumping up and down. You always know he's there because of his exuberance and his mouth.

[narci]

If you need a paper shredder to shred you old bills and sensitive papers, get a hav.

[Thumper]

But*t baths, Nobody told me about butt baths, and they require a lot of grooming, invest in quality brushes and combs, they are picky with food for the most part, and they are a bit OCD and creatures of habit, they like their routine and stick to it, so be careful not to let a bad habit get slipped into their routine,

Love my monkey, though!

Kara

[El Bueno Habanero]

Let me first say that it's a great thing you're taking your time to investigate different dog breeds before committing to one. Wish more ppl would do it this way. But, also keep in mind that you're on a Havanese forum, so we all are possibly a 'little' biased lol. As you can read most ppl say they would never get another breed, and this is true with me too. Hooked on a havanese here .

Originally Posted by lfung5

They are the perfect breed. I was not a dog person before I got one. And the Havanese was my first dog ever. They are human like!

And I would add to that they're cat like also . My DH is definitely a cat person but he loves Havaneses , and I'm myself not a 'true' dog person either. I know that a 'true' dog would get on my nerves lol, so havs fit me perfectly. Although there're days I would love the two of mine to behave more like a dogs , e.g. eat good like most Labradors do lol.

My two havs are very different in personality. My 5y old boy is quiet, gets anxious around children (and if they corner him, so he feels trapped, he will snap at them), crazy about going on walks, for him it's just never long enough, not a lap dog ....the other, almost a year old girl tends to be barky, being lazy she is happy with short walks, likes children (even thought there're no children in our household) and prefers to be on my lap all the time. I also know other havs who are not so crazy about children, and since you do have children, I think it's very important to choose your dog/puppy wisely.
I hope I will not get myself banned for saying this LOL, but to be totally honest with you havs wouldn't be my first choice if I had children. I find them to be very sensitive /needy dogs, that thrive on attention which fits me great. I feel like I couldn't give them enough of that if I had children (talking about me personally only, not saying ppl with children don't give their dogs enough attention. I have friends who are perfectly capable of combining all the work it takes).

I find havs to be very trainable and easy going dogs. Sensitive to the tone of your voice, and fast learners. In my experience you don't have to be Cesar Milan to have a nice behaving hav lol. I like their looks, and they have the most beautiful, soulful eyes in the whole doggy world . I also like the fact that they don't shed and don't have that distinct doggy smell. They're great little dogs, and if you go for a hav I know (s)he will still your heart immediately.

[Blue_Persuasion]

I haven't read all the responses yet, but my advice is this:

Get prepared for laughing more than you ever have, pure joy, and falling deeply, deeply in love. I've had quite a few dogs in my life, and my 1-year-old is beyond anything I ever expected. I cannot express the depth of love I have for him and he brings to our family.

Mine is part mountain goat (he LOVES climbing along the back of my couch and perching there to look out the window or "walking around my head" from chest to shoulders) and part bunny rabbit (if you saw him run and play, the way he bounds, you'd understand), and he's very smart (before he turned one on October 29, he could already identify at least four toys by name, was bell trained at 12 weeks in a matter of 36 hours, and learned sit, stay, and DINNER very quickly).

If you can handle that, then...

[sprorchid]

forgot about butt baths. who knew!