[husker92]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I would like to bring a dog into our home, and we have been researching the Havanese. It appears to be a good match for us in many ways, low shedding, good personality, sturdy but not too big, good with kids...

That being said, I have a few concerns, in particular, how good are they with a 3 year old? My son is quite active, but has been around dogs/cats and has always been gentle with them. We also live on an acre sort of out in the country, so we don't have a fence. Is getting a Havanse without having a fence asking for trouble?

My final concern is housebreaking, but from other threads it sounds like its more of an issue with the owner not being consistent than it is with the dog.

Anyway, I realize that no one can make the decision for us, but we are just looking to receive some guidance for those that have experience with the breed. I have read many general details about the breed, but thought it was time to ask a few specific questions.

Thanks for your help,

Corey

 

[Dawna]

Welcome to the forum!
I would say a fence is an absolute must for the safety of any havanese. They are sturdy little dogs, but larger dogs, predators, their own curious nature are all very real threats to their safety. The same would hold true for most any breed.
Housetraining can be more difficult with toy breeds, but if you are able to spend the time with your dog that it would require, it's very manageable.
There are many members of this forum who have been in this breed for many years and they are a great resource for new hav owner.
Feel free to ask.

 

[Laurief]

Corey,
Welcome to the forum! I bet you will be pleased if you get a Havanese - they are the greatest. This coming from someone who liked dogs, but someone else's dogs, and now has 2 with a third coming in Jan. My kids are a little older buy my nieces & nephews are small 1 - 7 years old, and they are wonderful together. I too have an acre property in the "sorta" country and have an electric fence which works wonderfully. I do keep a close eye on them, and make them come in when I hear a hawk in the area, and/or hear fox or see fox. I never want to take any chances. The only problem with electric fence is that it does not keep other dogs & predators out of the yard, but we still get to keep our rural look.
Laurie

 

[BeverlyA]

Hi Husker,
Any chance you're in Nebraska? I'm in Lincoln and would love to talk to any other Hav owners in the area, they are VERY rare in this part of the world! I couldn't be happier with my Havanese. I think you would either want to have him fenced in, or else just have him outside with you, not alone. You would also want to keep him in a puppy cut, which is adorable, or else he would be a matted mess from sticks, grass, weeds, etc.
Welcome to the forum and good luck with your decision!

 

[husker92]

Hi Beverly,

We are in Nebraska. Near the Hastings area. Where did you find your dog? We have found a couple of breeders in Nebraska, but are not sure about which one is the best.

Corey

 

[BeverlyA]

Hi Corey,
We got our puppy, Cooper, from Grandview Havanese, a breeder from Washington state. Since then I have met a couple breeders a little closer to home. If you're interested, please feel free to email me at [email protected] and I can share some of the things I've found out. It would be great to hear who you've found out about too!
Beverly

 

[Kathy]

Dear Corey,
I am a breeder, and I do think a fence is a must or some type of confinement set up just for you puppy, for many reason's. Havanese are very social dogs, and they can wonder. Since you live in the country, they could be prey to other animals, like large birds of prey. You should be with your dog when outside, especially in the beginning, so he/she will learn where you want them to stay. I have in my contract that the buyer will provide some type of fenced area for the dog. Many Havanese have been lost because they ran out the front door, or found a hole in the fence.

As for your 3 year old. Havanese are good with children, but it is up to the parents to train their child to be good to the animal. I personally think 3 years old is very young to have a toy breed puppy underfoot, as toddlers can easily fall on the puppy and hurt it not meaning too. Some toddlers might try to handle the puppy like they would a their stuffed animal. Constant supervision would be needed when the child and puppy are together. Bringing a puppy into the home, is really very similar to bringing a new baby into the home. There are exceptions of course to every rule, but I think children over the age of 5 are better equiped to understand what having a dog in the family is all about. Over 8 is even better. <grin>

 

[DAJsMom]

We have three kids, ages 10, 8, and 5 and recently added a havanese to our family. It was very helpful to us to visit a couple of very accomodating breeders in our area. We brought our kids and watched how they interacted with the dogs and puppies. We also had many discussions with the kids about what it would be like to get a dog. Our 5-year old son had some pretty interesting ideas about what he might be able to do with a puppy, and he's generally a gentle kid. The result of it all was that we got a 6 month old puppy that had been kept as a show prospect. She came to us housetrained, crate-trained, and able to run from our son if he got any crazy ideas. She's also big enough to be lots of fun for the kids. We've had her a month and are very happy with the decision. Sure, we missed the fun of having a little puppy, but we missed most of the trouble too.

We also have a frequent visitor to our house who is almost three. She has been remarkably good with Dusty. She learned right away to sit down and hold her hands out palms up if she wanted Dusty to come to her.

I agree with the others. If you get any new pet with a three-year old, or any young child, you will have to constantly supervise. The best advice anyone gave us was that getting a dog would be like getting a new baby. It's true!