Havanese Training Profile

Weight: 7 to 15 pounds

Height: 8.5 to 11.5 inches

Lifespan: 14 to 16 years

Havanese Temperament and Behavior

These dogs look like adorable miniature Old English Sheepdogs. But, due to their small size, they’re better suited for smaller homes than their larger look-alikes. And, with their long lifespans, you can be sure to make a lot of special memories if you get one of these dogs.

The Maltese and Bichon Frise, both of which fall under the ancient Bichon family of small white-haired dogs, are the most likely ancestors of the Havanese.

Their ancestors found their way to Cuba, most likely in the company of either the Spaniards or the Italians. They were eventually bred into their current form. The Havanese were named after Cuba’s capital, Havana, and were once known as the Havana Silk Dog.

When the U.S. became home to Cuban refugees in 1959, they found a new home and new admirers. It took them a while to gain popularity in the U.S. — the first Havanese dog club had only nine members — but they’ve since grown into one of the most common lap dogs.

Havanese are sweet, cheerful dogs who adore their owners, and they get along well with children and other pets. They enjoy living houses and apartments, as long as their owners spend plenty of time with them.

Although these are generally quiet dogs, they are known to bark when visitors approach their homes. They’re built for warm weather, so they enjoy being outside, but they’re easily overexerted. They’re also attention seekers; they enjoy performing tricks for people.

Training Havanese

These dogs are not typically aggressive, but they can be very mischievous. If they’re not adamantly trained early in life, they will try to get away with anything they can, such as nipping at people’s hands and chewing up items around the house.

These dogs require a lot of human companionship to be happy; without it, they will experience separation anxiety and may become destructive. Havanese are also very sensitive dogs; they do best with positive reinforcement training methods.

Another key component of training Havanese is socialization. Getting them to interact with other dogs and people early in life will produce a well-behaved companion that gets along well with others.