Havanese Temperment

Dorothy Goodale, the lady primarily responsible for restoring the Havanese breed wrote this description of them:

"What is a Havanese? He is the light of my life, the sun in my morning, the most charming and discreet of beggars at my table. He will play the clown when I am sad...never failing to charm the smile right out of me, talk to me, be my most enthusiastic traveling companion with the most exemplary of manners. His personality has as many facets as a priceless gem. What more can I say? He is a
Havanese!"

The Havanese is truly one of the most delightful of all small breeds!

They are natural companion dogs. The Havanese become extremely attached to their human family members. In fact, they thrive on the affection, attention, and companionship of "their" people. Because of their need for attachment, they do not fair well when left alone for long periods. Havanese need to be with their family and are not "the breed of choice" for those who must be away from home
all day.

The Havanese are "indoor-dogs." Life in a yard, patio, or kennel is highly unsuitable for this breed. Their compact size makes the Havanese an appropriate choice for apartment dwellers.

Havanese are active indoors and are able to get a lot of exercise by just running around and playing inside the house. However, they do need daily walks or romps outdoors to thrive.

Many Havanese are good swimmers and love to play in the water. Given the opportunity and supervision, swimming also can be an excellent way to exercise for this breed

Playful, yet gentle and responsive, the Havanese are excellent with children. Younger children should, nevertheless, be supervised to be sure that the appropriately gentle playfulness is reciprocated.

Havanese are friendly, but discriminating. Their alert demeanor and the close relationships that they form with their human family members make them good "watch dogs." They will bark to announce that someone is approaching. Then, taking their cues from family, they will join in welcoming a guest. As they grow older, Havanese can be somewhat aloof with strangers, preferring to make friends
with visitors in their own time.

Cheerful and sociable, the Havanese get along well with other dogs and pets, including cats. They tend to be easy going with a sweet, non-quarrelsome disposition.

Exceptionally bright, the Havanese learn quickly and are easy to train. They are eager to please and very responsive to positive, gentle training methods. Sensitive to voice inflections, the Havanese find harsh tones upsetting.

Havanese are natural show-offs and clowns. They love to entertain and enjoy being the center of attention. In this regard, these intelligent little dogs are ideal companions for learning and performing tricks.

AKC's Standard for the Havanese captures the essence of the breed in a statement actually directed to describe their appearance: "His duties traditionally have been those of companion, watch dog, child's playmate and herder of the family poultry flock. His presentation in the show ring should reflect his function - always in excellent condition but never so elaborately coifed as to preclude
an impromptu romp in the leaves, as his character is essentially playful rather than decorative."