A New Owner’s Guide to Training a Havanese Puppy
by Mary Fincher on 04/28/23
Owning a purebred Havanese puppy is having a pet, a friend, and a reliable companion. This dog breed is known to be happy, trainable, and highly intelligent, which is why many dog owners choose to own a purebred Havanese puppy over another breed.
But being a pet owner also has a lot of responsibilities. If it's your first time owning a Havanese puppy, you need to learn about how to help you train your puppy faster and easier:
• Training your puppy should start the moment you bring it home. Remember that you should be in control and not the other way around, so it's essential to figure out how to train your puppy because using the proper methods could make it easier for you to build a training routine in the future.
• Create training should be done after the puppy is fully weaned from its mother. If you want to crate-train your purebred Havanese puppy, try to do it at around eight weeks from birth when your puppy is fully weaned from its mother.
Many pet owners choose to crate-train their puppies to make it easier for them to keep the puppy safe during the night or when the owner is not at home. But the rule here is to keep your Havanese puppy inside a crate for as many hours as it's months old. For instance, an eight-week-old puppy should only stay inside the crate for a maximum of two hours.
• Practice positive reinforcement when training your puppy. The American Kennel Club recommends using positive reinforcement for Havanese puppies since they're bred for companionship and would love to socialize since they're happy pets. Although all puppies would love food as a treat, Havanese puppies also love being praised or offered playtime as a reward for good behavior.
• Start small when training your dog. While owning a purebred Havanese puppy is an exciting time, and you probably can't wait to teach it different tricks and skills, it's imperative to start small in whatever you do during training. If you teach one command, make sure to stick to that command until your puppy masters it before moving to another trick or command.
You want to avoid overwhelming your pet with different tricks that will only make it harder for the dog to learn them. You should also start training in smaller sessions before moving to more extended training periods. For instance, once you bring your puppy home, start your training with five- to ten-minute sessions and increase that time gradually as you continue your training.
Owning a purebred Havanese puppy is definitely an exciting time for any pet owner. Since these puppies are happy and active, they can bring so much energy and life to your home that you'd want to own more. But in training your pet, make sure that you commit yourself to this learning process, practice extra patience, and seek the help of professionals if you need to. Please feel free to contact Heartfelt Havanese with any questions you may have.
