The Havanese personality and temperament is that of an affectionate, fun-loving, and easygoing dog breed. Although they will attach strongly to one person, they love to be around everyone! They love to be around their people and prefer not to be alone, although a properly bred Havanese will not be more prone to separation anxiety or nervous behaviors.
The Havanese is generally very sociable and friendly with strangers, but still requires early socialization to make sure this part of their personality and temperament develops properly.

The Havanese is an active and energetic dog and enjoys walks and exercise, but does not require it. They will generally find their own exercise if they are able to be with you and your family. They are not meant to be outside dogs and require time with their people. Although not a yappy breed, they will bark to alert their person to possible dangers.

For these reasons, the Havanese can be a great apartment dog or a great family dog, or both! Their size makes them an even better candidate for living in all sorts of homes.

The Havanese is an intelligent, easy to train breed. They are naturally people-pleasers and therefore learn quickly. They are always happy to perform tricks for their family and strangers alike and can act a bit clownish, enjoying making people laugh! In fact, they were once used as circus dogs! The Havanese does best with a gentle hand and excels with positive reinforcement training methods. Naturally sensitive and in-tune with their peoples’ emotions, they do poorly with heavier training methods such as negative reinforcement. 
If you’d like information on how to train your current or future Havanese, please check out our Havanese Training website!