Sensitivity:
Obedience:
Trainability:
Stubbornness:
Attention Span:
Obedience training your Havanese enhances respect and harmony in the home. It helps establish clear roles and responsibilities, making life enjoyable for both you and your dog. The benefits of obedience training include leadership, trust, discipline, and strengthening the bond you share.
The Havanese is intelligent, eager-to-please, and sociable by nature. These traits make them excellent candidates for training. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the obedience training process, considering the unique characteristics of the Havanese.
Step 1: Choose a Training Method
Understanding your Havanese’s temperament is important. They are affectionate, playful, and intelligent, which influences their responsiveness to training. Using these traits can make training sessions more effective and enjoyable for both parties.
Selecting the right equipment is essential. For the Havanese, a comfortable harness and a lightweight leash are ideal. You may also consider using a clicker to reinforce positive behavior during training.
Consistency in training methods is important. Whether you choose positive reinforcement or another method, using the same equipment and commands helps your Havanese understand what is expected.
Step 2: Establish a Routine
Setting realistic goals is important. Start with simple commands like “sit” and “stay,” then progress to more complex ones at your Havanese’s learning pace. Patience is key because of their moderate attention span.
Choose a quiet and distraction-free location for training sessions. This helps your Havanese focus on learning commands. Their affectionate and sociable nature means distractions can easily capture their attention, so a calm environment is beneficial.
A daily schedule with 2 to 3 sessions is ideal. Keep each session around 10 to 15 minutes and maintain consistent times, even on weekends, to instill a sense of routine. This helps your Havanese become accustomed to regular training.
Sample Havanese basic obedience commands training schedule:
- Morning: Practice the “sit” command 5 times
- Afternoon: Teach the “stay” command 5 times
- Evening: Go over the “come” command 5 times
Sample Havanese advanced obedience commands training schedule:
- Morning: Practice the “down” command 5 times
- Afternoon: Teach the “off” command 5 times
- Evening: Go over the “heel” and “no” commands 3 times each
Step 3: Assert Leadership
Being firm and fair helps establish leadership with your Havanese. Their gentle and playful nature responds well to a pack leader who sets clear expectations. This reinforces their obedience and helps them understand their role in the family.
Set boundaries by defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Outline rules and boundaries consistently. Havanese are adaptable and intelligent, making them responsive to structured environments where they know what is expected of them.
Reward obedience with positive reinforcement. Immediate rewards help your Havanese associate good behavior with positive outcomes. Their eagerness to please is reinforced by treats, praise, or playtime, making training more effective.
Step 4: Teach Basic Commands
Teaching your Havanese basic commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “come” is important. Immediate rewards reinforce their obedience. Their intelligence and eagerness to please make them quick learners.
To teach “sit,” hold a treat above your Havanese’s head. Slowly move it back, prompting them to sit. Reward them right away when they succeed.
Teaching “stay” requires patience. Have your Havanese sit, then command “stay,” gradually increasing the distance. Reward them for maintaining the position.
When teaching “come,” start with your Havanese in the “sit” and “stay” positions. Call them using the “come” command. Reward them for approaching promptly.
Havanese basic obedience commands cheat sheet:
- Sit: Hold a treat above the head, command “sit,” reward sitting
- Stay: From the “sit” position, command “stay,” step back, reward staying
- Come: From the “sit” and “stay” positions, command “come,” reward arrival
Step 5: Expand Commands
Teaching your Havanese advanced commands like “down,” “off,” “heel,” “no,” and “leave it” enhances their obedience. Positive reinforcement is important in making these commands effective and engaging.
To teach “down,” guide your Havanese into a lying position by lowering a treat from their nose to the ground. Reward right away when they follow the action.
Teaching “off” involves guiding your Havanese away from undesired places or objects. Use the command firmly and reward compliance, considering their affectionate nature.
For “heel,” have your Havanese walk beside you, not ahead or behind. Use treats to guide and reward them for maintaining position.
Use “no” sparingly, with a firm voice to convey disapproval. Havanese are sensitive, so consistency is important to prevent confusion. Reward them for correcting behavior.
“Leave it” teaches your Havanese not to touch or pick up unwanted items. Use a treat to guide them away and reward compliance.
Havanese advanced obedience commands cheat sheet:
- Down: Lower a treat to the ground while commanding “down,” reward lying
- Off: Direct away from an undesired area while instructing “off,” reward compliance
- Heel: Command “heel” when walking with a short leash, reward walking beside
- No: Discourage unwanted behavior while saying “no,” reward obedience
- Leave It: Guide away from an object or item while commanding “leave it,” reward restraint
Step 6: Advance to Complex Commands
Teaching complex commands enhances your Havanese’s obedience and provides mental stimulation. Commands like “fetch, bring back” and “heel, sit, wait” build on basic and advanced skills, challenging their intelligence.
For “fetch, bring back,” use a toy. Command “fetch,” and encourage your Havanese to “bring back.” Reward their return right away.
Instruct “heel, sit, wait” by having them walk beside you, then “sit.” Command “wait” for increased patience. Reward their compliance to reinforce the behavior.
Havanese complex obedience commands cheat sheet:
- Fetch, Bring Back: Throw a toy, command “fetch, bring back,” reward retrieval
- Heel, Sit, Wait: Command “heel” when walking, then “sit” and “wait,” reward patience
Step 7: Maintain Obedience Training
Continue regular training sessions to instill obedience in your Havanese. Scheduled training reinforces learned commands and promotes consistency.
Increase training challenges by gradually introducing new environments or more complex tasks. Set realistic expectations based on their adaptability and intelligence.
Keep training sessions engaging by varying environments and combining playtime with training. Reward immediately to reinforce positive behavior.
Mistakes to Avoid
Using negative reinforcement can affect your Havanese’s sensitive nature. Focus on positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior and maintain their eagerness to please.
Holding long training sessions can overwhelm your Havanese. Keep sessions short to match their attention span, ensuring they remain engaged.
Being inconsistent with training can confuse your Havanese. Stick to a routine and consistent commands to reinforce learning and maintain their obedience.
Changing commands or rules can lead to confusion. Establish clear and consistent commands to help your Havanese understand expectations.
Delaying rewards can reduce their effectiveness. Reward your Havanese immediately to reinforce the desired behavior and maintain their motivation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take to Obedience Train a Havanese?
Training a Havanese typically takes 2 to 4 months, depending on the complexity of the commands. Starting between 8 to 12 weeks old is ideal, but patience and consistency are key.
Why Might My Havanese Be Slow to Obedience Train?
Individual temperament, past negative experiences, or lack of motivation can slow training. Inconsistent training or unpredictable commands may also cause confusion and delay progress.
What Are the Most Important Commands to Teach a Havanese?
Teaching “sit,” “stay,” “come,” and “leave it” establishes control and ensures safety in various situations. Refer to the “Basic” and “Advanced” obedience commands cheat sheets for guidance.
What Should I Do if My Havanese Refuses to Obey Commands?
Revisit your training schedule to ensure consistency in goals and location. Simplify complex commands, reduce environmental distractions, and adjust rewards to maintain engagement.
