Are Havanese Dogs Aggressive? 4 Reasons They May Get Mean!

When you’re looking for a dog to bring into a loving family, an aggressive dog is the last thing you want. While dogs aren’t naturally aggressive and mean, some dogs have very protective qualities that can make them seem more aggressive. Looking for a dog that is even-tempered and affectionate is perfect to bring to a family. 

Are Havanese dogs aggressive?

Havanese dogs are not known to be aggressive. Instead, these dogs are playful and affectionate. They are great around kids and they have a ton of love in their hearts for their families. 

While Havanese dogs aren’t aggressive, they are known to be a bit mischievous. This is because they are smart, playful, and have lots of energy to use up every day. If they get bored, they are then likely to start up a bit of mischief.

Mischievous behavior you might encounter when having a Havanese dog includes: finding them going through stuff that they aren’t supposed to, chewing up shoes or other smaller objects, causing messes around the house, and sometimes being a bit too mouthy with nipping at hands. 

Most of the time, you can train out some of the mischievous behavior of your Havanese dog. This is done when they have their initial training while a puppy, but sometimes training out mischief can continue onto adulthood. 

Havanese dogs can also show mischievous behavior when they are anxious. These dogs are prone to separation anxiety and can get upset when their family leaves the house for whatever reason. In their anxiety, Havanese dogs can become destructive, doing some of the same behaviors that they would from boredom. 

Separation anxiety can usually be helped through training, but it will take some time for your Havanese dog to get used to being away from you. 

What is the Temperament of Havanese Dogs?

Havanese dogs have a great personality and temperament for family living. These dogs are super playful and affectionate.

If they aren’t playing around with their family, they are usually trying to snuggle up beside them on the couch or the bed. They are truly the definition of a lap dog with how often you will find them taking a seat on top of you.

These dogs have a lot of energy, so they enjoy lots of playing time with their families. They are typically happy dogs and also love to be social with both other animals and other people. 

These dogs aren’t afraid to make new friends at the dog park and are usually welcoming to any friends or family coming to the home. Even if they aren’t familiar with the new person, they will usually react with affection and care to strangers. 

These dogs are so social that it’s a good idea to get two Havanese so they don’t get lonely. Havanese dogs don’t do well without social interaction which can sometimes lead to their mischievous behavior. When you have two dogs (whether they are both Havanese dogs or not,) your Havanese dog won’t feel so lonely even when the family is currently away. 

Why Might a Havanese Dog Become Aggressive?

No dog is passive 24/7. Sometimes, something might happen that can make your Havanese dog aggressive. Usually, aggressiveness happens when one of their needs isn’t being met and they become frustrated from that. 

Lack of Socialization

The main reason why a Havanese dog might become aggressive is due to a lack of socialization. When a Havanese dog doesn’t experience the proper amount of socialization, they don’t know how to interact with other people and other dogs. 

Without socialization, a Havanese dog can suffer from social anxiety, becoming fearful around new people and animals. When a dog experiences fear, there can possibility become aggressive. They can also become protective of their owners and perceive a new person or animal as a threat. This then makes them aggressive. 

When a Havanese dog doesn’t get the proper socialization growing up, it is important to start socialization training as soon as possible. They can then learn how to socialize with new people and animals which, over time, will make them less aggressive overall.

Loneliness

A Havanese dog can also become aggressive and destructive if they become lonely. This can happen when the entire family is out for the day with school, work, or even errands. When left alone for a long time, a Havanese dog will get lonely which will lead to behavioral problems because their social needs are not being met. 

This is why it is such a good idea to get them a friend whether that’s another Havanese dog or just another dog in general. When they have a friend that will stay at the house with them, neither of them will get bored or sad. 

However, this can sometimes mean double the mischief when they are feeling particularly mischievous. 

Neglect

When a dog has faced abuse or neglect, they won’t have the same behavioral development as properly taken care of dogs. Neglected Havanese dogs will have a collection of behavioral problems, and aggressiveness can be one of them. 

If you adopt a Havanese dog that has faced abuse and neglect in its past, you will have to be aware that it will most likely have behavioral problems. These dogs will need to be trained to overcome their neglect and the problems that come with it.

With time, these dogs can develop better behavior and become as lively as they would be without the neglect in their past. 

Lack of Training

Aggressiveness can be seen in Havanese dogs that haven’t been properly trained. In training for most dogs, there’s basic obedience and basic command training. This teaches dogs to not be aggressive and to stop when an owner tells them to. 

Without training, a Havanese dog wouldn’t have learned how to have good behavior. There’s a chance for them to become a bit aggressive.

How Can I Make My Havanese Dog Stop Being Aggressive?

The best way to stop aggressiveness in a Havanese dog is to have them go through training. However, if this aggressive behavior is seemingly sudden in your dog, make sure that all their needs are being met before thinking that they need training. Again, a Havanese dog can become aggressive if they face severe loneliness or aren’t having another need being met.

Usually, a Havanese dog will have all possible aggressive behavior trained out of them when they are going through training as a puppy. They will learn proper behavior and how to properly react to other animals and people. If your Havanese dog is showing aggressive behavior, it’s a good time to put them back into training to correct the behavior. 

A trainer can also help you figure out what specific training your Havanese dog will need. Sometimes it’s socialization training and sometimes it’s basic obedience training. With a professional trainer, they will be able to help your Havanese dog learn proper behavior. They might also be able to help if your Havanese dog is aggressive due to past abuse and trauma. 

How Can I Prevent Aggressive Behavior in My Dog?

Let’s assume that your Havanese dog hadn’t gone through any abuse or neglect in the past and you’re still worried about the possibility of aggressive behavior. With that, remember that the biggest cause of aggressive behavior in Havanese dogs is lack of socialization or loneliness. 

To prevent aggressive behavior, make sure that your Havanese dog gets a lot of socialization. An amazing way to do this is to take your Havanese dog to the dog park. There, it will be able to meet plenty of new people and new dogs. It will be able to make friends and spend plenty of time outdoors. 

You can also set doggy playdates with the dogs of your friends. Your friend can either bring their dog to your house or you bring your Havanese dog to their house. Either way, your Havanese dog will be able to spend time socializing with someone outside of the home, sometimes in a new environment as well. 

Giving your Havanese dog plenty of time to socialize will let them learn how to interact with new people and new dogs. This allows them to create healthy behaviors so that they won’t feel the need to be aggressive. 

Final Thoughts

Havanese dogs aren’t aggressive. They highly prefer to be playful and loving with their family and friends. They like to snuggle and play games, not get angry at people or other dogs. 

However, there are situations where a Havanese dog might become aggressive. Often, this aggressive behavior can be trained out over time once finding out what is causing them to feel the need to be aggressive. 

As long as you allow your Havanese dog to have plenty of time to be social, you shouldn’t have to worry about aggression.

Havanese are amazing dogs to have because of how loving they are. Most of the time, you don’t have to worry about aggression at all.