Are Havanese Dogs Barkers? 4 Reasons Yours Is Yapping!
Do you need a quieter dog? Do you need a dog that won’t receive noise complaints from apartment neighbors or won’t bark at passing cars in the middle of the night? There are many reasons why one would want a dog that doesn’t bark too much and luckily for them, there are breeds that fit what they need.
Are Havanese big barkers?
The Havanese dog is the occasional barker. Some triggers will cause them to bark, but they don’t bark too often. They make for good apartment dogs as they won’t keep you or your neighbors up in the dark hours of the night.
Havanese dogs have triggers that will cause them to bark, but these triggers are common for most dogs to bark out. However, they won’t stand around barking at every little thing. Once the trigger is gone, they will stop barking. Many owners agree that their Havanese don’t bark too often and also don’t make a ton of vocalizations.
What Do Havanese Dogs Bark At?
These dogs don’t have a ton of triggers that will cause their barking to start, but they still have a few. Hardly any dogs are silent after all.
Greeting You
Most dogs would agree that any time that their owners are away is way too long. It feels like forever to them. So, when you come home after work, doing errands, or stepping out to talk to your neighbor, you should expect a grand welcome.
Havanese dogs will bark to greet you when you come home. However, this barking is short-lived because once you are thoroughly welcomed, it’s done.
Strangers Around
Havanese dogs do great around strangers. They will react friendly and playful around almost anyone. However, if a stranger gets too close to the house without being clear on what their intentions are, expect your Havanese dog to start barking. Just because Havanese are good with strangers doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to be protective against any possible threats.
Something Scary Is Happening
Many dogs are afraid of things like the vacuum and thunder. Sudden crashes of loud sounds or a weird machine getting too close will startle them and they’ll start barking. Sometimes, a Havanese dog will only bark when they are initially scared, or they might bark until the scary thing is away. This difference varies from dog to dog.
They Are Lonely
Havanese dogs are very prone to loneliness when there isn’t anyone around to love or play with. Having a Havanese dog home alone is not good for their mental health as they can’t stand being away from social interaction for more than a few hours.
When lonely, these dogs are likely to start trouble. A common action that they will show is barking. These dogs might start barking when they notice that you are going to leave, this is a pretty strong sign that your Havanese dog has developed separation anxiety.
Being lonely causes many problems for these dogs, so don’t be surprised if your dog barks when they are alone.
Do Havanese Dogs Make Good Watchdogs?
It may seem unlikely that these tiny toy dogs can do anything to watch out and protect you. They are so small compared to the size that an intruder would be! However, these dogs can make really good watchdogs.
These dogs might be tiny in size, but they are big in might. They can sense whenever a stranger is coming up to the house and they won’t hesitate to alert you of the fact.
If you need a dog to be aware of its surroundings and alert you if anyone is coming close, a Havanese dog will be able to fill the role. Any new person comes up and your Havanese dog will want to do a complete inspection of who they are and what their intentions are.
To be fair, Havanese dogs wouldn’t make good guard dogs. That role is simply too big for the toy dogs to fill. Not many people are going to be deterred by a tiny and super fluffy dog barking its head off at them.
Can I Make My Havanese Dog Bark Less?
Maybe you have a very vocal Havanese dog, or you work the night shift, so you need your Havanese dog quiet during the day. Whatever the reason might be, you can train your Havanese dog to be less vocal.
Just to be clear, you won’t be able to make your Havanese dog silent. There aren’t many dog breeds out there that bark extremely little or not at all. Barking is an instinct for dogs and training instinct away isn’t very possible.
You most likely won’t be able to stop your Havanese dog from barking when they are afraid or when a stranger is coming to the door. However, you can stop them from barking at your arrival or from separation anxiety.
Start a Quiet Command
One of the easiest ways to change the behavior of your dog is by using commands. A command will communicate that you want your dog to perform a certain action or to stop an action. With barking, a good word to use for your command is the word “quiet.”
It is good to not use a word that is already in use for another command. That’s why using the word “stop” wouldn’t work as that command usually means to stop moving along with the command “stay.”
Teaching and Practicing
Let’s say that you want your Havanese dog to stop barking when you arrive home. Starting the command is pretty simple. When you arrive home and your Havanese dog starts to bark, firmly say the word “quiet.”
Wait until your dog stops barking and then repeat the command while giving it a treat. In this situation, it’s a good idea to either carry dog treats with you or to keep them right by the door.
Repeat this every time you come home, and your dog starts to bark. Over time, you should notice that the time it takes for your Havanese dog to stop barking gets shorter and shorter.
You can test your Havanese dog to see if it has learned it by only saying the word “quiet” once. If your dog stops barking shortly or immediately after you give the command, then your dog has learned it. If it still takes a long time, repeat the above training pattern.
It is a good idea to keep giving a treat a few times after your Havanese dog has initially learned the command. This action just further solidifies the learning so that your Havanese dog knows for sure what the command means.
Persistence and Determination
Whenever you are teaching your dog a new command, you need to have both persistence and determination. It will take time for your dog to fully understand the command and you need to demonstrate it every single time. If you teach the command one day but ignore it another, it will take a longer time for your dog to understand what it is being asked of.
What Age Do Havanese Dogs Bark the Most?
While some might guess that Havanese dogs will bark the most while they are puppies, a command trait amongst many dogs is that they will bark more as they get older. While a puppy will have more energy and excitement to be barking, adult dogs will bark more as a way to express their needs.
It is common to see senior dogs barking more than adults or puppies. This can be because of stress, frustration, or the need to express some other need. However, this is different from barking at the door. Puppies and adults will bark at strangers coming up to the door much more than senior Havanese dogs. This is simply because as a dog ages, its hearing will get worse, and it might stop hearing when people come up to the door.
Final Thoughts
If you want a dog that isn’t too vocal and won’t bark at every little falling leaf or closed cabinet, then you might enjoy bringing home a Havanese dog. These dogs don’t bark too often, barking the most at strangers coming to the door.
Havanese dogs are great dogs to have in your family. They do great in both big houses and small apartments, though they do the best amongst a big family. It isn’t the size of the house that matters, it’s the size of the hearts of the people around them.
You can train your Havanese dog to reduce their barking, but you won’t be able to make them silent forever. Teaching your Havanese dog a “quiet” command is a relatively easy way to reduce their barking. Just remember that you need to be patient and persistent when teaching a new command.
Havanese dogs are full of love and want to make sure that you are completely safe. They live up to their name of being a Velcro dog.
