You probably brought your new Havanese puppy home when he was about eight weeks of age. At that age he is old enough to begin learning some basic rules of behavior. It’s up to you to be consistent when setting and enforcing these rules. The dog will become confused if you’re not consistent in your demands upon him.
The first things he needs to learn is where he is allowed to eat. This will be easily learned if his food and water dish are always the same and located in the same place for each meal. He can be assigned a place to retire to and groom himself or rest; a private secure area which he can reliably call his own. He can be learn to eat, walk outside, and play according to a dependable routine. He can be taught to understand the word “NO.” He can quickly learn that you, not he, is the boss. This is the period when he can be most effectively crate trained.

At about three months you can begin to teach him simple commands like sit, stay, lie down. He can be trained to always come when called, not to run away, and to walk on a leash without pulling, and to permit you to remove anything from his mouth without reaction. He can now learn to become socialized with other family members and pets. Between four and six months it will be possible to begin training the dog to perform tricks, play games, and enjoy family activities like hide and seek.

Of course it’s easy to suggest what your dog can learn at which time; it’s another thing to actually accomplish the training. Remember that your Havanese is an intelligent dog with a delightful disposition. The most important component of successful training is your attitude.
• Never show anger when training.
• Give positive rewards when a training milestone is met.
• Always be affectionate to the dog and he will learn to trust and love you, and work very hard to please you.
• Always speak to the dog in a calming tone. Raising you voice will frighten him and distract him from the training activity.
• Always try to provide training in an area free from distractions.
• Learn to understand when the dog is tired, and don’t force him to train.
• Expect to repeat lesson over and over several times before the dog totally understands.

Training is a process that never ends. Once your dog has learned a certain behavior, you’ll need to reinforce it at all times. Your dog will become an important part of your family. Its behavior will affect all family activities in which the dog is a part. If your dog is well socialized and trained to exhibit acceptable behavior he will be welcomed wherever you go.

Just as we teach our children, the values of life so also, we must teach our Havanese. Learning starts from the very day they are born.

At 8 weeks of age: The Havanese puppy must be taught simple everyday things:

• Where his water dish is?
• Which is his private nook in the house?
• His daily schedule – eating, playing, bedtime, quite time, and bathrooming schedules. A routine has positive effects.
• The meaning of “no.”
• Who is boss?

You can teach the infant simple things like house rules, housebreaking norms, crate training, being handled by you as well as others, as well as bite inhibition.

When your Havanese puppy is 3-4 months old: He can be taught simple commands: sit, stay, down, to come when called, to never run away, to walk politely on leash, to “give”—handover when asked, anything he has in his mouth, stop barking when you say “No Bark,” as well as people skills (socialization).

When your Havanese puppy is 4-6 months—the training becomes more intense and goes to a higher level. You can teach the pet eye contact, to listen attentively when you speak, hand gestures, to play fetch, to do tricks, to greet guests politely, to have a “Lie down” and rest, to recognize family members by name, play hide and seek, and more.

Havanese Puppy Training Tips
Havanese puppies are like human kids—you will find that the puppy is excitable, easily distracted, forgets what he has been taught, and is sometimes reluctant to learn. It is with long interaction with your dog that you learn what is feasible and what is not.

Treat your Havanese puppy with lots of love and respect—just as you like respect so does your Havanese dog. If you give him plenty of love, attention, nurturing, as well as hugs and kisses from day one – the dog will learn to love you, allow you to take the place of its mother, respect you and look up to you for guidance.
Always use a soft and calm tone with your Havanese dog. Shrill or loud tones only serve to excite the dog. To establish control over the dog, you need to speak to him in soft and firm tones. When training a havanese puppy, teach it that you are in control of the situation and will handle all matters calmly.

Always select a place for puppy obedience training that is a distraction free zone. This will help both you and the dog focus on the lesson and not the surroundings. Once learning becomes an established routine and your puppy learns to concentrate, focus, and respond well to your commands you should gradually introduce distractions /disturbances in the form of people, noises, other dogs and so on. And soon you will find, that your puppy responds to your commands even in public places.

Keep a watch for the body language of the dog—you will be able to tell when he is distracted, when he is not in a mood to learn, when he is not focusing. Adjust to his needs – he too has good days and bad. Never force a dog or nag him. Go slow in the lessons — if necessary, go back 2-3 steps before you go forward.

Use only positive training methods—they work better and are enjoyable.

Love, patience, and persistence are the three keys to efficient havanese training. Havanese dogs are very easily trained and lovable. Follow the tips here and you will find it easy to care for your new pet.