As Havanese are becoming more of a household name every year, the question about their suitability for apartments is also increasing.
To help out future Havanese and apartment owners, I decided to create this article that will take a detailed look at just how well Havanese get on living in apartments.
Table of Contents
6 Reasons Why Havanese Make Good Apartment Dogs
In general, Havanese make excellent apartment dogs. These small dogs won’t have a problem adjusting to small spaces as long as sufficient daily exercise is provided.
Yes, Havanese do make great apartment dogs, and this section will go into further detail as to why.
Check out 6 of the most significant benefits for choosing to own a Havanese when living in an apartment.
1. Havanese Are Small
The first obvious plus of owning a Havanese in an apartment is their small size. This toy breed, won’t take up much of your room, and you won’t take up much of their room.
Size is an important factor that can make or break many different breed/apartment combinations.
Havanese do, however, need a fair share of exercise despite being small. But for the times you are unable to take her outside, you can more easily exercise a small breed like a Havanese inside your apartment, compared to a large breed.
2. Havanese Are Hypoallergenic (kind of)
So, why the “kind of”. Well, this is because there isn’t actually such a thing as a hypoallergenic dog breed.
The term is often used incorrectly, and technically speaking, no dog breed is hypoallergenic.
However, Havanese are known to hardly shed at all (which is why people call them hypoallergenic).
Due to minimal shedding, they produce and release only a very tiny amount of dander into their immediate and surrounding environments… meaning pet allergy sufferers are more or less in the safe zone with a Havanese.
This is important when living in close quarters with other people. As Havanese are extremely unlikely to trigger allergic responses, not only will your neighbors be more accepting of your Havanese, but your landlord too! (if you are renting).
3. Small Dog, Small Mess
Most apartment blocks either don’t have a yard at all, or they will have a communal yard where dogs may not be allowed to go.
And no matter how often you take your Havanese outside to do her business, you can’t save your floors all of the time.
But fortunately, what comes with a smaller dog, are smaller bowel movements. Which means more containable mess for you to clear up.
Maybe you don’t mind either way, but for many, this is a big plus for small breeds!
4. Havanese Are Well Behaved (when trained)
It’s no lie, if you aren’t on top of your training with a Havanese, they can be mischievous. But for the most part, this breed is well-behaved, obedient, and intelligent. All of these become important when sharing a building with other people.
When walking with your Havanese too and from your apartment, the last thing you would want is to have no control over your dog as your neighbors walk by or you cross paths with others.
Havanese are easily trained and naturally smart, so as long as you do your part, you won’t have any embarrassing “crazy dog” moments in front of your neighbors.
5. Havanese Are Incredibly Friendly
Havanese were originally bred to be companion dogs for the royals in Cuba. They are inherently friendly and are nice to strangers and other dogs.
This, again, becomes important when considering the people that live closely around you. Having a nice dog who is friendly to your neighbors will work out much better for you compared to having a dog that’s aloof, aggressive, or intimidating to your neighbors.
This would make your relationship awkward with them, plus they could complain to the landlord if such events took place.
6. Havanese Are Just Awesome!
I mean, what further reasons would anyone need to get a Havanese? These little dogs are awesome and they tick the boxes under all of the most important criteria.
Owning a Havanese in an apartment will be a breeze and would be virtually no different from owning them in a large house. Apart from the yard situation.
This is original content produced and published by The Puppy Mag | www.thepuppymag.com
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Potty Training Your Havanese In An Apartment
As previously mentioned, perhaps the biggest “issue” to overcome would be the potty situation and not having access to a private yard.
With a home, you have a yard, where you can freely teach your Havanese to use the potty. But in apartments, your options are limited.
Some people (assuming you have the time) will take their Havanese outside several times a day. Not strictly for the purpose of intense exercise, but more so to do their potty business.
But even then, you can’t catch them all. So you’ll need to teach your Havanese to pee and poop in one small spot of your apartment in order for you to contain the mess as much as possible.
You’ll need to:
● Get your Havanese a potty pad / dedicated mat
● Sacrifice a small spot in your apartment
● Take your Havanese there several times per day
● Take her there after key moments like sleeping, napping, playing, eating, or drinking
● Use a single command like “potty time” only use those words when you take her to the spot
● Be patient, and reward her heavily with treats and praise when she successfully goes in the spot
● Repeat as many times as you can per day, for 1-3 weeks
It can take a while to successfully potty train, but stick with it, and never reprimand her for making a mistake.
Before long she will be using that spot to do her business.
Havanese Don’t Like Being Left Alone
Havanese crave being with their owners and family, so if you plan on leaving your Havanese alone for many hours each day, trouble may just be around the corner in the form of destructive behavior, disobedience, and loud barking, and whining.
This can escalate to be a big problem for your surrounding neighbors, especially if they start complaining to the landlord or building owner. This could create a bad situation for you.
If the reason you are living in an apartment is that you have a city job with long hours, then you’ll have to think twice about getting a Havanese. Although they tick all the boxes of being a great apartment dog, their good behavior may soon go out the window if they are left home alone too often.
Being Small Doesn’t Mean They Can Stay Inside All Day
I covered this briefly above, but Havanese require a considerable amount of exercise despite their small size.
Many owners assume that small dogs don’t need much exercise, because, well, they’re small! But this certainly isn’t the case with Havanese.
This means your Havanese will still need ample time out of the apartment at the local dog park in order to be physically satisfied and content.
The reason I am giving this its own section is because even a small breed like Havanese can still get frustrated with the size and living space of an apartment if they don’t receive adequate exercise.
Just because they’re small and can move around apartments easily, it doesn’t mean they can stay inside all day without receiving their required exercise.
Last Thoughts
Havanese make great apartment dogs. They are small and very manageable in terms of their own hygiene and when it comes to cleaning up after them.
They hardly shed and this will benefit any neighbors that may have pet allergies. Plus, your neighbors will grow to love your Havanese as they are naturally friendly and very kind.
But, it’s important to state that no matter how well Havanese may suit apartment living, they still need their needs to be met, and just because they are small, it doesn’t mean they will be capable of remaining inside, at home all day.
Havanese can become mischievous and slightly unruly if they are frustrated, bored, and lonely. This would soon cause problems with closeby neighbors and eventually the landlord.
So regardless of whether you live in a house or an apartment, as long as you are able to properly care for your Havanese, they won’t mind what square footage you have, promise!