# temperament question



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

How did you choose what kind of temperament you'd prefer? 

We want a dog that will go places with us, but on the other hand, we spend a lot of time at home too, especially on school nights. I'd say we 'go' about half the time and 'stay home' about half the time. 

Would you choose a super feisty spitfire of a dog or a super laid back one? I'm tending towards a spitfire one, because the desire to go places with us is real important to me. Am I off base here? 

Do the spitfire ones ever mellow out some after getting to their furever homes where they are the only pet and there aren't any other puppies to be rough and tumble with?


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

hmmmmmm... this is a good question, I hope you will get a LOT of responses!!
I think it is great that you are very concerned with how the pup will fit into your lifestyle.
I think a 'spitfire' pup is going to be a LOT more difficult to raise, as they have thier own minds and can be harder to train. BUT, if you get a high energy dog and put that energy to use in training of some sort they can calm down at other times when you are just around the house. 

Hopefully you'll get a lot of responses!!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

I would go for the laid-back one. 

I had a super-charged Aussie. Whenever we took him places, he was so excited that we never relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Kit was a doll but I would have loved for him just to sit calmly. He would bounce up and down with his mouth open and panting. That amount of doggie excitement is scary to kids. He loved kids but his exuberance kept them away. 

Calmer is easier in crowd situations. We would take Nessie to parades but leave Kit at home. Too stressful for him and us. Nessie loves people and exposes belly to anybody. She isn't super-feisty but is more than able to keep up.

Jack is calmer than Kit was but I do similar things with him. Jack is thrilled to see people but I can sit him and let the kids at the bus stop approach. I would sit Kit but he was always quivering in excitement. Major wigglebutt. 

Just my opinion.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

There are many layers between the extremes. You want one that will stay with you regardless of the situation, but not intimidated with strange environments. There are many like that between the extremes. Get to know your breeder, and let the breeder get to know you. Planning well in advance is the best path. After you get past all the requirements, the match to the family is most important.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Tom King said:


> There are many layers between the extremes. You want one that will stay with you regardless of the situation, but not intimidated with strange environments. There are many like that between the extremes. Get to know your breeder, and let the breeder get to know you. Planning well in advance is the best path. After you get past all the requirements, the match to the family is most important.


So true.


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

I agree with Tom, but would like to add that my calm Finnegan is always raring to go when he sees me grab the car keys! He jumps all around and is ready to hit the ground running. He loves going places with me and is lots of fun. But he is not highly charged and very easy to live with. He is an HRI rescue, and I knew from the foster that he was a sweet and gentle dog.
Our other two are also sort of calm, and that is what I requested from the breeders. Trust your breeder to make a good match for your family and the dog!


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## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

My little Kip was very shy when we rescued him from the shelter. From reading extensively on the forum I knew that socialization was a big key for puppies and took him almost everywhere that I went for about 4 months straight (it was soccer season at that time so he got to be around a ton of adults/children and other dogs). Now he LOVES to go places (except his vet) and I swear thinks that when someone comes over they are there to only see him. My sister chose a very domininant puppy when she got her Hav becuase she also has a Westie, her puppy basically rules the roost and is freindly but very aggressive. Part I think was breeder (at puppy school he was there with his sister and she was very aggressive as well- so much so that the other owner was complaining about it) and part was the fact that she didn't socialize him as well as she could have. Your breeder can advise which puppy would best fit your lifestyle. Good luck with your search and I can't wait for the introduction of your new baby.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

*Spitfire or Curious George?*

We selected a Havanese puppy (coming home a week from today) on account of his curious and playful temperament. Out of a litter of three adorable babies, Lucky stole our hearts by doing his version of RLH at 5 weeks (flopping on his face because let's face it he didn't know really to run) and finding everything around him of such interest. His sisters were more docile and enjoyed my lap to the max, but when I saw how much fun my husband was having watching that outsized little guy discover the world, I knew he was the one. The comments here make me worry that what we read as bright and lively might be spitfire and difficult. We're retired and have time for this little guy (and grand-dogs that are big and playful though not always around) but I was counting on seeing him sometimes under my chair or on my lap as I work a lot at my computer. His liveliness attracted us and the breeder (who is wonderful) seemed thrilled that we had fallen in love. Clearly he's part stuffed animal. Any advice/input appreciated.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think a "spitefire" among Havanese is probably still pretty mellow compared to the "average" Jack Russell or Border Collie... Or even Aussie, from the dogs I've met of each breed.

Kodi was a pretty out-going puppy, and had plenty of energy, but he was not near the "handful" as other breed puppies in his puppy classes... In fact, as with many of the puppies we hear about on the forum, he tended to be "the star" in puppy classes. 

As he mautured, he also mellowd out even more. He has ALWAYS been up for a good romp, but is not demanding about it, for the most part. He does consistently want "play time" in the late afternoon, early evening, but throwing a ball or toy for him for half an hour is enough to settle him back down for the evening. He also either goes on about an hour walk, or does an hour class most days. (sometimes both). But if it's bad weather, or I'm not feeling well, he's perfectly content to just hang out for the day. 

Last summer we traveled to Canada with him, and we were often in the truck, with him confined to his seat with his harness for six or more hours. He did fine! Obviously, we stopped for potty breaks and to stretch our legs from time to time, and I often took him for a walk while Dave set up the RV when we arrived at our destination. But he couldn't have been a better traveler! I know that one of Kodi's litter mates lives on a boat for much of the year, so he must be a good traveler too!

I think that a very mellow puppy would adapt to TRAVELING fine... But it would depend what you want to do when you get there. If your idea of vacation is a lot of sitting around in deck chairs, that very mellow pup would probably be a good choice. If, like us, you want a dog who enjoys going off on hikes in the woods or running on the beach when you arrive at your destination, a pup with a little more energy might be a better bet. 

More than energy level, if you want a dog who loves to go places with you, I think you want to avoid a shy puppy, and even with an out-going one, as other people have said, socialize, socialize, socialize when they are little. Also, make sure they are in the car, riding with you, OFTEN to get over any possible car sickness issues. These trips can be very short in the beginning, but make sure they get used to the motion of the vehicle. 

Finally, IMO, it is IMPERATIVE that a dog who is going to travel with you extensively be crate trained and trained to some sort of indoor potty system. There will be times that you stay at a hotel, and need to leave tour pup in the room while ou go to dinner or whatever. Many hotels require that the dog be crated when left alone in the room, and they don't tolerate a barking dog. So your dog should be able to wait quietly and happily in his crate until you return. An indoor potty option is WAY easier when the dog needs to pee first thing in the morning and you are on the 12th floor of a hotel!. 

These are things that can be taught to any puppy with time and patience, but it will be easier with a confident, non-anxious type puppy. This, to me, is more important than energy level. You can have a high energy, very anxious, shy dog (probably the worst combination in any breed), or a high energy, supremely confident dog. The same is true with low energy dogs.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Karen, you said it perfectly...


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## Kalico (Jan 11, 2012)

I was in a situation much like yours. I'm a homebody but travel several times a year to a Bahamian out island. I needed a dog who was confident and curious but able to take long car rides, be calm on airplanes, and snuggle on the sofa at night. 

I 100 % agree that spitfire in a Hav is not like spitfire in higher energy breeds! I have a lab who is on the calm side, and he is way more high energy around people than my Hav, whom we picked out of the litter because she seemed like a spitfire. My experience is only with one Hav so I'm not an expert like others on the forum, but I have to say that after raising a lab puppy my bf and I are shocked by how easy this Hav puppy is. She is a dream puppy, quiet when we need her to be, but energetic and fun when I take her out for socialization. 

Each puppy is different, though, regardless of underlying macro personality traits. For example, as curious and friendly as our Hav is, the first few times I took her out she was a bit timid in new environments and ignored people at first. My lab when he was young showed super excitement in new places and people, but would be scared of new objects he'd never seen before. So shyness/confidence manifests in different ways. 

Good luck!


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies!!! They're definitely helpful! Keep 'em coming!


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Appreciate all this. We do spend a portion of our time in a high rise and have decided to seize the indoor potty as an option along with outside on a lead. Four more days till Lucky comes home.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I did not know anything about temperament when looking for a pup. It was mentioned by no one actually.

I just thought he was a havanese dog with breed traits. Anyway, as a pup both his 1st trainer and vet mentioned how much confidence he had, looked them straight in the eye.

We've done well together.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, this is obviously a personal descision when picking out a puppy. This is your choice and your family's. Just a note on so called puppy temperament tests. Hundreds of them out there. But here's a note about how unreliable they can be , by two formost authorities on these type of studies. ie. Drs. James Serpell and Karen Overall.

"Most of us would love to have a reliable predictive test of behavioral traits,'' said Dr. James Serpell, an

associate professor of animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Yet

efforts to establish profiles of particular breeds have commonly failed. Many have relied on the judgment of

people who ''never get past their own assumptions'' to look at what the dog is actually doing, Dr. Serpell said.

Others have run up against the central paradox, identified by John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller in their 1965

book, ''Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog,'' that there is more variation in behavior and abilities

among dogs within a breed than there is between breeds.

Selective breeding has increased the odds that dogs of a particular breed will be predisposed toward certain

complex behaviors, like herding or pointing, and personality traits, like aggressiveness, playfulness and fear.

But other factors -- the health of the mother during pregnancy, conditions at birth, the mother's temperament,

the puppy's environment, diet, health, treatment, socialization and hormones -- also help to shape the dog's

personality, brain and behavior, said Dr. Karen Overall, an expert in dog behavior at the University of

Pennsylvania.

Here's a good article on choosing a puppy http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/choosing-your-puppy


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> Hi, this is obviously a personal descision when picking out a puppy. This is your choice and your family's. Just a note on so called puppy temperament tests. Hundreds of them out there. But here's a note about how unreliable they can be , by two formost authorities on these type of studies. ie. Drs. James Serpell and Karen Overall.
> 
> "Most of us would love to have a reliable predictive test of behavioral traits,'' said Dr. James Serpell, an
> 
> ...


That's why it was extremely important to me to see how my puppy was raised, learn about his "early puppyhood education" and meet his parents as well as have my friend temperament test the litter.

The only thing I wouldn't agree with in the article is the need for a 8 (or 12) week old puppy to already be trained to sit, down and roll over. (most well socialized young puppies will come when someone calls "pup, pup, pup!" to them, without any training, and to believe that they have any real recall besides that is probably a mistake) teaching a puppy to sit and down is a matter of a couple of days, and it's something I would prefer to teach my way. As far as rolling over is concerned? What's with that? It's a cute trick if someone wants to teach it, but it certainly isn't a necessary part of even pet obedience training.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I have always picked the more calm, go with the flow pups. My guys are all calm and relaxed. If I am hanging at home, they are content to just be resting in the same room with me or close by. They also love going places with me and long hike. We hike off leash daily for about an hour a day. They also love to run errands with me, go to friends houses, flea markets, pet store etc. They are always up for anything, but also calm at the same time. My brother Hav is off the charts with energy and can't sit still He reminds me of a Jack Russel. I think that temperament would drive me nuts. 
Here are a few pictures of my guys from today. We were on our way to our hike and stopped at the bank. As you can see, they just settle in their car seats. Even if it's a 2 hr drive, they are content to go for the ride and be with me. In the pictures my boys were patiently waiting for the teller to give them a dog biscuit!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

good stuff Linda.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah Karen as far as learning cues early , it's not so much what you teach ,whether it is down stand roll over , it's all about learning at an early age. All about stimulating the brain at an early age. Here's more about this. http://www.puppyprodigies.org/Early Learning Focus.htm


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Thanks Dave. I feel lucky to have such well behaved kids


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