Temperament: The Havanese is a very affectionate and playful dog with a high degree of intelligence. It is easy to obedience train; cheerful, very sociable and will get along with everyone including people, dogs, cats and other pets. It makes an excellent companion to children. This breed becomes very attached to its human family. The Havanese lives for your every word and gesture. This breed has a long reputation of being a circus dog, probably because it learns quickly and enjoys doing things for people. This is curious dog, it cannot miss what is going on around it, and so you may find your dog sitting somewhere high. It is very sensitive to the tone of your voice; harsh words will only upset the dog and will achieve very little. Few tend to bark a lot; it is best to teach your dog not to bark unnecessarily while it is still young to prevent it from becoming a habit. It makes an excellent watchdog, though some dogs may exhibit a degree of shyness around strangers, but this is not characteristic of the breed. It should be neither timid nor aggressive; it shows no cowardice, in spite of its size. This playful little dog has an average demand for exercise.