While therapy dogs dogs come in a variety of sizes and breeds, they are all the same in possessing the distinct temperament that is a blend of magnetic traits. These dogs are trained to enjoy human contact and be at ease with being petted and handled by stranger after stranger.

Therapy dogs with Havanese Training are ready for anything: children that want to hug them, and adults that want to pet; strangers will lift them onto laps or appreciate the dogs climbing there, to sit or lie comfortably. Many dogs up the ante by unleashing their repertoire of small tricks for their audiences or by playing carefully structured games.

All this hints of a training process that must be efficient at spotting the best in a dog, and cultivating the rest of the qualities. For example, there is a component of the TDI certification that requires a 3-minute separation between handler and dog. This is usually the part that bowls over and confounds most dog owners.

So what's to be done in case your dog's training hits a rut, most especially with regard to separation or an evaluator who is not acting “appropriately” towards your dog breed?

1. Owners need to remember that evaluators have biases that sometimes favor certain dog breeds, and which rely on their years of experience. Moreover, some things that work for certain dogs would certainly not work for others. But still, with or without the evaluators' opinion, some dogs could train faster in TDI, while others would take longer.

2. Therapy programs vary and dog owners may have to live with defects, or simply work harder to remedy things. Some Havs could be picked up; others would balk. Some Havs look to their owner for a go signal to join a walk; other Havs would not mind being away from their owner. Havanese Training simply has a major part to play!

Things to do with your Hav:

1. Practice at the local park with people willing to help you out with your separation concerns.

2. Does your dog mind it the most when you leave him with strange people in strange places? Is there something in the breed's temperament that you think the evaluator is missing out on? You may want to get the advice and opinion of several evaluators on this.