Howavart Puppies Blog

It is very important to know that instincts of dogs don’t disappear as time goes by… this is why it’s very important to make it clear for the dog who is the Alpha, the Beta and others. You should know that a Hovawart will only obey to your commands if he places you above himself. If there are two adults in a family, one is usually and Alpha, the other one is the Beta and the dog comes only after. It is extremely important that if a child is born, the dog won’t place a kid above himself, only as the he/she gets older can come above the dog. This is the reason why you should never leave your child and dog alone. However, being a pack leader is not an easy role at all. You can’t turn into al Alpha just by using force. Being an Alpha means respect and leadership, being capable leader that the dog will follow.

Source: Wikimedia

Howavart fight

This dog was bred to protect the home and livestock. A Hovawart should not be aggressive at all, it isn’t a typical guard dog. A Hovie is an intelligent, independent friend, but the owner has to pay a lot of attention to training to avoid the undesired aggressive behavior. The protective instinct can be handled with heavy socialization. The dog has to face all kinds of situations to be able to understand and to learn how to handle them. After a while, a Hovie will start to make his own decisions, which won’t be always the same what the owner would expect.
Most Hovawart clubs only recommend those ones for breeding which aren’t aggressive at all.

Avoid unnecessary vet bills! Do your dog’s basic health check!

Is it normal, anyway?!

Yes, it is. Just imagine the situation from the point of view of your Hovawart. He is part of the family, often treated as “the kid”, and then, suddenly, a new creature arrives and takes all the attention of his beloved family. It is quite similar to what older children feel, when a little brother/sister arrives. One of the differences is just that the dog can’t speak English

Actually, if we are aware of this ‘problem’ in advance, the situation can be handled, but it needs consciousness and to be started in time, long before the baby’s arrival. Let’s see how we can prepare our Hovawart for the new family member.

If your dog’s daily routine has to be changed with the baby’s arrival (it probably will), you should start changing the rules much earlier, giving him plenty of time to get used to the new set up. This way it isn’t going to be so sudden and shocking. If your Hovawart hasn’t really been trained before, it’s high time to start. He should learn at least a few commands, like sit, stay, etc. This way, he’ll be easier to handle.

Many families worry about their dog endangering the health of the child, so the best thing to do is to take your pet to the vet, get him checked and get some advice. Get your Hovawart used to the new smells, sounds in advance (blankets, lotions, toys). It’s also a good idea, that just after your baby was born, send home a blanket that the baby had been in, so your dog can experience the child’s smell in advance. It is very important to know that your  Hovawart will get a lot less attention from the mother, so when taking the baby home for the first time, the mother should greet the dog, so it is better if someone else is carrying the baby.

It is also a good idea not to leave them alone together at the first times, until your Hovawart feels comfortable with the baby, because, for example, it is very possible that the dog won’t tolerate the child’s crying very well in the beginning. You have to teach him that this is a normal sound, and you should motivate him not to bark (with treats, for example).

And the most important rule for last, maybe it seems too obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning: try to give as much attention to your Hovawart as you can. The point is that he has to feel that you do care about him. If you keep this in mind, most probably there will be no problem. You could also try Preparing Fido, which is an amazing collection of Baby sounds designed especially to get your dog ready for the arrival of the new Baby!