It is a but controversial whether a small breed dog is good for a family with children or not. Most probably it won’t hurt the child – the problem is the opposite. Children may play too much or too hard with dog, so the pup might get hurt.
One thing is sure, the Havanese breed is a very patient one. Let this photo prove my truth:
Source: Jolain
All breeds can be trained to be therapy dogs, if well socialized, Havaneses too. It makes things a bit more complicated if the dog is shy, because we have to deal with this problem first. Only after this, if we consider that our dog is neither shy, nor aggressive at all, we can start the training to become a therapy dog. If we notice any kind of aggression or shyness later on, it means that our dog is not competent for being a therapy dog.
Is it normal, anyway?!
Yes, it is. Just imagine the situation from the point of view of your Havanese. 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 Havanese 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 Havanese 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 Havanese 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 Havanese 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 Havanese 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 Havanese 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!
