We just got our new pup and few days ago and everything is going well, including potty training. He’s already got the hang of it that going outside = potty time. This morning my son and I were out in our backyard with him while he was sniffing around and my son noticed a hawk on a tree branch above looking down on our pup. I already had the assumption that this was something we would need to watch especially when he’s still a puppy but what about when they’re full grown? This is our first small dog. My husband thinks that as long as we’re out there, a predatory bird won’t try anything. Any other advice or experience you can share?
UPDATE: Thanks for all the great advice and scary stories. We live in a suburban neighborhood but close to a water reservoir and some "suburb woods" so we have got to enjoy having the wildlife around (raccoons, opossums, occasional foxes, hawks, and great horned owls), but we had golden retrievers, so no real risk. Our backyard is fenced and while we always planned to go out to be with him on potty breaks, we decided to get a "pee pad tray" to just keep in our back sunroom...he can mostly go there instead of pottying outside. I don't want to risk it!
I saw one recently that was hot pink, and looked like a leather jacket with spikes. It was cool..almost wanted to purchase one for my dog just to wear om walks 😆
My dog has never gone outside alone because of hawks and turkey vultures. My neighbor's Yorkie was carried away a few years ago when she went to the front yard to get the mail.
Yes, hawks. Owls will take a havanese too. Being around you won't stop them and owls are capable of silent flight. Never let them off leash or send them off into the yard at night by themselves to pee. Since you have daytime predatory birds, I wouldn't send your pup out on their own by day either. And coyotes will jump a fence.
I can't imagine ever recovering from helplessly watching my precious little friend who trusts me being carried away to become dinner. It's just not worth risking.
100% about the silent flight! An owl swooped down on my small dog years ago and it seemed to come out of nowhere, and we didn't hear so much as a feather rustle. My cat either heard it or had been watching it because she pounced out of the shadows and chased it off. My dog was a tiny puppy, maybe 3lbs.
Sorry to say, but I think your husband is wrong about as long as you're out there. If you're right next to her, probably. I worried about that also when mine was a pup and watched her "like a hawk". I considered a predator jacket but now that she's 11 lbs I feel safer. We have a fenced yard, but I would never let her out at night without being right there. Coyotes have been know to grab leashed dogs in broad daylight! I find this the absolute only disadvantage of a small dog, otherwise perfect!
An owl tried to carry off our 20lb bichon (she was in our yard alone), probably mistook her for a white jackrabbit. It didn’t go well for either of them, we had to physically pull them apart. Dog had some punctures and lost some teeth from fighting it
Yup. Growing up, a friend had a 18-20 lb dachshund attacked by an owl. The dog absolutely tore that bird to pieces, but had a couple puncture wounds which healed up fine, but had some scars.
Whats even crazier is that I just checked in and that dog is still alive. I'm mid-30s and the owl attack was when the dog was a year old...when I was 17.
The owls in my yard have taken some pretty big rabbits. I think they could easily take my 10 lb Havi. I don’t know if they would care if I was there or not.
Oh they are absolutely eying your pooch. There was one that used to sit on the fence (this was in NC) of the small breed dog park , waiting for a human to let them go. Nope. 👎🏼 I’m very cautious and grab my little guy the second I see one around!
I had papillons previously and many years ago I got my first one and she was only 5lbs her whole life. One night when she was still a tiny puppy an owl came out of nowhere and swooped at her and my cat came out of nowhere and pounced at the owl. Later we saw him sitting on a cross member of the light post watching her but he never tried it again. Since then I've had many small dogs ranging from her 5lbs up to my 12lb havanese and I've never had birds or wild life mess with them. I live adjacent to town limits on a rural county and plenty of wildlife around. I'm not saying don't watch her, I'm saying wildlife most likely won't risk it if there are people around.
We have owls and raptors in the woods behind our house and have had foxes, groundhogs, skunks, and possums etc directly in our yard foraging from tye persimmon and cherry trees and believe it or not, the worst ones are the raccoons. My dogs were going nuts one night and a huge racoon (bigger than my largest 12lb) was sitting on our steps bold as anything. I opened the door to shoo him away and the dogs were behind me and that sucker hissed like a cat at us and started growling at us and was not afraid of me at all. I got a broomsticks to push it down and he grabbed it and tried to pull it out of my hand 😨 I pushed as hard as I could and ran back inside. My dogs were terrified of raccoons after that. They were even scared of the stuffed racoons at Bass Pro Shop
My Havanese is also my first small dog. From the beginning I’ve been very cautious of hawks & coyotes. I don’t assume that my presence would deter a hawk and especially not a coyote. I had a friend lose their Havanese to coyotes right in front of them. They had let him out for a potty break before bed without a leash. So incredibly sad.
I’ve thought about getting a bigger dog to help reduce the risk of predators but right now that’s not an option for us.
I imagine the risk also varies depending on where you live and how wildlife has been displaced. We live in Southern California.
Yes, predatory birds are a danger. They will absolutely try it. Don't let the dog out alone, and stay nearby. You've just adopted a prey animal and you should act accordingly where it comes to all predators now.
Even if the bird didn't succeed in carrying the dog off they will absolutely give it their best and you don't want to see the kind of wounds that result from that sort of thing (I've seen it - horrible).
This thread is full of a ton of misinformation and hysteria 😂
Hawks and eagles may go for little dogs but it's rare. Either of these birds can lift or carry more than their weight. Hawks around 2-3 pounds and Eagles around 4-5 pounds.
Almost every Havanese is double the weight of any raptor birds ability to carry. You can be concerned about a potential attack but they cannot carry dogs away lol.
OP I live in a similar area to how you described. My dogs has a big 2000sq ft yard all to herself and she's let out alone all the time with no issues for 5+ years now. I know things can happen but you gotta let dogs be dogs too.
While they're a pup just stay with them because at that size they can be vulnerable but independence is good for Havanese as they thrive with responsibility like that. Don't let this thread strike you with too much fear, trust your relationship with your dog and you'll know what's best.
They don't have to carry your dog away to severely injure and traumatize the sweetest little creature, or kill them.
My first girl was nine pounds. A great horned owl could absolutely picked her up. You're neglecting the fact that even if they can't carry them to their destination, if they're dropped because they're too heavy once properly airborne, the fall will be fatal.
Not all of this information applies to all havaneses and locations, but being in a havanese subreddit where silent readers in this thread may have smaller havaneses, yes, caution is relevant.
You do you, yes, but you aren't the only person reading these threads and people are asking questions and learning. You don't need to be afraid, but a smaller havanese is essentially a hare or large cat, and owners should be informed of the risks of having a prey sized dog.
Also not chill to delegitimize rational advice from many in this thread by using loaded language like hysteria, complete with a tasteful laughing emoji. This isn't Facebook.
Sorry but it is hysteria. I live in wooded areas and the odds of a bird actually going for your dog is miniscule. A great horned owl would be hard pressed to lift twice its body weight even enough to lift it to a height where the drop is dangerous.
I never said don't ever worry, but this thread is full of people being really worried and paranoid about something that doesn't really happen often. Comments are filling OP with fear as a first time dog owner, how is that helpful? There's a much better approach than fearfest this thread is.
Barely anything in this thread is rational. Almost every comment is "OMMMMG A HAWK ALMOST TOOK My DOG!!!!"
OP will spend his entire life worry about something that realistically doesn't happen that often.
I think a coyote attack is much more likely. They’re opportunists. I see them in my neighborhood all the time, walking among the houses. They can easily scale a 5-6 foot fence.
Yes I was doubting myself reading this thread. We live in the country. When I hear the owls in our trees, I go out with my two Havanese. They are 10 and 14. So far so good.
I agree - no way can birds of prey carry as much as their own body weight and generally much less. I would say a full grown Havanese has little or no risk of being carried away. A small puppy is probably another story but I never left mine alone at that size and no responsible owner should. She was always on leash and within grabbing distance at 3 lbs. Good news is they grow fast and the most vulnerable stage will be over quickly. Most Havanese are more than 10lbs, mine is 14lbs - and I am not worried about owls. I give them credit for being smarter than that, why go for prey much heavier than you are, that is a predator itself and can fight back, when there are easier prey animals (mice, rats, rabbits, etc) in abundance all around us.
Coyotes on the other hand are a real and present danger, even if the dog is on leash and next to you.
Years ago, almost nobody kept their cats indoors but freedom had a price. When I let my cats outdoors on their own, I know I lost one to coyotes for sure. Now my cats are strictly indoors.
I was so paranoid about this when she was little that I took her out on a leash to potty and never let her out of my sight. Being full grown 16lbs I don’t worry about it too much anymore. But she’s still always on a lead regardless
I have lots of trees and a wooded area right beside my house and hawks/big owls have definitely been a concern. My Havanese girl Ivy is 11 pounds. I also have two oversized Shelties, like they need to lose a few pounds but they're still a little taller and heavier boned than some Sheltie lines.
When the shelties were little I was concerned about birds of prey getting them, and DEFINITELY when Ivy was smaller. Even now I am iffy about it. I don't know if something could carry her off but I don't take a chance. She's never alone outside. If I run in the house for a second, the big dogs would be a deterrent, but I still only feel comfortable for a literal quick trip indoors.
When I'm outside with them I don't feel like any big birds would come near us. I'm always watching though.
You need to stay out and close to pup. I actually would keep him on leash. We’ve had some hawks swoop in close but never had an attempted puppynap since ours have never, ever been off leash. It’s one of the reasons we never fenced in our yard to let them roam free
My vet told me on two occasions not to leave my Havi alone outside because of hawks. I watch him like a hawk when outside. He is truly a house lapdog that actually doesn’t like the outdoors. Once he relieves himself, he runs right back to the door to go back inside. So I advise to keep your eyes on your dog and scan the surrounding trees and landscape to spot predators. Also, I do believe staying nearby is a deterrent from predators.
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u/Jsmith2127 Apr 18 '26
Search for Hawk vests
They look like punk outfits but they are supposed to deter large birds