diff --git a/extreme_estimator/extreme_models/max_stable_model/max_stable_models.py b/extreme_estimator/extreme_models/max_stable_model/max_stable_models.py
index 1835c6a59e6eb0ba54ec8b14cb62d5a5bcca35e0..812a7a949e6d21d9d22100860e39f0e8944fc0ab 100644
--- a/extreme_estimator/extreme_models/max_stable_model/max_stable_models.py
+++ b/extreme_estimator/extreme_models/max_stable_model/max_stable_models.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class Smith(AbstractMaxStableModel):
         super().__init__(params_start_fit=params_start_fit, params_sample=params_sample)
         self.cov_mod = 'gauss'
         self.default_params_start_fit = {
+            'var': 1,
             'cov11': 1,
             'cov12': 0,
             'cov22': 1
diff --git a/test/test_spatio_temporal_dataset/test_dataset.py b/test/test_spatio_temporal_dataset/test_dataset.py
index 320d68778beec576269c7576185453071cced40b..f19f40b68e96ed29433de47e2e35596816feda49 100644
--- a/test/test_spatio_temporal_dataset/test_dataset.py
+++ b/test/test_spatio_temporal_dataset/test_dataset.py
@@ -1,10 +1,33 @@
+from rpy2.rinterface import RRuntimeError
 import unittest
+from itertools import product
+
+from extreme_estimator.extreme_models.max_stable_model.utils import load_max_stable_models
+from spatio_temporal_dataset.coordinates.utils import load_coordinates
+from spatio_temporal_dataset.dataset.simulation_dataset import MaxStableDataset
 
 
 class TestDataset(unittest.TestCase):
-    pass
-    # already done by the estimator somehow,
-    # maybe I could add some more precise test that check for 1D, 2D and 3D Datasets
+    nb_obs = 10
+    nb_points = 10
+
+    def test_max_stable_dataset_R1_and_R2(self):
+        max_stable_models = load_max_stable_models()[:]
+        coordinatess = load_coordinates(self.nb_points)[:-1]
+        for coordinates, max_stable_model in product(coordinatess, max_stable_models):
+            MaxStableDataset.from_sampling(nb_obs=self.nb_obs,
+                                           max_stable_model=max_stable_model,
+                                           coordinates=coordinates)
+        self.assertTrue(True)
+
+    def test_max_stable_dataset_crash_R3(self):
+        # test to warn me when spatialExtremes handles R3
+        with self.assertRaises(RRuntimeError):
+            smith_process = load_max_stable_models()[0]
+            coordinates_R3 = load_coordinates(self.nb_points)[-1]
+            MaxStableDataset.from_sampling(nb_obs=self.nb_obs,
+                                           max_stable_model=smith_process,
+                                           coordinates=coordinates_R3)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':