The Havapoo is a hybrid dog breed characterized by its small size and intelligent, gentle, and affectionate nature. Also popularly known as the Havanese Poodle Mix or Havadoodle, this hybrid dog was developed from a crossing between a purebred Toy Poodle and a purebred Havanese.
The name “Havapoo” may sound silly to some, but they are beautiful, adorable dogs that make excellent companions for all families. The Havapoos will prefer to enjoy more cuddles on your lap than to guard.
They will bark to alert you to anything strange or unusual but they will be mainly in a cordial and affectionate mood.
If you are looking for a companion to fit into your apartment or who is always willing to cuddle and perform tricks, the Havapoo will be a perfect fit. You will find all the necessary details on this Havanese Poodle mix breed dog, like their nature, temperament, and care needs, in this article.
So keep on reading!
The Havanese Poodle Mix: History
The adorable Havapoo is believed to have been created due to the designer breed craze that rose in popularity in the U.S. in the last 20-30 years.
Although you may not find exactly where and when this mix breed originated, it won’t take much time to understand why Havapoo became popular. By inheriting the poodle’s athletic spirit, allergy-friendly coat, and the Havanese’s funny, affectionate personality, the Havapoo turns out to be a little fuzzy, adorable, and intelligent dog.
The best way to know a designer breed is by learning about each parent’s dog breed.
The Havanese are white, small-sized dogs that belong to the Bichon family. They were travel companions of sea merchants and a popular pet of upper elites. The Havanese are loving, gentle, caring dogs who love to be around humans. They can quickly bond with their owner or family because of their playful personality. These little dogs are characterized by silky long coat that comes in different colors like white, black, grey, tan, and sable.
On the other hand, Poodles are popular among the most intelligent dogs in the world. These small dogs are very smart and highly energetic, always ready to please. Strong and agile bodies characterize them. Poodles feature water-resistant and, usually, hypoallergenic coats. While they are great with children and other pets, Poodles have long been great family companions.
The Havanese Poodle Mix has been currently recognized by organizations, including the Designer Dogs Kennel Club (DDKC), the American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), the Designer Breed Registry (DBR) and the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).
The Havanese Poodle Mix: Characteristics
As with any other crossbreed, it’s hard to predict how a Havapoo will look or be like because it will depend on which parent he inherits the most. Fascinatingly, while both Havanese and Poodle are pretty similar, you won’t typically find a massive difference within their mixed pups.
Let’s look at some of the key traits that characterize the Havapoos!
| Height: | 8 to 15 inches |
| Weight: | 7 to 30 pounds |
| Life Expectancy: | 10 to 15 years |
| Temperament: | Gentle, playful, friendly, outgoing |
| Intelligence: | High |
| Coat Length: | Medium, curly |
| Coat Colours: | White, grey, fawn, cream, liver/ chocolate / brown, black |
| Patterns: | Black and tan, liver and tan, bicolor, blue and tan, spotted, sable, tuxedo, tricolor |
| Shedding Rate: | Infrequent |
| Exercise Needs: | Medium |
| Energy Level: | Calm |
| Drool Amount: | Low |
| Other Traits: | Easy to groom, easy to train, apartment-friendly, hypoallergenic, tend to gain weight, perfect for first-time pet owners. Low prey drive |
| Common Names: | Havadoodle, Poovanese, Island Mini Doodle, Havanese Doodle |
Temperament
The Havapoos can please any owner with their wonderful, adorable personality. They are friendly, gentle, bright, and playful but with a fair energy level.
Your Havapoo will love to spend most of your time with you or your family and enjoy some cuddles. They can quickly get along with children, older people, and even strangers. They will initially bark to alert you of a stranger or guest’s presence but will likely greet them later by springing back and bouncing.
One thing to note is that your little canine buddy won’t like to be left alone for long and can suffer from separation anxiety. They want enough attention, so make sure to leave them with lots of engaging toys when you are away.
Another key trait of Havapoos is that they are smart and intelligent. Eventually, you won’t have to struggle hard to train and teach them.
Appearance & Size
The Havapoo is a small dog breed like their Havanese and Poodle parents. But you won’t find them as small as their parents. A Havapoo can be a little taller based on whether the Poodle parent is a miniature or toy size.
In general, this mixed breed weighs between 7 and 30 pounds and stands from 8 to 15 inches in height.
Nevertheless, you will find most Havapoos with round heads, round eyes, button noses, floppy ears, and fluffy tails. Some even come with a fuzzy, drooping tail. The Havapoos are also popular for their teddy bear-like face, which brings a smile to anyone’s face.
When it comes to their coat type, the Havapoos exhibit a medium-length, curly or wavy coat.
Your Havapoo’s coat can be fleecy and long like his Havanese parent or fluffy, thick, and curly like his Poodle side. It’s usually between long and medium, wavy and soft. However, note that their smooth, silky coat will need regular grooming. Although they don’t shed excessively, you will have to brush the coat many times a week.
The coat colors can range from white, brown, black, silver, apricot, and chocolate to gold, fawn, cream, and grey. The Havapoos are also more coveted because of their hypoallergenic coats.
Both the Havanese and Poodle parents don’t shed much. Eventually, your Havapoo will be a medium shedder. Allergy sufferers can go for this mixed-breed dog without any hesitation.
Health
Havapoos have a life expectancy of nearly 10 to 15 years. They are comparatively healthy dog breeds. However, both the Havanese and Poodle parents are purebred. So, a Havapoo can inherit some genetic health issues from his parents.
It’s hard to ascertain what your Havapoo inherited from either parent. So it will be helpful if you learn about the common health problems of the parent breeds. For instance –
As per the Havanese Club of America, the Havanese breed can suffer from:
- Eye disorders
- Deafness
- Legg-Calve Perthes
- Patellar Luxation
- Chondrodysplasia
Reversely, as per the Poodle Club of America, the Poodle breed is susceptible to:
- Cushing’s disease
- Bloat
- Diabetes
- Addison’s disease
So, below are some common health conditions that the Havapoo is vulnerable to:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Legg-Perthes Disease
- Epilepsy
- Eye Disease
- Luxating Patella
- Cardiac Problems
Grooming
When adopting a Havapoo, remember that you will need to invest considerable time in his grooming and care.
Brushing the coat about 3-4 times a week is usually recommended. Bathing them once a month or every three weeks will suffice. In addition, you will always have to pay attention to their private areas and may need to shave to keep them clean whenever required.
The hair shouldn’t get too long because it can get stuck in the feces and create a painful condition known as a “fecal bun.” Your buddy can suffer from skin irritation and infections if not properly cleaned.
Next, you have to pay attention to your Havapoo’s eye area. If the hair becomes long, it can rub on the eyes, causing tearing, eye-watering, and irritation. So trim the facial hair regularly or before it gets too long to get into the eyes.
Another area of concern is their ears, which are more vulnerable to infections. Your Havapoo buddy can suffer from it if his ear canals have hair. So keep an eye on it and trim the hair growing to keep ears clean.
Finally, clean their teeth regularly or weekly. In addition, you have to clip the nails as required every few weeks.
Dietary Needs
Diet and its routine play a major role in maintaining a dog’s good health. You must ensure that your furry buddy is consuming proper food in the appropriate quantity that suffices his nutritional requirements.
Fresh food or small dog kibble is typically recommended for the little Havapoos. They love eating and often crave added snacks. If your buddy feels hungry more often during the day, feed him small meals thrice a day.
Your Havapoo can even seek out a variety of diets because of his picky-eating nature. In that case, you can give him gravy or broth to keep up his eating interest.
However, make sure that he isn’t over-feeding as it can lead to obesity. Havapoos are food lovers and can overeat if they get any chance.
Overall, a Havapoo’s diet should contain high-quality foods without artificial additives and fillers. You can always discuss the nutrition and quantity to be fed or included with your vet.
Exercise & Training
Your Havapoo will constantly be springing, jumping, or running here and there. This mixed-breed dog is so energetic that he can spend hours happily playing, running, or learning tricks.
To meet his energy needs, you will have to set an exercise session of 20-30 minutes. However, you shouldn’t overwork him, which causes stress to his little joints, muscles, and body frame.
You can make your Havapoo exercise indoors, too, because of their small size. Outdoor playing and a couple of quick walks will suffice for his exercise requirements.
Havapoos are smart and eager to please nature, meaning that you can efficiently train them. It won’t possibly be a hassle to teach them basic commands and train them at home. You can train them better with positive reinforcement and encouragement than with strict or harsh training.
You can keep a stick and many treats on hand to keep your Havapoos’ interest in training. Note that your adorable buddy can also show a bit of arrogance because of his smartness. But you can deal with this behavior efficiently with patience and consistent training.
Early socialization will be necessary to let them learn how to behave with other people and pets.
Living Needs
Havapoos can do well both in small apartments and houses with big yards. If they get ample exercise, access to the outdoors, and playtime hours, the Havapoo will be happy. You can also keep them engaged with dog toys, and this will help when you are away.
This little mixed-breed dog can be a perfect companion for first-time pet owners due to their friendly and easy-to-train nature. Moreover, Havapoos can thrive well in all climates (hot and cold). In the cold, you will have to make your buddy wear a sweater to retain body heat.
FAQ’s
Are Havapoos family dogs?
The affectionate, lovable, and agreeable nature of Havapoos makes them excellent family dogs. These dogs will enjoy cuddling, sitting on your lap, and playing fetch the rest of the time. They also mesh well with kids and other pets. Havapoos love to get human attention and create attachments, so they don’t prefer to stay alone.
If you are alone and have a busy work schedule, give it a thought before adopting a Havapoo.
Does a Havapoo bark excessively?
Havapoos aren’t prone to excessive barking. They will bark only to alert you of something strange or to greet a guest. Like many other small dog breeds, Havapoos aren’t generally too loud.
Does Havapoos suffer from separation anxiety?
Yes, Havapoos can suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for long. They love to get human attention and love always. You can give him crate-training at a young age or plenty of dog toys to cope with the anxiety. Your buddy will gradually get used to crates or toys for self-entertainment.
Conclusion
The Havapoos or Havanese Poodle Mix, is an adorable designer breed that will always keep you happy. They won’t miss any opportunity to jump on your lap for cuddles and spring back to play games. These little canines boast a big personality and a fun-loving nature. Their playful tricks and smartness will never fail to win your heart.
A Havapoo will bring lots of love and happiness into his small body package. The only thing that they dislike is staying alone at home. Otherwise, these little buddies are perfect for all family sizes and people, including novice pet owners. They will be easy to train due to their smartness and intelligence. Bring in a Havapoo to your home and enchant your heart and mood.