Havapoo: Breed Facts and Temperament
Crossbreeding dogs has become a common practice nowadays. More and more people are looking for a pet that doesn’t look like everybody else’s. Apart from the prestige, crossbred dog owners enjoy all the benefits of having a special dog – beautiful, adorable, smart and a pleasing personality.
One of the shining examples of an excellent product of crossbreeding is the havapoo. We have put together everything about this breed together to provide you with all the knowledge about it. This way you can decide if the havapoo is the pet dog you’ve been searching for.
What is a Havapoo?
A havapoo is a combined term of two dog breeds: Havanese and Poodle. This Havanese poodle mix is hypoallergenic because they do not shed fur. Although they are two different dog breeds that have been mixed together, each breed is unique in its own way. Let’s set the differences between the two.
Havanese dogs are dogs that are said to be from Cuba that fled to the US during the period of the revolution. It was mostly soldiers that brought the dogs into the United States, which became the first ones to breed the generation of Havanese dogs existing today. Usually, for male Havanese dogs, they weigh 8-13 lbs and grow up to 11 inches in height, while female Havanese dogs weigh 7-12 lbs and grow up to 10 inches in height.
On the other hand, poodle dogs are considered to be one of the most clever and impressive dog breeds in the whole world. They are very easy to train and they are smart and fast learners when you teach them tricks. You can even train them for certain tasks and they will surely not fail you. Poodles are very loving, trainable, friendly, and loyal dog breeds that you could ever get.
The History of Havapoos
Now that we know that havapoos are a cross-breed of the Havanese dogs and poodle dogs, let’s dig deeper into their breeding history. When it comes to dog breeding, it’s hard to say and track how dogs crossbreed and where they are first bred. Poodle dogs come in different breeds as well, like designer Poodle dogs, or Labradoodles. However, for Havanese dogs, it’s just considered as Havanese dogs. To compare both breed’s history, here are some facts about them.
Poodles come originally from Germany and were said to first breed 400 years ago. They were brought up, trained, and loved by French nobles way back, which explains their good and well-pampered looks.
Meanwhile, the Havanese breed came from Cuba and was brought to the US by Spanish colonists. They were used as lapdogs for noble people during the time of the revolution and have gone through about 300 years of breeding for it to be known as the Havanese.
The crossbreed between poodles and the Havanese is one of the new hybrids that is being recognized by the American Kennel Club. However, the poodle is still categorized as a breed for the non-sporting group and the Havanese is categorized for the dog toy group.
In order to understand the Havapoo better, it’s essential to learn about its parent breeds.
Havanese
Known as the only native dog from Cuba, the Havanese is famous for its long silky hair and expressive eyes. They used to be the companions of Cuban aristocracy back in the 1800s. They were always beside their masters that they were given the name “velcro dog”.
Havanese dogs are relatively small in size. On average, both male and female can go grow to 11 inches in height. They weigh no more than 13 lbs, too. Since they are small, it’s important to be very attentive to their eating habits. Because of their small stature, they are more prone to becoming overweight.
In spite of being royal companions way back, the Havanese are very friendly and energetic. They are popular among their American neighbors because of their warm and sociable manner. To add to that, the Havanese dogs do not disappoint in the intellectual department. They are easy to train and they are able to easily adapt to their surroundings. And if you’re wondering are havapoos hypoallergenic, you’d be glad to know they are
Havanese dogs do not require a lot of exercise but they do need to socialize. Leaving them alone to their own devices is a big no-no, so going out with them 3-4 times a week is vital to keeping their health intact. Even a short run or walk in the park will do.
Poodle
Commonly mistaken for a French dog breed, the Poodle is actually from Germany. The Germans called this breed Pudel. Meanwhile, France claimed that the breed originated from their country particularly the water dog Barbet. The top kennel organizations, however, insist that the Poodle originated from Germany.
Whichever or wherever it came from, the most important aspect of the Poodle’s lineage is the fact the Pudel and the Barbet are superb hunters. They’re both great swimmers although the German breed has superior hunting instincts, an outstanding retriever and tracker. Thus, the Poodle can hunt as well as swim.
Poodles come in three sizes – standard, miniature, and toy. The breed is still the same no matter the size. The Standard Poodle is the best among the three for hunting game and retrieving fowl. Seeking truffles is the Miniature Poodle’s popular skill. And finally, the Toy Poodle is best suited for companionship.
Standard poodles measure just over fifteen inches from the shoulder while mini poodles are shorter, between ten and fifteen inches tall. Toy poodles stand ten inches tall or shorter.
Poodles are known for being instinctual, active, intelligent, loyal and trainable. It’s a smart dog breed that can easily learn commands and tricks. This dog is loved all over the world. It’s witty at the same time clownish. For this reason, some consider it a circus dog. Poodles also bond with their humans in a short time.
Facts About Havapoos
When you buy a havapoo, the price of one breed will depend on the breeder and the parents. As an estimate, one havapoo costs between $800 to $1,800. As for their life span, a healthy havapoo can live 10-14 years at most.
Colors
One good genetics that havapoos could have is their wide range of colors. Poodles and Havanese dogs have a broad range of coat colors, from solid, bi-colors, to tri-colors. In American Kennel Club’s records, Havanese dogs have a total of 16 official colors, which include silver, black, fawn, black silver, chocolate, white. On the other hand, poodles have the 10 standard and official dog colors which include gray, blue, cream, brown, apricot, silver, and black. In shorter words, a havapoo can possibly have any number of colors. There is also a possibility that havapoos will have white markings in some parts of their body like their face, feet, or their chest.
Temperament
A dog’s temperament, regardless of its breed, varies depending on which parent breed traits are more dominant. This goes the same way as a dog’s appearance. For you to get to know more about your havapoo, take a look at each parent breed and their traits. As for havapoos, it’s easy to determine which parent breed is more conquering, because poodles and Havanese dogs have the opposite traits.
We all know how smart and intelligent poodles are. Poodles know how to understand humans as well, and are very sensitive when it comes to a human’s body language and voice. They can immediately determine their owner just by their moves and voices when they are around. Poodles may take time to familiarize a human’s voice and face, but once they do get familiar with them they will know. With this, they have a trait that is obedient. Poodles are also known to be good at socializing, so you might want to take note of that when you check your havapoo’s temperament.
On the other hand, Havanese dogs are more outgoing and confident compared to a poodle. Havanese dogs are known to be very hyper and playful dogs. If ever your havapoo will start running around the house and steal one of your shoes, you know where his temperament came from.
Appearance
Havapoos mostly look the same, so you barely can tell the difference. However, if you keenly look into the parent breed, you will then know and understand how your future havapoo pup will look like. Havapoo’s genes and appearance will vary. Some havapoos look more poodle than Havanese, and there are other havapoos that look more Havanese than a poodle. And of course, there’s also a probability that the pup may look equally the same from the two breeds.
Havapoos are easy to determine if you take a look at the dog chart. They have a small, round head and dark set of eyes which are mostly brown. They have a rectangular body build that is supported by small legs, which make them really small dogs. Some might say havapoos are close to Miniature Poodles because of their toy-like features. Also, havapoos’ ears are flopped down to their cheeks which adds just the right amount of cuteness in their appearance – making them quite irresistible.
Height and Weight
As for the height and weight, considering that they are crossbreeds of both a poodle and a Havanese, a havapoo will most probably weigh between 7 to 30 lbs and can stand between 8 to 15 inches in height. However, take note that the height and weight of a havapoo will also depend on the parent breed’s genes and the environment that they will be growing into. It is also important to keep in mind that although this crossbreed can range in different sizes, the poodle genes will still mostly conquer in this area of a havapoo’s appearance.
Read here our review of the Best Pet Scales.
Coat
Another fact that you should always know about havapoos: they have an amazing coat. Their coat can either be a medium or long-length coat and can either be wavy or curly. The coat will also depend on their breed parents and which genes are more dominant in the pups. One good thing about havapoos is that they do not really shed that much compared to other dog breeds, and this is because of their poodle genes.
Training
Whether you have kids at home or not, havapoos are good for anyone. They love to play and are very gentle and loving towards their owners, especially children. However, for them to behave, you need to train them as well.
Because of their intelligent genes from their poodle parent breed, havapoos can be very intellectual dogs. With this, it is easy for you to train them with whatever trick or moves that you teach. Havapoos are very yappy dogs, so when you train them, it is best to start off positive and alive. Also after training, you can reward them some of their favorite dog biscuits to instill in their minds that there’s always a good thing to look forward to when they are behaving obediently.
It was mentioned above that havapoos are sensitive to the human voice and body language. When you train your havapoo, make sure you are aware of what you are doing because they might get used to it. If you feel positive and confident, they will also respond to you with excitement. If you feel angry or irritable, havapoos will sense it as well, and would possibly stress them too. When they do something wrong, avoid giving them punishments because it will stress them out that would make them feel anxious. Instead, give them more encouragement and be sensitive enough to handle the situation.
For havapoos, socialization is also one thing that should be trained to them. You should train havapoo puppies on how to socialize as early as possible because this will introduce them to their environment. If they’ve done a good job in socializing, you can always reward them with a good puppy treat.
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Health
As for taking care of a havapoo’s health, they are easy to take care of. Since they are small dogs, they can adapt even to the smallest places. For their mental health, havapoos should be given enough attention for them to feel happy at their place. It is also important for you to do the exercises with them that will help them stay healthy and active.
Exercise
Though they are small dogs, they need exercise as well. As mentioned, havapoos are very hyper dogs, and you can use their energy to do exercises. Take note that havapoos are also like humans. If they don’t get enough exercise, they become grumpy and frustrated. Havapoos should be taken out on a daily exercise for at least one hour.
Grooming
With their curly and wavy hair going on, you need to make sure you comb their hair regularly to avoid tangles and matting. Also, keep in mind that it is not advisable for a dog to be bathed too much because this will take their natural oils away and will lead to dry and dull fur which will further lead to hair loss. Give them a bath once they start to smell from playing outside.
Check out our dog grooming guides: dog bathtub, dog shampoo, medicated dog shampoo, dog wipes, dog paw washer and dog grooming gloves.
Nutrition
In general, dogs need tons of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fats, vitamins, and fiber in their diet. For havapoos, feed them with high-quality dog food. Dry foods that contain artificial flavoring and ingredients should be avoided because this might damage their immune system. You should also feed them as much as they weigh, so if your havapoo weighs 15lbs, you should just feed them one cup of kibble daily. If they weigh twice like that, add 0.5 cups daily. Fruit and vegetables can also be fed to havapoos.
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More About Havapoos
This small furball is one of the cutest breeds you can get as another part of your family. They look very beautiful and charming with their wavy and curly hair and their cute little eyes. To know more about these adorable dogs, here are more things that you should know when owning a havapoo.
Havapoos are also one of the friendliest dogs in the whole world would definitely fit in a cozy and loving home. This dog breed is very loving and trustworthy, however, they are not fit to be made as a guard dog. If you’re looking for a more helpful dog that can help guard your house, getting a havapoo is not a good idea. Havapoos are more like a pet for amusement and comfort. You don’t have to worry about getting other bigger dogs than havapoos because they can be around other breeds as well.
However, even though they can be sociable, if you are to introduce them to your friend’s dog, you need to be softer on them. You can do this by presenting your dog to the other dog carefully and slowly for them to familiarize the other dog’s scent and face.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that this small, adorable breed can get bored easily, so it’s best for you to buy him toys for him to chew on and play to keep them occupied. Avoid leaving them alone as well.
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