Facts & Origin
This lovely new mixed breed that is a cross between Havanese and poodle is called Havapoo! The Havapoo is a dog that belongs to a whole new range of "hybrid dogs" or "designer dogs". A lot of these new breeds are mostly crossbreeds of popular breeds with the poodle, since the poodle has a very allergy friendly coat.
The origin of the Havapoo
The origins of the Havapoo lie in the USA. There, the movement of the "new" dog breeds started. Hybrid breeds are currently in great demand. But they are not officially recognised.
It is safe to say however, that some of the new dog breeds will develop into completely independent breeds within a few decades. Most of the breeds established today started out that way.
The breed characteristics of the Havapoo
For the Havapoo there have not been any specific standards established yet. If a specific breeding line is still at its beginning, it might result in very different types being born in only one litter. When the Havapoo is fully grown, it can either resemble the Havanese more or the poodle.
Common to all Havapoos is the lovable appearance with a dense wavy or curly coat. Due to the special coat structure, the poodle hardly sheds and is very well tolerated by allergy sufferers.
However, the poodles appearance is not everyone's cup of tea. So they started to cross the poodle with other popular breeds like the Golden Retriever (Golden Doodle) or like in this case the Havanese.
- Crossbreeding of Poodle and Havanese
- belongs to the "hybrid breeds" or "designer dogs"
- small dog breed
- suitable for allergy sufferers
| Alternate Name | - |
| Origin | Cuba - Germany |
| Life expectancy | 10 - 14 years |
| Care requirements | high-maintenance |
| Activity level | low - average to high |
| FCI group | not recognised |
| AKC group | not recognised |
| KC group | not recognised |
Attitude, character and temperament of the breed
The typical character traits of the Havapoo
Here too, it depends which part comes through more. The Havanese is a real fun maker and extremely lively. Poodles are intelligent, calm and usually create a very strong bond with their owner. The Havapoo lies somewhere in between in terms of temperament. You might find a calmer specimen or have the fire of the little Havanese come through more clearly.
One thing that is certain is that a Havapoo is a friendly, playful and very sociable dog. You should have enough time for your dog or have a big family where there is always someone there to be around your Havapoo. You should not leave this dog alone for too long.
Although these animals are considered to be very sociable and easy to train, you should attend a dog school with your Havapoo puppy from an early age. In play groups for young dogs, your new little friend will learn all the important rules for living together with humans and other animals. In summary, there are four main characteristics that define them:
- very friendly and sociable dogs
- can either be temperamental or rather quiet
- loyal, playful and reliable family dog
- uncomplicated companion for singles
Usage
Health and breeding information
Breed typical diseases of the Havapoo
The "progressive retina atrophy" that occasionally occurs in poodles is a hereditary eye disease that can lead to blindness. Carriers of the gene are excluded from official poodle breeding. Since Havapoo breeding is not yet controlled, unnoticed inheritance of the gene cannot be ruled out.
The Havanese is still considered to be completely free from typical breed specific diseases.
Acquisition, breeding and keeping of the Havapoo
The prize for a Havapoo puppy starts at 400 Euros or more. Since the breeds are not yet subject to any standards or regulations, everyone is allowed to breed freely. But make sure to find caring breeders. You recognise a good Havapoo breeder by their sense of commitment. Take a good look at the parent animals and the breeding conditions. If a seller does not provide you with sufficient information or tries to talk you into buying a dog as soon as possible, better keep your distance.
When buying a Havapoo, you have to keep your eyes open. The best thing to do is to have a look in regional newspapers or online.
The Havapoos's character is uncomplicated. They are also suitable as apartment dogs in big cities. But make sure that you have enough time for your dog. Most loyal dog breeds do not like to be left alone for too long. If you are single and out of the house all day, dog-sharing or a dog nanny might be a fair solution for you and the lovely little Havapoo.
- Prize for puppies without papers starts at 400 Euros
- Breeding is not regulated by any associations
- uncomplicated to keep also as an apartment dog
Appearance and coat of the Havapoo
The coat of the Havapoo can either be frizzy and curly like the poodle or smooth and wavy like the Havanese. The Havapoo puppies are cute and compactly built little balls of fur. When they are fully grown their legs can grow out rather straight like the poodle or the dog stays close to the ground like the Havanese. The tail can be carried curled-up over the back or it can be rather short and stood up straight. There are also all kinds of colours possible for this dog. There is the Havapoo in brown, white, pied or black.
As you can see, also in regards to their appearance the Havapoo is a little "dog adventure". If you want to get a better picture, you should look at photos of the original breeds and then let your imagination run wild!
Size, weight and life expectancy of the Havapoo
The Havapoo usually reaches a shoulder height that stays around 30 cm. The final size depends strongly on the poodle's heritage. Toypoodles and dwarf poodles are very small breeds, whereas small poodles and standard poodles can reach over 40 cm in shoulder height.
Concerning their life expectancy, there is also no reliable data available yet. Both Havanese and poodle can easily reach an age of 14 years. As hybrids are usually more robust, the life expectancy of the Havapoo can even be slightly higher.
- Shoulder height males and bitches approx. 23 to 31 cm
- Weight males and bitches approx. 5 to 10 kg
- life expectancy estimated at 14 years and more
| Fur length | medium |
| Fur | wavy - curly |
| Ear shape | Floppy Ear |
| Tail | fanned out - lang |
| Anatomy | rugged |
| Size ♀ | 25 - 31 cm |
| Weight ♀ | 5 - 10 kg |
| Size ♂ | 25 - 31 cm |
| Weight ♂ | 5 - 10 kg |
| Suitable For | suitable for allergy sufferers, Beginner, Children, Seniors |
Colors
Known Diseases
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a slowly progressive death of the retina in dogs.
