Grooming Your Havanese or Havapoo: A Complete Guide
Grooming is one of the great joys of owning a Havanese or Havapoo. We say that genuinely, not as a way to soften the reality that these breeds require consistent care. When you approach grooming as a bonding ritual rather than a chore, and when you build the habits early, it becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of daily life with your dog. These are dogs who love attention and human touch. Grooming gives them both, and a well-groomed Havanese or Havapoo is a truly spectacular sight.
That said, the coat these breeds carry is genuinely high maintenance, and understanding what is required before you bring a puppy home helps you set realistic expectations. The families who thrive with these breeds are the ones who either commit to a consistent home grooming routine, establish a reliable professional grooming schedule, or ideally both.
Understanding the Coat
The Havanese has a soft, silky, lightweight double coat that grows continuously and does not shed the way most breeds do. This is one of the reasons Havanese and Havapoos are such a good match for allergy-sensitive families. But a non-shedding coat does not mean a low-maintenance coat. Dead hair stays in the coat rather than falling to the floor, which means it mats if not removed through regular brushing.
The Havapoo coat varies somewhat depending on which parent a puppy takes after more strongly, ranging from looser waves closer to the Havanese side to tighter curls closer to the Poodle side. Curlier coats tend to mat more readily and require particularly diligent brushing. All Havapoo coats benefit from the same regular grooming routine.
Puppy to Adult Coat Transition
Both coats change during the transition from puppy coat to adult coat, which typically happens between six and twelve months of age. This is the period when matting is most likely and most frustrating because the two coat textures temporarily coexist. Staying on top of brushing during this window makes an enormous difference.
Brushing: The Most Important Part of Home Grooming
Brushing is the foundation of everything else. A coat that is brushed regularly is easier to bathe, easier to dry, easier to maintain at the groomer, and far more comfortable for your dog to wear. A coat that goes too long without brushing develops mats that are painful, damaging to the skin, and sometimes impossible to brush out without a full shave-down.
Brush your Havanese or Havapoo a minimum of three to four times per week. Daily brushing is ideal and becomes quick and easy once it is a habit. Dogs in shorter pet or teddy bear trims can be maintained with somewhat less frequent brushing than those kept in longer coats, but no coat is maintenance-free.
Proper Brushing Technique
Mist First
Always lightly mist the coat with water or detangling spray before brushing. Brushing completely dry coat causes breakage.
Right Tools
Use a pin brush for working through the coat and a fine-tooth metal comb to finish and check your work.
Work in Sections
Lift the coat and brush from the roots outward in layers. Pay attention to high-mat areas like behind ears and armpits.
Handle Mats Carefully
When you encounter a mat, work from outside edges inward. Never cut mats with scissors near the skin.
Never Bathe Before Brushing
Never bathe a dog before thoroughly brushing out all mats. Water tightens mats dramatically, turning a manageable situation into one that may require a shave-down to resolve.
Bathing
Regular bathing keeps your puppy’s coat clean, skin healthy, and smelling fresh. For most Havanese and Havapoos, bathing every two to three weeks is ideal. Dogs in shorter trims can sometimes go a little longer.
Always brush thoroughly before the bath. Use a gentle, dog-safe shampoo that will not strip the coat’s natural oils. Follow with a conditioner, which helps prevent tangles and makes post-bath brushing easier.
Drying Is Critical
Never let a Havanese or Havapoo air dry. Their double coat holds moisture against the skin for hours when left to dry on its own, which promotes matting and can create skin problems.
Blow dry on a low or warm setting, never hot, keeping the dryer moving at all times. Brush through the coat as you dry, working section by section until completely dry throughout.
Professional Grooming
Home care and professional grooming work together. Even the most dedicated home groomers benefit from professional appointments every four to six weeks for a bath, blow-dry, and trim. Professional groomers have the tools and skill to keep the coat shaped, handle the ears and nails properly, and address areas that are harder to manage at home.
When choosing a groomer, look for someone who has experience with Havanese, Havapoo, or other doodle-type breeds. Ask to see examples of their work and be specific about the style you want. The most popular trims for these breeds are the puppy cut, a uniform short trim all over that is easy to maintain, and the teddy bear cut, which is slightly longer with a rounded face.
Additional Grooming Care
We Start Early
We begin handling our puppies’ coats, ears, paws, and mouths from their earliest days in our nursery. By the time they go home, they are already accustomed to being touched everywhere and have experienced the sensation of a brush, which means you are building on a foundation rather than starting from scratch. The investment we make in those early weeks pays off in a dog who accepts grooming calmly for the rest of their life.
Grooming as Bonding Time
When grooming becomes part of your regular routine with your Havanese or Havapoo, it transforms from a chore into quality time together. Your dog learns to relax and enjoy the attention, and you get to see the beautiful results of your care and consistency.
A well-groomed Havanese or Havapoo is not just beautiful to look at—they are more comfortable, healthier, and happier. The time you invest in learning proper grooming techniques and establishing good habits will benefit both of you for years to come.
If you hit a challenging stretch with grooming or have questions about products, techniques, or finding a good groomer in your area, reach out to us. This is one of those things we genuinely enjoy helping our families with.
