# have/poo mix?



## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

Im starting to wonder if my Ricco is a have/poo. hes got that odd poodle smell and no matter how much we bath him a few days later its back. Hes also very curly and never sheds...at all. Is there any thing I can use to get that weird sent off him? And how can I tell if hes a mix with poodle?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I don't know what you mean by an "odd poodle smell". the poodles I know don't smell if kept clean.There are Havanese with very curly coats, though it's not the preferred coat type, and many Havanese don't shed beyond what gets combed or brushed out with daily grooming.

Where did Ricco come from? Do you have his papers? If not, there's really no way of knowing, for sure, what he is. There area, unfortunately, lots of puppy mill crossbreeds, some on purpose, others through carelessness.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

My brother hav is really curly and I know he is full havanese. he was straight as a pup but then went curly as he got older.


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## Karen Collins (Mar 21, 2013)

Neither poodles nor Havanese should have any odor. Unless you're talking about anal glands. They smell horrid when full. Your vet and some groomers can express them. DNA test from some place like vetgen can tell you what breed/breeds.


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

I rescued Ricco from the shelter. Hes a doll baby too. So good with our 4 mo old baby boy and our 13 yr old son as well. Our vet has no idea what he is but a breeder friend of mine did some looking around and found hes a hava some thing lol. We are unsure if hes full or mix but his tail was docked. I saw a few hava/poos with docked tails so Im only guessing.

His smell is weird. Vet cant find skin irritations and no fleas. Hes only leash walked so he cant roll on things. I thought anal glad as well {former boxer owner...I know all to well about that!} but the odd s,ell is all over. I bath in baby soap, since goofey dog likes the bubbles and eats it, I felt safer using that. 
The smell is like...old mud and kennel. I wondered if I need an aired out type kennel....one not so solid. Or maybe new bath stuff? Lol maybe bath him more offten. 

Sadly I cant afford DNA testing. I dont care if hes a Heinz 57 or a pure breed. hes my RIcco. I was curious for health reasons mostly. I know some breeds have issues others dont. Im very glad we rescued my boy. Lol my cat isnt thrilled but he will deal.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricco'sMommy said:


> I rescued Ricco from the shelter. Hes a doll baby too. So good with our 4 mo old baby boy and our 13 yr old son as well. Our vet has no idea what he is but a breeder friend of mine did some looking around and found hes a hava some thing lol. We are unsure if hes full or mix but his tail was docked. I saw a few hava/poos with docked tails so Im only guessing.
> 
> His smell is weird. Vet cant find skin irritations and no fleas. Hes only leash walked so he cant roll on things. I thought anal glad as well {former boxer owner...I know all to well about that!} but the odd s,ell is all over. I bath in baby soap, since goofey dog likes the bubbles and eats it, I felt safer using that.
> The smell is like...old mud and kennel. I wondered if I need an aired out type kennel....one not so solid. Or maybe new bath stuff? Lol maybe bath him more offten.
> ...


He sounds like a doll, and you're right, especially if he's a rescue, it doesn't matter ONE BIT what he is. I wouldn't worry too much about health issues, and just deal with anything if/when it comes up. As far as his tail is concerned, I can't think of any reason why anyone would purposely dock the tail of a Hav, Poodle OR cross. But it's entirely possible that he injured it at some point, requiring it to be docked. Or and other possibility is that his mother got confused and bit his tail during the birth process. We have a person on the forum with an adorable dog who's mom made that mistake and actually bit his FOOT off during delivery. He gets around just fine, and has never missed his "missing" foot!


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## NickieTwo (Jun 17, 2013)

We met an "aussiepoo" puppy about 6 months old and it could from a distance possibly be mistaken for a havanese. They do have docked tails. We had an aussie for nearly 17 years and this puppy looked nothing like either an aussie or a poodle. I looked back at your old posts and Ricco is adorable. Just consider Roccp a "hav-a-rescue" with a docked tail.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I used to give Maddie and Zoey a bath once a week. Now were lucky to give it every 3 weeks. By two they need it.


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

krandall said:


> He sounds like a doll, and you're right, especially if he's a rescue, it doesn't matter ONE BIT what he is. I wouldn't worry too much about health issues, and just deal with anything if/when it comes up. As far as his tail is concerned, I can't think of any reason why anyone would purposely dock the tail of a Hav, Poodle OR cross. But it's entirely possible that he injured it at some point, requiring it to be docked. Or and other possibility is that his mother got confused and bit his tail during the birth process. We have a person on the forum with an adorable dog who's mom made that mistake and actually bit his FOOT off during delivery. He gets around just fine, and has never missed his "missing" foot!


I had a litter of boxers one time but never had issues...wow tho never thought that! It makes him so darn cute lol. He wags his "nubby" and his butt when happy. Hes an amazing addition to our "zoo". We own exotics as well as domestics. Ricco now has 3 cats,a bunny, a bearded dragon and a ball python as family. Along with his 2 brothers Zak and baby Quinn 

We love his attitude and his cute fluffyness.


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

NickieTwo said:


> We met an "aussiepoo" puppy about 6 months old and it could from a distance possibly be mistaken for a havanese. They do have docked tails. We had an aussie for nearly 17 years and this puppy looked nothing like either an aussie or a poodle. I looked back at your old posts and Ricco is adorable. Just consider Roccp a "hav-a-rescue" with a docked tail.


Hahaha I like that! We call him Ricco rug. He lays down flat to the floor like a rug lol. Hes so gentle with his baby too. We sit Quinn in a bouncy seat and Ricco never pounces. He runs over to the baby and kisses his toes or his cheeks and my son just giggles.

We decided to bath him once a week in winter {is so cold here right now...dont want him sick} Then in warmer months if he still has funny smell 3x a week. Called vet and he said it could be just the "kennel smell". So we got a brand new kennel and a new cover. Will bath Mr Stinky rug and dry him good BEFORE he goes to bed. I think maybe last time I put him to bed damp and his covers got smelly...making him smelly 

Im used to a huge 60 pound boxer who had short hair and hardly ever needed a bath {he was prissy lol} Im so new to the grooming a fluffy thing. Poor Ricco had to be shaved down after rescue. He had matted fur all over. The groomer here wanted me to wait 4 weeks to get him in so I just buzzed him short. I didnt do his face, just trimmed that because he was scared.

Now I need to get off here and stop rambling lol! Sorry just excited to learn how to treat my fluffy rug boy


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricco'sMommy said:


> Hahaha I like that! We call him Ricco rug. He lays down flat to the floor like a rug lol. Hes so gentle with his baby too. We sit Quinn in a bouncy seat and Ricco never pounces. He runs over to the baby and kisses his toes or his cheeks and my son just giggles.
> 
> We decided to bath him once a week in winter {is so cold here right now...dont want him sick} Then in warmer months if he still has funny smell 3x a week. Called vet and he said it could be just the "kennel smell". So we got a brand new kennel and a new cover. Will bath Mr Stinky rug and dry him good BEFORE he goes to bed. I think maybe last time I put him to bed damp and his covers got smelly...making him smelly
> 
> ...


Kodi gets a bath about once a week&#8230; occasionally he goes 10 days between. But I always wash all his bedding in all his crates (he has 3&#8230; two in the house and one that travels with us to class and shows) every time he has a bath. I have enough crate pads and blankets that I can just change them all out and do one load of wash with the dirty pads plus the towels from his bath. That way, I know the clean, dry dog is going into clean, dry bedding!


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

krandall said:


> Kodi gets a bath about once a week&#8230; occasionally he goes 10 days between. But I always wash all his bedding in all his crates (he has 3&#8230; two in the house and one that travels with us to class and shows) every time he has a bath. I have enough crate pads and blankets that I can just change them all out and do one load of wash with the dirty pads plus the towels from his bath. That way, I know the clean, dry dog is going into clean, dry bedding!


I do the same when I bathe Leo. All the bedding gets washed as well so that puppy and the things he lays on are all clean at the same time?


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

My guys get bathed less in the winter. Summer maybe every 7-10 days. Winter once every 2-3 weeks. It's too cold to bath them too much. Maybe try coat spray or dry shampoo so you don't have to bathe him so much? Three times a week seems like a lot.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lfung5 said:


> My guys get bathed less in the winter. Summer maybe every 7-10 days. Winter once every 2-3 weeks. It's too cold to bath them too much. Maybe try coat spray or dry shampoo so you don't have to bathe him so much? Three times a week seems like a lot.


Yeah, I don't know anybody but people actively showing a dog who bathe that frequently!!! 

But outside temperatures don't have any bearing one when/how often I bathe Kodi. He goes right from the warm bath, into my lap for some cuddle time wrapped in two layers of big beach towels. Then, when the excess water has been soaked out of his coat, he gets blow dried. He doesn't show any sign of being cold during the process. (Obviously, I don't let him outside until he's completely dry!)


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## Ruthiec (Jun 18, 2013)

Charlie gets bathed every couple of weeks. He has no bedding at all so that bit is easy (I'm not a cruel Mum, it's just that he ignores all the nice expensive beds I have bought and instead alternates between the floor tiles and the rug. If I put any bedding in his crate he just drags it out)


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## cynny27 (Dec 19, 2013)

krandall said:


> I don't know what you mean by an "odd poodle smell". the poodles I know don't smell if kept clean.There are Havanese with very curly coats, though it's not the preferred coat type, and many Havanese don't shed beyond what gets combed or brushed out with daily grooming.
> 
> Where did Ricco come from? Do you have his papers? If not, there's really no way of knowing, for sure, what he is. There area, unfortunately, lots of puppy mill crossbreeds, some on purpose, others through carelessness.


Well as you see we are poodle and havanese family. I think it would be a great mix. If u want a designer dog. But yes u should have papers or did u see the parents at the breeder?

My poodle doesn't smell. Neither did bayley my first poodle. He lived until he was 19. We put him down last year.

Ok don't be mad but sorry poodles are smarter than havanese. I love both breeds trust me. I got a havanese because I love my Duncan sooooo much.

Izzy my havanese is a true joy. Funny. Love her but poodles are way smarter.


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## cynny27 (Dec 19, 2013)

I bathe my dogs once a week.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I wanted to add that for some reason I was told to totally dry the coat. I do let them do some air drying during the summer. I don't think that would cause a smell but it has something to do with the skin?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

cynny27 said:


> Izzy my havanese is a true joy. Funny. Love her but poodles are way smarter.


I think that depends on the individual dog.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

I bath Leo 2x/per week typically. Got really busy crazy in November and he only got 2 bathes that month. Really made a negative difference in his coat and the ease of grooming. When he is really clean with frequent bathes it is easier to get knots out of his coat. He is blowing coat now at 10 months. Keeping him really clean and well conditioned is key to getting through coat blowing with his coat intact!


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

Ricco is inside ONLY. ALl my dogs Ive ever owned are in with family 100%  I just worried if I did bath and it was cold he may get sick. {house doors are leaky...he sleeps by the front door} 

I know I said this before {and it got lost in all the great replies} our Ricco is a rescue. I was worried about breed because of health issues. Our boxer, Bobb, was 11 and a half when he had to be put to sleep this summer. We knew boxers are "cancer hounds" and I didnt want any unexpected issues for Ricco. 

Some one said Aussipoo...he looks dead on to the ones I goolged lol. He also looks like a havapoo...But so far neither breed seems to have much to be worried over. 

The "poodle smell", my friend owned a poodle mix and she smelled horrible  Ricco isnt that stinky but he had that odd smell. COme to find out he was running to his bed and rubbing all his wet dog smell onto covers =.= THEN sleeping on it wet! *does mommy facepalm* I removed covers from new kennel, he likes to hide his food in them any how so it maybe better to not have a cover IN kennel. 

I use Aveno baby bath on him. He likes to eat bubbles...I figure baby bath is safe for eating lol. 

Now my challenge is to figure out why my silly rug dog is hiding EVERY thing he picks up...including the cats toys...said cat is not amused haha.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

When I bathe my guys in the winter, they actually shiver in the tub when I am lathering them. They don't do this in the summer. I then blow them dry and put a sweater on them. 

Did I miss pictures of your guy???


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

lfung5 said:


> When I bathe my guys in the winter, they actually shiver in the tub when I am lathering them. They don't do this in the summer. I then blow them dry and put a sweater on them.
> 
> Did I miss pictures of your guy???


I posted pics on another spot. I think they are on my page here too. Im still not sure on bath time  Its so cold even inside some days. He hates loud noises {clippers made him pee so I think blow dryer would be worse} Poor guy seems like who ever had him scared him to pieces.

Our shelter had no idea what he was. He did come in with a large male poodle {both dropped off out side} So they told us "poodle mix"...vet was at a loss too. I think hes for sure a great find  I mean how many shelter dogs are already potty broke,smart enough to learn sign {he already knows sit,ask and down} and are great with newborns! Im very happy with my some times stinky rug Ricco lol <3 :laugh:


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

Tho this was 1st day we had him home. hes got a face now lol. I need more pics but he never sits still...so all I get is BLURRRRRRRR


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

OMG, what a cute picture of Ricco! Aren't you lucky that he found your family?! 

-Jeanne-


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## cynny27 (Dec 19, 2013)

I love ricco. He's so happy to have a furever home. Thank you for caring for him


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

Hes one amazing little creature. Im so blessed to have him. After my Bobb passed I was heart broken. 11 years with one big old boxer nut...is hard to let them go. Ricco bonded with me {even tho he was ment for my hubby} Seeing how happy we make him, just the pure joy of getting to sit on our furniture or run through the house...makes me smile. The 1st day he was home was when I took that pic. He bounded all over! He was thrilled to be HOME and have a home. 6 months in a cage...I cant even think how sad he must have been.

Even if he stays smelly {which I doubt lol} hes well loved <3


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## cynny27 (Dec 19, 2013)

6 months is a cage UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH poor RICO..... oh i just want to hug him again.... my Bayley we put down last year - that was so tough - my very first baby - never thought i would get another dog yet alone a puppy..... yet here i am...........


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

You might want to try a dog shampoo since human products aren't normally tested on dogs. I never verified if it was true, but someone told me dogs have a different skin ph so human products might not even be safe for pets. If you just get him wet with water, then suds up directly onto his body, there won't be any floating bubbles to eat. You could also keep treats nearby and distribute one occasionally so he wants to eat those instead of his bath.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

RoutineAvocado said:


> You might want to try a dog shampoo since human products aren't normally tested on dogs. I never verified if it was true, but someone told me dogs have a different skin ph so human products might not even be safe for pets. If you just get him wet with water, then suds up directly onto his body, there won't be any floating bubbles to eat. You could also keep treats nearby and distribute one occasionally so he wants to eat those instead of his bath.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I asked the vet, he said baby soap was ok but you make a great point. I make sure to never buy animal tested products so makes sense the company wouldnt have a clue if the baby soap is good for a dog.

But I think we found the issues with his covers making the smell. He isnt fully dry and he runs for his cover,rubs it to pieces and then its wet and smelly. My dur moment never thought close the kennel till hes dry =.= I am going to give him a soft baby towel my son out grew {so soft!} and lay that down so he can rub. Then wash it right after  Had a vet recheck and no skin issues. Now its going to be a challenge to clip him. Hes terrified of the noise. The groomer takes 3-4 weeks to get into so Im doing this my self. He cant go 4 weeks with knots. I may just get safety kid scissors and clip off the tiny knots. I had to shave him completly when we brought him home. He was a mess


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

cynny27 said:


> 6 months is a cage UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH poor RICO..... oh i just want to hug him again.... my Bayley we put down last year - that was so tough - my very first baby - never thought i would get another dog yet alone a puppy..... yet here i am...........


Lol he likes hugs...even from total strangers. Im always telling him dont hug strangers...to which i get the goofy bouncy smile of "say what?" hahaha.

I can say this brat puddled me tho. We looked into shelter dogs for a few weeks. Ricco was the only one who hugged my husband so hard it made HIM cry. I was still prego so i had to sit inside {the heat was horrible and kennels were out side/inside type} He walks through the door with this mop dog whos got his paws wrapped around my hubby's arms like he was never letting go. hubby hands me Ricco and Ricco puts his arms around my neck like a little kid,puts his face to my neck and cuddled. Yep...emotions went puddle lol. He was so child like it broke my heart to send him back to a cage  So...we now have a Ricco rug  My Bobb would approve i think.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Ricco'sMommy said:


> I can say this brat puddled me tho. We looked into shelter dogs for a few weeks. Ricco was the only one who hugged my husband so hard it made HIM cry. I was still prego so i had to sit inside {the heat was horrible and kennels were out side/inside type} He walks through the door with this mop dog whos got his paws wrapped around my hubby's arms like he was never letting go. hubby hands me Ricco and Ricco puts his arms around my neck like a little kid,puts his face to my neck and cuddled. Yep...emotions went puddle lol. He was so child like it broke my heart to send him back to a cage  So...we now have a Ricco rug  My Bobb would approve i think.


What a sweet sweet story! Ricco clearly found his dream family!  -Jeanne-


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## cynny27 (Dec 19, 2013)

I love it too!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

We REALLY need a "like" button around here!


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

I second the "like" button, if that could be arranged! I am amazed that Rico could still be so loving and trusting after all he had been through. What a sweet little guy, and I'm glad that he is now smelling sweet as well.


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Lucky Ricco finding you and lucky you for finding him. Sounds like a very sweet guy. What a nice story.


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## izzy's mom (Apr 5, 2013)

Ricco is a doll. What a nice story. So nice to hear about happy endings


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## Ricco'sMommy (Nov 22, 2013)

And hes now a good smelling rug baby lol! I used the Aveno and then a conditioner to help loosen the tiny knots. Hes not very happy with Mom now but he smells 100% better. It was his bedding. I made a booboo letting him curl up in it after bath times and out side in rain times...ugh my dur. So bedding is clean,Ricco is clean and Mom is wet. 

I am seeing the tear stains tho. Is there some thing that I can wipe his eyes with? I guess he is part poodle after all. 

I have to say never owning a rescue I was a bit iffy. Im glad i went with my heart on this one. Ricco has his forever home with us for sure <3 

P.S. ~ My 4 month old is madly in love with Ricco. Quin sits in his bouncy chair and giggles as Ricco runs by and kisses him


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