The main difference is that the Havanese is a pure breed with a written standard, while the Maltipoo is a cross of the Maltese with a Toy or Miniature Poodle. Still, the two are related: the Havanese, the national dog of Cuba, and the Maltese both belong to the Bichon family. On our ratings the Havanese is ahead only with young children, and we expect it to live longer. The Maltipoo's case is mostly its coat and size: a curly, Poodle-type coat and, from a Toy Poodle, a smaller dog.
- Size. The AKC standard puts the Havanese at 8.5-11.5 in at the shoulder; it weighs about 7-13 lbs. The Maltipoo has no standard and ranges from about 5 to 20 lbs; most of that spread comes from the Poodle parent, so ask how big it is. A Maltipoo from a Toy Poodle can be fragile: a jump off the sofa or a toddler's tight grip can hurt it. That is why we rate it lower with young children than the sturdier Havanese.
- Predictability. A Havanese puppy grows into a small dog with a long, soft coat within a known size range. A first-generation (F1) Maltipoo can take after either parent in size, coat and temperament; an F1b, bred back to a Poodle, is more Poodle-like and more often curly. The AKC does not register the Maltipoo.
- Coat. The Havanese has a double coat of long, soft, wavy hair in any color. It sheds little, but kept long it mats without brushing several times a week, so many owners keep it in a short puppy cut. A Maltipoo's coat is wavy or curly and needs clipping every few weeks. Neither is allergen-free.
- Character. Both are companion dogs that want to be with their people and do poorly when left alone for long workdays. Both are alert barkers, which matters in an apartment.
- Health. We expect 14-16 years for the Havanese and 10-15 for the Maltipoo. The Havanese Club of America requires breeders on its list to test both parents: an eye exam by a veterinary ophthalmologist every year, a hearing test (BAER), and hip and kneecap evaluations. For the Maltipoo, ask for the Maltese parent's kneecap check, heart exam and bile acids test, which screens for a liver shunt, and for the Poodle parent's kneecap check, eye exam and prcd-PRA DNA test for an inherited form of blindness, plus a hip evaluation for a Miniature Poodle. Small mouths make both prone to dental disease, so plan on brushing their teeth.
- Price. A Havanese puppy costs about $1,000-$2,500, a Maltipoo $1,000-$4,000. The yearly cost is about the same: $800-$1,400 for the Havanese, $800-$1,500 for the Maltipoo.
Pick the Havanese for a predictable, sturdier small family dog with a long expected lifespan; pick the Maltipoo if you want a Poodle-type curly coat, or a very small dog in a home without toddlers. With either, choose a breeder based on the parents' health test results. For the Maltipoo against other small dogs, see Maltese vs Maltipoo, Cavapoo vs Maltipoo and Cockapoo vs Maltipoo.