[ToyPoodleLove<3]

How does one tell the difference between a straighter haired Poodle and a Maltipoo? I’ve seen a few dogs that are claimed to be full Poodle (some even AKC registered), but that look very Maltipoo to me. So is there any for sure way to tell if a dog is Maltipoo vs Poodle? Besides DNA, of course.

 

[Darling Darla]

Are you referring to puppies of pure poodle and Maltese crosses? Poodle puppies generally have straight hair and the curly hair grows out with age and grooming.

 

[lily cd re]

I actually think of poodle puppy coat as wavy not straight, but also definitely not like a curly adult coat.

 

[ToyPoodleLove<3]

Are you referring to puppies of pure poodle and Maltese crosses? Poodle puppies generally have straight hair and the curly hair grows out with age and grooming.

I’m talking about adults. I’ve seen a handful of adult poodles that are claimed to be full blood with AKC registration that look like mixes to me, because their hair is more straight. Like a long wavy coat, not curly.

 

[lily cd re]

In adults straight hair results when one does a good job with a blow dryer. It is temporary so once the dog gets wet if it dries naturally curls will return.

 

[Darling Darla]

I’m talking about adults. I’ve seen a handful of adult poodles that are claimed to be full blood with AKC registration that look like mixes to me, because their hair is more straight. Like a long wavy coat, not curly.

I understand. I believe it’s the bloodline of certain poodles. Plus some are probably crossed.

 

[ToyPoodleLove<3]

In adults straight hair results when one does a good job with a blow dryer. It is temporary so once the dog gets wet if it dries naturally curls will return.

I should have mentioned that their hair is a wavy straight ungroomed. Is it possible for a poodle to have wavy straight hair as an adult? This is one I saw today that made me ask. He’s AKC Poodle. This is the hair type I’m talking about. (No hate to his owner, he’s adorable. I was just curious about the hair).

 

[Darling Darla]

They look as though they have never been completely shaved down in order for the curly hair to come in probably. How old are the dogs?

 

[ToyPoodleLove<3]

They look as though they have never been completely shaved down in order for the curly hair to come in probably. How old are the dogs?

They are both of the same pupper. And I feel a little dumb now cause I just looked and that little guy is only 6 months, but I saw a 3 year old female that had the same type of hair and she had been shaven before.

 

[Darling Darla]

They are both of the same pupper. And I feel a little dumb now cause I just looked and that little guy is only 6 months, but I saw a 3 year old female that had the same type of hair and she had been shaven before.

Consistent grooming is needed to bring out the curly coat. Plus certain bloodlines have curlier hair than others. Your question is legitimate and understandable.

 

[TeamHellhound]

I've seen poorly bred Poodles with very soft, straighter coats before.

And since pups in a litter can have different sires, it's entirely possible that the bitch was bred by both a Poodle and a a male of another breed, and this guy is the offspring of the non-Poodle sire.

 

[ToyPoodleLove<3]

Consistent grooming is needed to bring out the curly coat. Plus certain bloodlines have curlier hair than others. Your question is legitimate and understandable.

Yes, now that I’m thinking about it, the female I’m talking about doesn’t get groomed often at all, maybe 3-4 times in the past year...

 

[lily cd re]

Maintaining coat requires grooming, but the quality of the coat is in the breeding (not developed by grooming, in other words grooming won't make wavy hair curly). That pup doesn't look like a full poodle but rather a cross probably to a Maltese. The eyes are too round and the nose leather is not a good color for a full poodle.

 

[Raindrops]

Maltese have a longer back than poodles. A well bred poodle should have longer legs and a squarer body structure. All maltese poodle mixes I've seen have had a maltese type body with shorter legs.

There are poodles with genetically poor coat, but you could also see poor coat if it has been mismanaged by the owner. Hair that is not washed and conditioned with quality products can have an odd texture. But I've never seen an adult poodle with truly straight hair. Normal poodle coats can be loose or tight curls. Mine has loose, less dense curls.

A poodle that has coat blown out will have straight hair so this may confuse you. Here is a photo of mine blown out. His hair curls up more if I don't blow dry him.

 

[Phaz23]

They look as though they have never been completely shaved down in order for the curly hair to come in probably. How old are the dogs?

This is my pup at around 4-6 weeks, and now at 6 months. He has never been shaved and has thick wavy/curly hair. The dog in the above picture looks very much like a maltese or havanese x unless it has a rare mutation where it’s missing the curly gene but that still doesnt quite explain the build of the dog and the eyes and nose color.

 

[Johanna]

I should have mentioned that their hair is a wavy straight ungroomed. Is it possible for a poodle to have wavy straight hair as an adult? This is one I saw today that made me ask. He’s AKC Poodle. This is the hair type I’m talking about. (No hate to his owner, he’s adorable. I was just curious about the hair).

View attachment 474979 View attachment 474980

Very cute, but I would put serious money on a bet that he is not a purebred poodle. Looks like a Maltese/poodle cross.

 

[Darling Darla]

I would love to see the little guy clipped and then see who is under all that hair? He is cute though.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Consistent grooming is needed to bring out the curly coat.

I have never heard this before. Peggy’s coat was curly at the roots at a young age. By about a year old, it was curly pretty much all over. This progression took no effort on my part. It was her natural coat change.

It would take consistent grooming to keep it straight.

 

[Johanna]

Consistent grooming is needed to bring out the curly coat. Plus certain bloodlines have curlier hair than others. Your question is legitimate and understandable.

I have never had a poodle puppy of any variety who did not have a curly coat - although for the first few weeks it is more wavy than curly. I do agree that hair quality varies. My mini does not have what I consider to be a good coat - it is not wiry enough. A really good coat has so much body that it stands up on its own. I disagree with Darla about grooming producing the curly coat.

 

[Skylar]

They look as though they have never been completely shaved down in order for the curly hair to come in probably. How old are the dogs?

Darling I wasn’t quite sure what you meant so I may have misinterpreted what you posted. You don’t have to shave puppy hair to allow adult hair to be curly.

Adult hair grows when the puppy reaches a certain age. You can’t stop it from changing, it's genetically programmed in to occur. Same with the wavy texture their hair exhibits in tiny poodle puppies.