Havanese · Havapoo · Toy Poodle
A small, family-owned program in Ottumwa, Iowa raising Havanese, Havapoo, and Toy Poodle puppies. Puppies are born and raised in our home, and every one gets eight weeks of hands-on care before it goes anywhere.
What we raise
Three closely related answers to the same question: a small dog that wants to be wherever you are. They differ in coat, grooming cost, and how much structure they need from you — not in how much they want your company.
8–13 lb · silky coat
Cheerful, adaptable, and famously velcro. Havanese tend to settle well in apartments and do best when someone is home most of the day.
7–15 lb · Havanese × toy poodle
A first-generation cross. Bright, affectionate, and quick to train — often a little more sensitive than a straight Havanese, and usually curlier.
5–9 lb · curly coat
The smartest of the three and the most sensitive. Toy Poodles pick up routines fast — including the ones you didn't mean to teach.
One thing we will not fudge. Neither breed is hypoallergenic — they shed very little, which is not the same thing, and people with real allergies should spend time with an adult dog before committing.
The tagline, literally
Everything that makes a puppy easy to live with happens before you meet them. Here is what those weeks actually look like in our house.
The whelping box is in the house with us, not out in a building. From the first day, they are in the middle of everything.
They start to see and hear us, and wobble out of the box for the first time. This is when they begin to notice people.
Solid food starts, though they stay with their mother and littermates — that is where they learn how to be a dog.
Distemper and parvo vaccinations for their age, deworming on schedule, and every treatment written down and dated.
Eight weeks is the earliest any puppy leaves. The smallest stay until ten — a toy puppy that is not eating reliably and holding its weight is not ready, whatever the calendar says. Records in hand, potty training started, and a blanket that smells like their mother.
Which puppies stay longer depends on size and how they are growing, not on a schedule. Very small toy puppies can drop their blood sugar fast, and going home before they are steady on solid food is the single most common way a healthy puppy gets into trouble in its first week. We will tell you where your puppy stands by six weeks, so you can plan your time off.
Included
Straight answer
Every breeder worth buying from started somewhere. What should matter to you is not how many litters we have raised, but how we raise them — and whether we will tell you the truth when something goes sideways.
Right now
One puppy is ready for his new home right now.
Loves to roughhouse, responds to his name, and gladly receives all the affection you have to give.
Interested in Tucker? Get in touch and we'll set up a time for you to meet him.
Coming this fall
These are projections, not promises: nothing here is confirmed until an ultrasound tells us so, and dates can move.
Go-home would follow eight to ten weeks after that. We will not post a litter publicly until it is confirmed — the waitlist always hears first.
Our dogs
Meet the three breeding pairs behind this year's upcoming litters. Here they are as individuals — their personalities first, their pedigree second.
Claims the big, cushy arm of the couch, where she can be unbothered by the dogs who haven't yet learned how to jump up.
Prefers pets to being held, and we respect that.
Quiet and reserved. We make space for him to be himself and come out of his shell at his own pace.
Has the build, the energy, and the personality of a fox — or at least how we imagine a fox might be.
The quirkiest of the bunch. She has a thing about doorways — she'll run in circles working up the courage to walk through one.
One of our most talkative dogs. He wants outside when he's in, and inside when he's out — and he lets us know either way.
Proof, not just promises
Sadie & Murphy and Gus & Claire have each had one litter before — here is what came from them, so you have a real idea of what to expect rather than a guess. Every litter is a little different, but this is the closest thing to a preview we can honestly give you.
Their first litter together.
Three from their first litter together.
One of the three, a little older here.
Another from that same litter.
Mouse and Chevy have not had a litter together yet, so we do not have puppy photos for that pairing — only the two above. We would rather tell you that than fill the gap with something else.
Life after breeding
We take a dog back at any age, for any reason — that includes our own. When one of our moms or dads is finished breeding, we look for a home where they get to just be a pet.
Retiring after this fall's litter with Sadie to a life of full-time pet duty. He prefers pets to being held, and we respect that.
Likes to play, and is just as happy to sit on your lap and relax — the best of both worlds.
Both are ready for a home of their own. Reach out if you'd like to meet them.
Next litters
We do not have puppies right now. Three of our girls — one Toy Poodle, one Havapoo, one Havanese — are in season, so we should know more in early fall. The waitlist is simply how you hear first — it costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and no deposit is asked for until there is an actual litter on the ground to reserve from.
We will be in touch as soon as we know what is coming. If you would rather talk sooner, call or text (641) 226-4864 — we answer.
Something on our end failed. Please email tailwaggintreasures25@gmail.com or call (641) 226-4864 and we will add you by hand.
There is still no application to fill out — the waitlist above is only so we can reach you. Call, text, or email and we will have an actual conversation about what you are looking for and whether one of our puppies is the right fit.