Cavapoo

The Cavapoo – also known as Cavoodle – is known as a hybrid dog breed. It arose from pairing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a Toy or Miniature Poodle and captivates with both its cute appearance and lively, loving nature.

Teddy-esque Appearance

A round head, dark wide eyes and a fluffy, soft curly coat: Sounds like a teddy bear! The Cavapoo’s large floppy ears with plenty of fur perfectly round off its cute little head. 

A typical feature of the Cavapoo is its extremely soft, slightly wavy to curly coat found in almost all colour tones and combinations. This depends on whether the Miniature Poodle or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel proves to be dominant in heredity terms. Thus, they come in brown, red, white, cream, silver-beige, apricot or black. There can be different colour variations or even tricolour puppies within the same litter. 

Not just the fur can vary greatly depending on the parent animals, but the physique too. On average, an adult Cavapoo reaches a shoulder height of 30 to 35 centimetres. 

They are around five to nine kilograms in weight, although females are generally slightly lighter and more delicately built. Despite their small size, Cavoodles have a robust and compact physique.

Easy-going character

The sweet teddy bear look shouldn’t disguise the fact that the Cavapoo is a real dog with needs to be taken seriously. But if you take this into account, you will gain a friend for life. 

Sociable little canines

These small to medium-sized dogs are lively whirlwinds keen on all kinds of games and exercise. They ensure a good atmosphere in every household with their cheerful nature. They are also courageous and alert, making them companions that know how to defend their family in emergencies. 

Having fun and playing with children or fellow dogs is the Cavoodle’s favourite thing. Nevertheless, it can also enjoy a relaxed afternoon with its family, cuddled up on a cosy dog blanket. What’s important for the Cavapoo is being close to its human family. 

The Cavapoo is very people-focused and always seeks to be close to its family. It doesn’t like being alone. However, if you do have to leave it at home alone for a few hours occasionally, you should get it used to this gently – if possible when it is still a puppy. Thanks to its friendly and open-minded nature, you can thankfully take the Cavoodle with you to most appointments and events without a second thought. 

Training

The Cavapoo is an easy-to-train companion dog thanks to its intelligence and quick comprehension, which comes from its Poodle parent. 

Even the hunting instinct, which it inherited from both the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle, can be managed with loving consistency. Be aware though that hunting mice is in these dogs’ blood! 

Read our article Anti-Hunt Training for Dogs in Five Steps.

The Cavoodle is suitable both for first-time as well as experienced dog owners. However, it’s best for newcomers to attend a dog school.

Housing and care for a Cavapoo

What demands does the Cavapoo pose for dog lovers? The most important thing is sufficient time for grooming and activities together. 

Time-consuming grooming

Grooming and care play a significant role for Cavapoos. Their very furry floppy ears are particularly sensitive and you need to clean them regularly to prevent infections. 

Coat care proves somewhat more demanding too, because the soft, silky coat tends to mat and therefore requires regular careful brushing (several times a week). Thankfully this breed moults relatively little, resulting in less time required to clean your home!

For this reason, this dog is often recommended for allergy sufferers. However, there is no guarantee of this. Before buying a Cavapoo, you should ensure that no family member suffers from allergic reactions to your new canine housemate.

© Robert / stock.adobe.com

Living with children, cats and fellow dogs

Cavapoos are considered very fond of children. This is no surprise, because children are just as playful and full of energy as they are. However, these friendly and even-tempered dogs generally get on well with fellow dogs or other pets too. 

Cats and Cavoodles harmonise best when both species have already had good experiences with the other one from a young age. 

City or countryside?

A house with a garden and sufficient opportunities for exercise outside the front door is of course ideal for a dog as lively and agile as the Cavapoo. However, these small and adaptable canines can also be kept as city dogs without any problems. The main thing is being with their family and being able to let off steam to their heart’s content every now and then.

Sport and activities: Cavapoos want to be occupied

These dogs will feel very happy in an active family that enjoys spending time outdoors and doing plenty of exercise. Despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s important that the intelligent Cavoodle is kept properly occupied. 

Dog sports such as agility for small dogs are ideal for these docile sports lovers, because it is important for the clever Cavapoo to be intellectually challenged too. Sniffing and intelligence games or learning tricks can also provide great variety. The Cavoodle also enjoys taking part in hikes!

Health and typical diseases of the breed

Healthy Cavapoos that come from a reputable breeder are usually very robust dogs. According to their genetic make-up, consisting of Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, however, the following diseases typical of these breeds can also affect the Cavapoo: 

• Progressive retinal atrophy (ocular disease) 
• Cardiac diseases like mitral valve disease (MVD) 
• Kneecap problems 
• Syringomyelia (SM), a severe neurological disease affecting the Cavalier 
• Dry eyes 

Furthermore, fur and skin problems can result from the different fur texture of the parent breeds, although this only happens rarely. 

It can be a challenge to find a reputable breeder focusing on health, because many breeders simply pair a random Cavalier with a random Poodle without thoroughly examining the animals beforehand. 

A healthy Cavoodle from a reputable breeder can live to be 15 years of age or more.

History and breeding: How did the Cavapoo emerge?

Is it the first time you’ve heard of the Cavapoo? That’s hardly surprising, because these designer dogs are quite a recent pairing. 

Their history is similar to that of the Labradoodle. Australian breeders first crossed a Poodle with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the 1990s. The offspring soon become highly popular in Australia thanks to their cute appearance and friendly character. 

Nowadays, Cavapoos are among the most popular designer dogs in Australia. There are now some breeders in the US too. The European country with most breeders is currently Britain. 

As a hybrid dog, the Cavapoo isn’t recognised as an independent breed by the FCI. Other very similar designer dogs like the Cockapoo or Goldendoodle are also not recognised.

Where can I buy a Cavapoo?

When looking to buy a Cavapoo, you may have to search some time for a suitable breeder. Since this isn’t a recognised dog breed, there is no official register of reputable breeders. 

You have to take a close look at breeders in order to get a healthy Cavapoo from a responsible source. Hence, don’t let yourself be blinded by cute puppy photos and never buy young puppies from a car boot at a service station. 

The Cavoodle is and always will be a hybrid. Ask to see the pedigree certificate of the parent animals and find out about their health checks. 

Small Poodle varieties are excellent alternatives to the Cavoodle. If it doesn’t have to be a puppy, there are of course numerous cuddly hybrid dogs of all sizes in animal shelters waiting for a new home.

Conclusion: The Cavapoo – Hybrid with plenty of charm

Friendly, attentive, cuddly, playful and on top of that a really cute appearance – the Cavapoo has it all. Nevertheless, dog lovers should critically question the designer dog breeding that has become fashionable, since there are many dog breeds that also possess these characteristics but are available from responsible and experienced breeders. 

If you choose a designer dog, you should definitely look for a responsible breeder.

Cavapoo Breed Profile

Special features: The Cavapoo is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. It is known for its friendly nature and intelligence.

Character: amiable, playful, affectionate

Size: 30-35 cm

Weight: 5-9 kg

Coat: slightly wavy to curly – many colours such as red, white, black, brown and apricot

Grooming: demanding, as the coat tends to become matted

Exercise: wants to move around a lot and be challenged

Beginner dog: very suitable for beginners

Barking: does not tend to bark excessively often

Life expectancy: approx. 15 years

Typical diseases: robust breed, but can suffer from diseases typical of the original Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeds, such as hip dysplasia, eye problems and heart disease

Price: up to approx. 1,500 €

FCI group: not recognised as a mixed breed dog

Origin: Australia

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