Cavapoo World is dedicated to the wonderful breed of cavapoo dogs, also known as cavoodles. I hope you will find answers to all your questions about cavapoo / cavoodle on the pages of this website.
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Cavapoo (also known as cavoodle, especially in Australia), have been popular for at least thirty years, but particularly so in the last ten-fifteen years. It is a type of crossbreed dogs created by breeding miniature or toy poodle with Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Cavoodles, as they call cavapoo in Australia, became especially popular in Australia where they were extensively bred in the 1990s. In the USA, cavapoo were actually first bred quite a while ago – all the way back in the 1950s.
Cavapoo dogs are bred from a mix of Toy or Miniature Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The poodle has been used extensively in many crossbreeding programs (to get such dogs as labradoodles, for example), for several reasons.
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First of all, the poodle is one of the most intelligent dogs. They also have silky curly hair that doesn’t shed and they are normally considered hypoallergenic (or at least more hypoallergenic than other breeds.)
To create cavoodle, toy or miniature poodle is used. Depending on which type of poodle is used, a breeder can get smaller cavapoo (with toy poodles), or slightly larger cavapoo (from miniature poodle). In any case, the resulting dog tends to have a poodle-like quality of hair (soft, curly, non-shedding), and a great temperament.
Cavapoo is bred to be a loyal, calm, smart companion for families and individuals, possessing poodle-like intelligence, friendliness and low to non-existent levels of aggression. This is probably why cavapoo spread all over the world so quickly and gained such popularity around the globe.
Cavapoo dogs are often called hybrid dogs, or even designer dogs, because they are bred “artificially” from two separate breeds. While some people have somewhat of a cautious stance towards designer dogs, cavoodle (cavapoo) popularity speaks for itself. They are truly wonderful dogs.
The temperament of cavapoo takes equally from that of poodle and Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Cavalier King Charles spaniels are great companions, loyal and friendly. They are also fairly smart dogs, although they can be somewhat stubborn. They tend to be very friendly not only with their owners, but with just about anyone who would offer them a pat or a treat.
Poodles, on the other hand, are known for their extreme intelligence. They are very trainable and understand their owners very well. They are normally not aggressive, but they aren’t as open and easy going with strangers as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and can take a role of the house guard. Having said that, poodles can also be very playful (especially toy poodles).
All of these traits, combined in various degrees, can be found in cavapoo dogs. Cavoodle is a very loyal and friendly breed. Aggression is virtually non-existent in cavoodles, and they generally don’t make very good house guards. (Neither do they have the size to be intimidating.) Cavapoo are extremely attached to their families – sometimes picking one special person to pour all their love onto.
A cavapoo will be happy following you around the house and participating in everything you do. Because cavapoo are so social, they do best in stable, big households and don’t do as well if they have to be left alone for prolonged periods of time.
Cavoodles make great pets for active people that like spending time outdoors and enjoy physical activities. Despite their small size, cavapoo dogs are very athletic and require regular physical activities to help them expend their energy.
They will happily run around the yard or park, fetching balls, or chasing objects – really, anything, as long as they are on the move. Cavapoo really thrives in households that can afford significant time to spend with their pets outside of the house.
One or two walks a day are very beneficial for cavapoo, and a good run in the park a few times a week can be a great addition to that.
Apart from physical activities, cavoodles also greatly appreciate a good mental challenge. They do take a lot of their intelligence from the poodle, and thus need to be mentally stimulated to thrive.
A good owner will regularly train their cavoodle by teaching them new tricks and making them work for their treats. Cavapoo dogs can learn dozens of commands and tricks, and regular repetition in the form of play can provide great benefits in keeping the dog engaged and happy. This is why cavapoo do so well in households where owners can give them lots of personal time and interaction.
Keep that in mind if you are thinking of getting a cavapoo. Boredom effects these dogs very negatively and may lead to apathy, weight gain, destructive behaviour and even depression. You don’t want that to happen to your dog.
Cavapoo dogs are medium to small sized dogs reaching 10-15 inches (about 25 – 40 cm) in height and 6-9 lbs ( 3-9 kg) in weight when they are fully grown. Cavapoo bred from toy poodles will be smaller than cavapoo bred from miniature poodles. They have a compact but sturdy body. They are smaller dogs but they do not tend to be fragile like a lot of other small breeds. On the opposite, cavapoo are very athletic and can grow quite a bit of muscle weight for their small bodies.
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Just like poodles, cavapoo have soft, curly coat and generally do not shed much. (Although they do shed a bit, like any other breed of dogs. There isn’t a breed that does not shed at all.) Cavapoo have floppy ears and big eyes, and look just as friendly as they really are.
Cavapoo are often considered hypoallergenic. This can be true for some people, although no breed of dogs is truly hypoallergenic. All breeds produce dander and other potentially allergenic substances, it’s just that cavapoo may produce less of it. Poodles are also considered one of the most hypoallergenic breeds out their, often due to their soft and non-shedding coat.
Cavapoo that inherit those traits really do seem to cause less allergy symptoms in allergy sufferers than other breeds. However, the best way to find out if you are allergic to cavapoo is to try and spend some time around them.
As I already mentioned, cavapoo is not a breed, but a crossbreed of two different breeds. Due to this fact, we can actually talk about several different genetic types of cavapoo.
F1
F1 is a standard crossbreed, the result of breeding a toy or a miniature poodle to Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This is one of the most widespread types of cavapoo.
F2
F2 type is a result of breeding two cavapoos together.
F1B
F1B – this type is a crossbreed of cavapoo dogs and poodle (when a puppy is created by breeding cavoodle with a poodle)
F3
F3 is a type that’s created by breeding two cavapoo of F2 type.
Various types of breeding allow breeders to get physical traits and temperament that they would like to see in their puppies.
Cavapoo dogs are generally a fairly healthy crossbreed, although they can inherit health issues that are normal for Poodles or Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Poodles are prone to such conditions as thyroid issues, epilepsy, retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia and some others.
Cavalier King Charles spaniels can suffer from such diseases as syringomyelia and mitral valve disease (MVD), both of which occur significantly often. (Half of all Cavalier Spaniels develop mitral valve murmur by age of 5!)
While we don’t want to intimidate you, and while nothing guarantees that your dog will develop any of these conditions (or any condition at all!) we believe it’s necessary to understand the risks when you consider such responsibility as having a dog. You need to understand that sometimes health issues may occur, and be sure that you’ll be able to care for your dog if needed.
However, overall cavapoo are pretty healthy and can live 10 – 15 years long! Read more about cavapoo health in this article.
Because cavapoo is a crossbread, they don’t have a set standard for coat type and colors. Instead, we have lots of variations of both.
To begin with coat type and structure, it can vary depending on how much coat genes your cavoodle has inherited from poodle and how much came from Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Cavapoo coat can be almost straight (like Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), Straight and wavy (mix), and wavy and curly (more like a poodle coat.) Depending on the genes cavapoo may shed significantly (like Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) or almost not at all (Like poodle). As for coat colors, they can be solid (one color) or mix.
The color array may include white, black, red, golden, white + red (Blenheim), apricot, cream and tan. That is a lot of different colors! And they all look gorgeous.
As with other dogs, cavapoo need grooming. Depending on the type of coat, it may be an occasional brush – through, or you may need to actually clip the cavapoo hair or use the services of professional groomers (especially with cavapoo that inherited their coat from poodle). Be prepared to invest time (and finances!)
When getting your cavapoo puppy, always do your homework and look for a trusted cavapoo breeder who has cavapoo puppies for sale in your area. Don’t rush with this step. Make sure you can trust your breeder and ask them everything you want to know about cavapoo in general and their cavapoo litters in particular.
When picking the puppy, pick for the character. Although it may be very tempting to choose the puppy you think is the cutest just for their appearance, try to also take personality into account.
Cavapoo dogs, like any other dog, have various personalities, and even siblings from one litter may have vastly different temperaments. They would normally all be friendly, loving and social (provided they are well-bred and socialised), but even within that you can find puppies that are extremely energetic (and may be loud), and more reserved, calmer dogs that aren’t as outgoing.
Think of what cavapoo personality would fit you better – your character, your lifestyle, your family life, etc. If you are a loud, active family, then maybe a loud and active puppy will fit you just fine. If you prefer quiet evenings and slow living, a slower, more reserved puppy may be your best choice.
If you pick the puppy that fits your personality and lifestyle, you will see how quickly you will fall in love with their appearance too – their color, markings and everything else that makes them that one special dog.
If you are allergic to dogs, make sure you know whether the cavapoo will trigger your allergy symptoms and to what degree. Although cavapoo are often said to be hypoallergenic, it is not entirely true. Some cavapoo may be almost completely hypoallergenic, causing very few to no symptoms of allergy. However, some cavapoo may not be that hypoallergenic at all. It all depends on their genetics, and how strong your allergy is.
To find out if you are allergic to cavapoo, spend some time around them – preferably around the adult dogs and not the puppies. Adult dogs tend to produce more allergens than puppies do. Since your puppy will inevitably grow into adult, spending time with adult cavapoo will allow you to see just how allergic to them you are. We hope your allergy is not strong enough to prevent you from getting a cavapoo puppy, but you never know, and it’s best to know exactly where you stand in terms of allergy.
When thinking of getting a cavapoo, it is important to remember that getting a pet is not only about joy and love and all the fun that you will have with them. It is also about big responsibility that may last for the next 10 – 15 years of your life. It is about time that you will have to invest in your cavoodle – to properly feed them, train them, play with them, groom their coat and clean after them.
It is a significant financial investment as well – from the first purchase to possible vet fees, to food and toy fees, to boarding and kennel fees for when you need to leave for a vacation. It is a possible sacrifice of long vacations abroad (because cavapoos don’t do that well in kennels and will miss you terribly!)
All of these factors need to be considered when you think of getting a puppy. Are you really ready for something like that? Do you have space – in your home and in your heart – for the little living being that will depend on you for everything? Do consider all of these things before you make a decision. And if you do decide to get a cavoodle- we wish you luck in finding your puppy! You will most likely not regret this decision 🙂
2 replies on “Cavapoo, aka cavoodle: everything about cavapoo dog breed”
FYI, not sure about your weight range as most sites have them between 12-22 lbs. Mine is now 7.5 months and already 23lbs!
Mine is 16 1/2 weeks and weighs 6.5 lbs. Mom was 15.4; dad was 9.1.