Contents
Cavapoo vs cavachon: what is a cavachon?
Cavapoo vs cavachon: appearance
Cavapoo vs cavachon: temperament
Cavapoo vs Cavachon: shedding and coat issues
Cavapoo vs cavachon: allergies
Cavapoo vs cavachon: energy levels and exercise requirements
Cavapoo vs cavachon: potential health issues and life expectancy
Cavapoo vs cavachon dogs: what’s similar, what’s different, and which one should you choose?
Since you are on this website, you probably already know quite a bit about cavapoo. If not, take a minute to read this overview article about cavapoo breed, and this one about cavapoo temperament. This will give you more of a thorough background on cavapoo dog breed and their characteristics.
Now, if you are trying to find out more about another cross breed dog called cavachon, and how it compares to cavapoo, you are in the right place. In this article we will compare the two cross breeds in terms of their various appearance and personality traits and, hopefully, help you make a good choice.
Just like cavapoo, a cavachon is a cross breed, or a hybrid, between two very established and popular dog breeds: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (just like cavapoo!) and Bichon Frise.
By breeding affectionate, kind and loving Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to the healthy, sociable and active Bichon Freeses, breeders have produced a very loyal, very affectionate crossbreed that has lots of great traits of both breeds and much fewer health and personality issues than both Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Freese.
More about this further in the article.
Adult cavapoo reach around 10 – 15 inch height (about 25 – 40 cm) and weight around 6 – 19 lbs ( 3-9 kg). They are fairly small, compact dogs, but they are not frail. They have shorter coats and a unique coat structure, if they have inherited their coat genes from poodle – soft, curly, non-shedding coat.
Psst, while you are reading this post, I just wanted to say you might also like these other articles:
Cavapoo can have multiple varieties of coat colors such as black, white, black and white, apricot, brown, creme and some are even tri-colored.
Cavachons are normally around 10-12 inches tall (30 – 33 cm) and weigh 9- 19 lb (5-10 kg). They can be slightly less stalky than cavapoo. Cavachons generally have longer coats as they can inherit it from both Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of Bichon Frise. The common colorings are white, red, black, or white with variously-colored markings.
Cavapoo are very intelligent little dogs, which they often inherit from poodle – one of the most intelligent dogs in the world. They are also very affectionate, loyal and loving, like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They can have higher or lower levels of energy, depending on whether they were produced from toy poodle or miniature poodle (with toy poodle being more energetic).
Cavapoo can be somewhat barky, although not every cavapoo is. They are not aggressive, are extremely happy to meet new people, but also do seem to get carried away easily and bark quite often.
Cavachons were bred with the purpose of preserving and increasing the Cavalier King Charles warm and affectionate temperament mixed with Bichon Frise friendliness and intelligence, but avoiding some of the Cavalier King Charles health issues.
As a result, cavachons are as friendly, loyal and affectionate as cavapoos. They are extremely gentle dogs and thus make perfect companions for families with small kids.
However, cavachons are less friendly than cavapoo when it comes to home intruders. They seem to have more of a sense of being a house guard and will warn their owners if there is an intruder. On average, you can’t expect that from a cavapoo.
They are very smart and very trainable, and thrive in interaction with their humans. One significant difference in cavapoo vs cavachon comparison is that cavachons are virtually a non-barking crossbreed. That doesn’t mean all cavachons never bark, but in general they are quite quiet and rarely bark (unless there is a very strong reason to!). So if you are looking for a very quiet breed, you might want to consider cavachon.
Cavapoo can inherit the low-to no-shedding poodle coat in which case they shed very minimally. That type of coat is actually hair, not fur – it’s curly and soft and needs grooming, just like human hair, to prevent tangling.
If a cavapoo inherits more of a Cavalier King Charles spaniel coat, it will be a different type-coat – and it will shed more or less just like Cavalier King Charles spaniel (moderately throughout the year).
Cavachon dogs do shed throughout the year, similar to other dog breeds. They are fairly small dogs and don’t shed excessively, but they can’t be called a non-shedding breed. If you don’t want to find dog hair around your house, you might better stick to a well bred cavapoo that has poodle-type coat.
Are you looking for a hypoallergenic dog? (Or at least, as close to hypoallergenic as you can get?) Should you choose cavapoo or cavachon?
Cavapoo are considered hypoallergenic, especially if they inherit the poodle-type coat that sheds minimally and is said to spread less of allergenic dander around your house. That doesn’t actually mean that cavapoo cause no allergy.
Allergy is triggered, most often, by proteins in dog dander. Since every dog produces dander, there can be no dog that is actually truly hypoallergenic. Having said that, cavapoo are definitely considered to cause less (to almost none) allergy symptoms in allergy sufferers.
Psst, while you are reading this post, I just wanted to say you might also like these other articles:
Cavachons, with their small size and short hair, are also considered somewhat hypoallergenic by many breeders and owners. However, the only way to know if you will have any reactions to a cavachon or not, is to visit them (preferably adults) and spend some time around them.
Both cavapoo and cavachons are smaller dogs that, however, cannot be considered lap dogs. Both crossbreeds have high energy dogs in their genetic lines and both hybrids are considered failry high energy dogs. That doesn’t mean you are going to be getting a mini border collie there – not at all.
But both cavapoo and cavachons are very intelligent, inquisitive and curious little dogs that prefer active lifestyle of exploration and adventure with their humans.
They both thrive in busy families with lots of activity going on. Both breeds really need a good amount of time outside. At least 25 – 40 minute walk would be something your dog needs every day, whether it’s a cavapoo or a cavachon. They both also enjoy intellectual challenges such as games and learning new tricks.
Whether you are thinking of getting a cavapoo or a cavachon, you have to be ready to spend a significant amount of time with your dog, including time outside. If you are looking for a less demanding dog in terms of physical and mental activities, you may be better off with a different breed.
As with any cross breed, the resulting dog, whether it’s cavapoo or cavachon, may inherit health issues from either one of their parent breeds. Both cavapoo and cavachons have Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as one side of their hereditary puzzle.
One of the most serious health conditions that Cavalier King Charles spaniels are prone to is Heart mitral valve disease (MVD). It is said that almost half of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will have this disease by age five, and almost all will have it by age ten. It is a terminal disease that is number one cause of death for most Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Both cavachons and cavapoo may inherit this disease as well.
Cavachons may actually have a higher chance of having it as Bichon Frise are also reported to have an often occuring MVD disease, even though it’s not at the levels presented in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Syringomyelia is another deadly disease that’s very common in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and is fairly common in cavapoo, although not as common in cavachons. A good breeder will always do their best not to allow dogs with syringomyelia to breeding, but it does still occur in both cavapoo and cavachons.
Apart from that, cavapoo are also prone to such conditions as cataracts, retinal atrophy, skin issues and epilepsy. Cavachons have their own array of potential conditions, such as excessive tear production (inherited from Cavalier King Charles Spaniels), ear and skin infections and issues, and hip displasia.
Although this may sound pretty grave, I don’t want to intimidate you from considering getting a cavapoo or a cavachon. Good reputable breeders will follow many protocols allowing to breed only healthy dogs without genetic issues.
Both cavapoo and cavachons on average are pretty healthy, and only sometimes pose issues and problems. Timely vet check-ups, good nutrition and exercise and proper hygiene are all factors that will help you keep your puppy healthy and happy, whether they are a cavapoo or a cavachon.
Of course you still have to make that choice, and that’s totally up to you.
Or, you know, you could always get both 🙂