Best Cavapoo Dog Breed Guide! (2023)

Mixed between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle dog breed, the Cavapoo is another attractive Doodle that many pet enthusiasts appreciate. With hypoallergenic coats to their ability to learn fast, Cavapoos will help crave a path of many unforgettable memories for years to come. Living with this Doodle breed is an amazing experience whether you’re alone or with a large household. The amount of affection it’ll provide you during your happiest and darkest hours will outweigh many moments in life. Your sidekick, your companion, your new chapter in life, and your family.

Formerly bred in Australia in the late 1990s, the main focus of mixing the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle was to have non-shedding dogs for families. Non-shedding dog breeds have several benefits such as lessening allergic reactions and less mess to clean. If you’re planning on bringing home a Cavapoo companion, then this dog breed guide will provide you with the information you need to prepare in advance.

Characteristics of a Cavapoo

• Breed: Poodle & Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Temperament: Gentle, devoted, sensitive, etc.
• Typical Standard Height (Approx.): 9 to 14 inches | 22 to 35 cm
• Typical Standard Weight (Approx.): 9 to 25 pounds
• Life Expectancy: 12 to 15 years
• Nicknames: Cavadoodle, Cavipoodle, Cavoodle

Cavapoos have an above-average lifespan in comparison to many dog breeds. This type of dog breed is gentle, devoted, and can sometimes be sensitive. As for the height, they can grow as high as 14 inches or 35 centimeters. Cavapoos can grow as heavy as 25 pounds with a lifespan ranging between 12 to 15 years. You might be familiar with their other nicknames such as Cavadoodle, Cavipoodle, or Cavoodle.

Origins

Before moving into the origin of the Cavapoo, we have to understand the parent breeds (Poodle & Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) for better understanding. The history of both parents is fascinating. Learning about the origin of both will help you understand how the Cavapoo became its own dog breed.

• The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was once four separate breeds (Blenheim, Ruby, Prince Charles Spaniels) but wasn’t combined by the American Kennel Club until 1903. Throughout history, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was thought to have come from East Asia. To fact check, they weren’t seen until the 16th century in Europe. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was used for hunting back then, so these dog breeds have the hunting instincts. In the present day, this dog breed might potentially deal with health problems such as cardiac conditions and eye issues.
• There are three different types of Poodles to keep in mind: Standard Poodle, Toy Poodle, and Miniature Poodle. The origin of the Poodle is still up for debate today. We don’t know whether it originated from Germany or France, however, the interest in owning a Poodle expanded in France. According to the Border Collie, Poodles are ranked in 2nd place when it comes to the most intelligent dog breeds. You have probably seen them performing on TV, circus, and other entertainment industries. Today, people love Poodle mixes because of the intelligence they pass on to their litters.

With the appearance and energy from a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to the curly coats and intelligence of a Poodle, Cavapoos are amongst one of the popular Doodle breeds. While the popularity for Doodle dogs became popular less than several decades ago, the Cavapoo was believed to come into existence around the 1950s in Australia. It wasn’t official until the late 1990s that Cavapoos became recognized.

Generation Information

Generation information is a way to describe the genetic make-up of a dog breed. For example, there are F1 Cavapoos and F1B Cavapoos. Before we go over the types of Cavapoo Generations, let’s check out what each letter stands for.

Example: F1B Cavapoo

• The F in F1B is short for Filial Hybrid, which means that this Cavapoo is a crossbreed. Since Cavapoos are crossed with the Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, then the first letter will always be F.
• As for number 1 in F1B, it indicates the number of generations a Cavapoo is. F1B stands for first-generation Cavapoo while F2B stands for second-generation Cavapoo.
• The B in F1B is short for Backcross. It may seem complex at first but it means breeding back to purebred. It can be a purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or a purebred Poodle. In an F1B Cavapoo, the B is there because they are a backcross to a purebred Poodle.

With this information, let’s go over the Cavapoo Generations. By knowing this information, you’ll be able to determine a specific type of Cavapoo you’re in search of.

• The F1 Cavapoo is 50% Poodle and 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• The F1B Cavapoo is 75% Poodle and 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• The F1BB Cavapoo is 87.5% Poodle and 12.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• The F2 Cavapoo is 50% Poodle and 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• The F2B Cavapoo is 62.5% Poodle and 37.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• The F2BB Cavapoo is 81.25% Poodle and 18.75% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• The F3 Cavapoo or Multi-generation Cavapoo is the third generation of Cavapoo that’s generally a Poodle backcrossed.

Size Information

The Cavapoo can grow between 9 to 14 inches in height. This type of dog breed is a small dog but it also depends on which type of Poodle is used (Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Toy Poodle, etc.) Most Cavapoos generally have the Miniature Poodle or the Toy Poodle as its parent. For many people, it’s difficult to distinguish how big a Cavapoo puppy will get but with the help of experienced breeders, they’ll be able to help you with an estimate. Another great way to estimate a Cavapoo’s size is by analyzing the parents’ breed information. A Miniature Poodle’s height can range between 10 to 15 inches, Toy Poodles can grow as high as 10 inches, and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can grow between 12 to 13 inches at the shoulder.

Temperament & Personality

Since the Cavapoo is mixed between the Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, determining which traits it passed on to the puppy can be quite challenging. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is known to be affectionate loving dogs while Poodles are known for their hypoallergenic curly coat and intelligence. Once your Cavapoo is fully grown, then determining its temperament and personality should become easier. The Cavapoo is known to be:

• Affectionate: Cavapoos usually craves attention. They want to be by their owner’s side and be a part of the family. The best to describe this is that the Cavapoo loves to be in the middle of attention.
• Active: It’s a plus if you have an active lifestyle. Cavapoos are known to be energetic and joyful.
• Clever: The Cavapoo’s intelligence is passed on by the Poodle parent, which makes them easily trainable.
• Social: Whether you’re living with a family or with other pets, your Cavapoo will try to interact with them. Since they love socializing, you should bring them to a dog park so they can adapt to people and situations. By doing this, your Cavapoo’s social skills will become better.

Nutrition

While Cavapoos are known to be social and energetic, it’s best to understand the importance of feeding them properly. The main method most Cavapoo owners feed their dogs is dry kibble. Since Cavapoos are a mixed breed, they require a much more complicated nutritional need. You can find food with specific nutritional needs for your Cavapoo since they’re made with special recipes. Your Cavapoo might potentially deal with obesity or plaque buildup because of its size, which means you’re going to have to feed them well. By feeding them properly, it can reduce the risks of health issues for your companion. What you feed your Cavapoo will contribute to its overall health and wellbeing.

Grooming

For a small-sized dog, Cavapoos do need a bit of maintenance for its coats. Since they have curly coats passed down from the Poodle parent, grooming is necessary because these curly coats can get tangled. Experts recommend that you should start learning how to groom your Cavapoo puppy the second it enters your living environment. Grooming them at a young age will help them with self-control and discipline by the time they get older. If you’ve never groomed a dog before, then here are some tips to help you get started:

• Use a bristle brush: You should invest in a two-sided bristle brush. For powerful results, you’ll need to have a daily routine to brush your Cavapoo. This will help keep their curly coat under control.
• Brush before/after bath: You should always brush before and after your Cavapoo baths so that the furs can dry without any frizzing. When you’re brushing your Cavapoo while it’s still wet, it’ll help reduce tangles and remove danders.
• Check your Cavapoo’s ears: If you didn’t know, Cavapoos also have hair inside of their ears. You should always check your Cavapoo’s ears to see if there are any odd smells or knots to help prevent the spread of ear infections.
• Pedicure: When your Cavapoo’s nail becomes long, running and walking becomes more difficult. With long nails, your Cavapoo will feel discomfort. You should always check and file/clip its nails. 
• Wipe its eyes: Having dried tear stains is a common occurrence amongst many dog breeds. You should always check your Cavapoo’s eyes and wipe them off.

Sometimes, grooming a Cavapoo can be challenging for people. If you’re unable to fully groom them, you could always take your Cavapoo to a professional dog groomer to help ease up the work. For less than $100, professional dog groomers will clip its nail, clean your dog, etc.

Exercise

Due to them being active and energetic, Cavapoos don’t require as much exercise. It’s still recommended that you take them out at least once per day. A 30-minute walk outside would improve your Cavapoo’s health drastically. After all, staying indoors all the time can even make a person insane. If you have a backyard, you can let your Cavapoo play outside or take it to a park to socialize with other dogs. Dog enthusiasts often recommend taking out puppies for exercise and increasing it by 5 minutes daily for every month of the puppy’s age. For example:

• A one-month-old puppy should have 5 minutes of exercise daily.
• A two-month-old puppy should have 10 minutes of exercise daily.
• A three-month-old puppy should have 15 minutes of exercise daily.
• A six-month-old puppy should have 30 minutes of exercise daily.
• A nine-month-old puppy should have 45 minutes of exercise daily.

Keep in mind that the recommended exercise time for your Cavapoo is between 30-45 minutes daily.

Training

Due to its intelligence, training a Cavapoo is much easier when compared to other dog breeds. They adapt well to environments and learn quickly, which is ideal for new dog lovers and specialists alike. At the puppy stage, you should begin building the habit of training your Cavapoo. This will benefit them in the long term. If you wait until your Cavapoo becomes a fully-grown adult, training them becomes much more difficult. You should always reward your Cavapoo for its good behaviors instead of punishing them for bad behaviors since it’s been proven to be more effective. If your Cavapoo appears to be bored and not listening to you, try switching to different exercise activities.

Health

Like all living things, Cavapoos have their own health issues to worry about. To minimize the risks, you’ll have to pay attention, feed them the proper nutrition, and keep an eye out. If something appears wrong and you’re unsure, then schedule an appointment with a veterinarian. Cavapoos have the risks of dealing with syringomyelia, mitral valve disease, cataracts, hip dysplasia, luxating patella, progressive retinal atrophy, skin issues, or epilepsy.

• Syringomyelia: A Cavapoo dealing with this will experience extreme sensitivity when they’re being touched on the back, head, shoulders, chest, and neck. They will sometimes sleep with their held up, whining for no reason, and scratching an inch or two from the head.
• Mitral Valve Disease: At least 1/10 dogs will develop some form of heart disease throughout their life. This health issue occurs by the high pressure when the left ventricle contracts and pumps blood out of the dog’s body.
• Cataracts: This is an eye problem that can cause your Cavapoo to not be able to see clearly. When this occurs, it can lead to vision loss. While it can be challenging to determine whether your Cavapoo has it or not, you should take your dog to a doctor if you’re under any suspicion.
• Hip dysplasia:  When a Cavapoo has hip dysplasia, it means that the ball and socket of its hip joint aren’t fitting properly. This health problem can cause your dog to lose its function of the joints due to deterioration.
• Luxating Patella: Luxating stands for ‘out of place.’ With luxating patella, your Cavapoo’s kneecap is out of its normal location. Most dogs will limp and run on three legs. If this is your dog, take it to a veterinarian to get it examed immediately.
• Progressive retinal atrophy: Short for PRA, this disease affects the photoreceptor cells in dogs. Over time, the cells deteriorate causing your Cavapoo to lose vision and sight.
• Skin issues: Like all dogs, Cavapoos can develop skin issues such as allergies, bacterial infections, and parasite allergies.
• Epilepsy: For some dogs, they could potentially inherit a disorder. When a dog suffers from epilepsy, there’s a chance that the dog might have liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, etc.

Appearance

As mentioned above, Cavapoos are between 9 to 14 inches in height. They normally have curly hypoallergenic coats, and sometimes, they have wave coats. The appearance of a Cavapoo depends on what was passed down from the parents. As for Cavapoo’s coat colors, there are red/white abstract, apricot, cream, Blenheim, black/tan, phantom black/tan, black, black/white, tri-color, sable, etc. With a variety of colors and coats, you can find a Cavapoo that best fits you.

Another important thing worth mentioning is that as your Cavapoo age, they will gradually lose their puppy coats. During this process, their coats gradually become harder and denser. During the Cavapoo puppy phase, you should brush your companion daily.

Prices

The price of a Cavapoo depends on the color, parent, generation, and many other factors. Overall, the average price of a Cavapoo puppy is $1,500. If you find a breeder selling under $1,200, it’s best to be cautious. You should always avoid puppy mills, misleading promises, and breeders guaranteeing health. It’s advised that you purchase from an honest and reputable breeder.

Recommended:

• Best Cavapoo Breeders In The Midwest
• Best Cavapoo Breeders on the East Coast

Conclusion for Cavapoo Dog Breed Guide

Cavapoo, a mix between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle is appreciated by Doodle lovers around the world. If you need a friend, family, or someone by your side – the affection of a Cavapoo will fill in that missing gap. Owning a Cavapoo can be therapeutic for many people, help with depression, improve emotional health, and help make the journey in life more bearable. If you’re planning on bringing home a Cavapoo, we recommend that you do your due diligence and avoid puppy mills if possible. Puppy mills focus on their pockets while reputable Cavapoo breeders will focus on the betterment and overall wellbeing of your future companion.

Are you ready to take on the responsibilities and entering a new chapter in life with your Cavapoo?

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