Cavapoo… Everything You Need to Know at a Glance!

Despite the fact that you might find it difficult to actually say the word “Cavapoo”, particularly if you’ve got a bunch of Cavapoo puppies bouncing all over the place, truth be told, Cavapoos are actually really great dogs and serve a purpose significantly more important than just bringing a smile to our faces!

You see…

The Cavapoo is just one example of a new trend in dog breeding where sophisticated breeders are actively taking a “pro-active” approach to protecting some of traditional breeds that have been “damaged” due to excessive and irresponsible breeding.

These new…

‘Hybrid’ or ‘Designer’ dogs, as their often called, serve a huge purpose in terms of adding genetic material to some of the more “threatened” breeds, thus improving the overall health of the breed in general.

For example…Humans have bred dogs like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for almost (or possibly more than) a thousand years, as a result, any natural evolution that would have prevented certain “weaker” treats to naturally be removed from the breed have instead, in some cases, been “promoted” due to an aesthetic preference by people.

And in the case of…

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, this “preference” for a small compact head has lead to nearly 95% of the breed testing positive for Chiari Malformations, with nearly 25% of these same dogs suffering from extensive symptoms as a result!

And unfortunately…

There really isn’t any way one prevents a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from developing this condition other than by simply not allowing this breed to continue breeding in its current form.

Enter hybrid breeds…

Like the Cavapoo, where responsible breeders have taken the best of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Standard or Miniature Poodle to create a healthier “hybrid” of the two breeds… AKA the Cavapoo or Cava.

So, what is the Cavapoo, exactly?

The Cavapoo is a cross breed of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the standard or miniature Poodle.  Now the question ought to be,

Why did they choose to mix a poodle with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?

Well first of all…

It helps that mixing the two makes REALLY cute puppies.

But beyond that, both the Standard and Miniature Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are also both great family pets, which is another reason why the Cavapoo “experiment” has been so successful.

Now since we’re talking about…

A “mixed” dog breed, it only makes sense that we take a moment and briefly discuss the lineage breeds creating this “hybrid” or “designer dog” so that we might gain a better understanding of what your Cavapoo or Cavoodle puppy might look like (and yes, some folks do prefer to call Cavapoos, Cavoodles)

The Poodle…

Without going into too much detail here in this article, what we can tell you is that the Poodle is “generally” believed to have developed somewhere within western Europe (the exact location is something that many folks will debate, which is why we’ll just say western Europe to avoid any issues).

The Poodle original purpose is another issue folks like to argue about.  Some claim they carried water, others claim they were companions of aristocracy, idealists would like to think they were once hunters.

We here at IndulgeYourPet lean towards those that believe that they probably had some type of utilitarian purpose first before the aristocracy “hi-jacked” and made them into more of a “show piece” than an actual working dog.

At any rate…

The Poodle breed has been around for a very long time. In fact, there are pictures of Poodles dated from as early as the very first century, so we know they have been man’s best friend for a very long time.

It should be noted…That the Miniature Poodle is a more recent strain of the Poodle family, and didn’t really appear until the 1800’s.

The Cavapoo’s other ancestor…

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel on the other hand really is a dog that was developed for the “lap”.  This member of the toy breed was specifically bred to sit by the right-hand side of the King Charles II which is why they are still called a King Charles Spaniel even today!

First recorded in the 12^th Century…

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has literally been the victim of centuries worth of manipulative breeding which as we’ve already mentioned before has left the breed to point where very soon, it could be considered “unethical” to continue breeding them.  Which is why “Creations” like the Cavapoo or Cavoodle really are a good thing.

What will the Cavapoo dog breed temperament be like?

Your Cavapoo could be feisty like a Poodle, or he might be lazy like a well-bred Spaniel. He may be an excellent and alert watchdog, or he may like to lounge on your lap – there really is no telling with this mixture of genes.

He might be better titled a Cavapoo, and he might be more of a Cavoodle – you just don’t know which genes will be more dominant when you buy a Hybrid Dog Breed.

What you can be….

Certain of is that your Cavapoo will be small and “probably friendly”, although Poodle’s can be a little nippy if not socialized correctly. Obedience classes should sort that out early.

That said, we feel comfortable recommending these little guys for families, including those with small children, because for the most part, these little guys will get along with just about anyone.

Cavapoo Appearance

While appearances can vary, your typical Cavapoo will have wavy fur that can get long and tangled, so you have to brush him regularly and bathe him often, which is why we give the Cavapoo three paws up for maintenance.

You see, he or she will typically require regular trips to the doggy hairdressers to keep him trim and to stop you having to wash his butt every time he goes for a walk (Yep, that’s right!).

They’re also…Going to be short (only about 8-15 inches) and will usually weight around 10-20 lbs.  They might have long or short ears depending on their genes, but they will always have a short snout.

Your Cavapoo…Will also have inherited weepy eyes from both parents, so wipe them clean with a tissue and a little salt water every day to stop the tears staining or becoming crusted to his fur around the eyes.

The good news is that…

The Cavapoo’s fur is generally considered hypo-allergenic which could make a Cavapoo puppy the perfect choice for someone who might be allergic to a different type of dog.

Unfortunately…

The Cavapoo (or Cavoodle, as per your preference) is still not a fully recognized breed by the American Kennel Club and, as such, the Breed Standard has yet to be set. This is very likely to change in the near future as moms and dads of the Cavapoo everywhere are uniting to take matters into their own hands and form grassroots efforts to get the Cavapoo recognized by the AKC.

There is a Cavapoo Owners Club in the UK already, and we suspect it won’t be long before we see a similar thing in the States.

Is the Cavpoo a healthy dog breed?

So far, so good! The point of these Designer breeds is to take the healthy aspects of each parent and discard the unhealthy genes, and so far, the Cavoodle has been mainly untouched, so we give the Cavapoo a one paw up for health.

That being said…

Both parents are heavily over-bred and carry some fairly serious genetically inherited health issues that you should familiarize yourself with. The most common of these include:

• Entropion and cataracts; both problems of the eye that can lead to blindness…as well as Progressive Retinal Atrophy.
• Patellar Luxation can occur in these dogs when the kneecap comes away from the tendons,
• Mitral Valve Disease (heart problem)
• And Chiari malformations.

We should also point out that…

The Cavapoo is just one of many new and exciting dog “hybrids” that are out there right now.

So, if you are considering purchasing a Cavapoo puppy or looking for Cavapoo puppies for sale, you might also want to consider looking at other hybrid options as well.

Hybrid Dog Options such as a:

• Aussiedoodle – Austrialian Shepherd and a Poodle,
• Bassetoodle – Basset Hound and a Poodle,
• Bugg – Boston Terrier and a Pug,
• CavaPom – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Pomeranian,
• Cockapoo – Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle,
• Goldendoodle – Golden Retriever and a Poodle,
• Irish Doodle – Irish Setter and a Poodle,
• Labradoodle – Labrador Retriever and a Poodle,
• PomaPoo – Pomeranian and a Poodle,
• Puggle – Pugg and a Poodle
• Schnoodle – Schauzer and a Poodle
• Yorkipoo – Yorkie and a Poodle.

Now you may be thinking…

“Wow, that’s a lot of different hybrids to choose from!”

Which is true and certainly one way to look at this list.  Or you could also look at this list and say “wow” that’s a lot of different dog breeds that responsible breeders are trying to help out.

Because remember…

The reason why these “hybrids” are being created is to try to protect the “traditional” breed from being destroyed by over breeding.

This list should also…

Serve as a warning to anyone thinking about adopting a new puppy that one day he or she could become sick or injured.

This is why we here at IndulgeYourPet always advise any new pet owner to take a moment and see what it would cost to purchase a pet insurance policy.

Because the last thing…You want to have happen is for your pet to become sick and “rack up” a HUGE medical bill that you alone will have to pay!

That is of course unless you decided to purchase a pet insurance policy which could go a long way to minimize your financial responsibility and make getting the proper care for you animal a whole heck of a lot easier!

For more information about pet insurance and who we feel offer some of the best pet insurance policies out there be sure to visit our article: Best Pet Insurance Companies.