Cavapoo FAQ

Cavapoo

Cavapoo FAQ

What is a Cavapoo? It is a mix breed of the purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Miniature Poodle.

Do cavapoos Shed? Usually NO. I've never had any reports of an F1 cavapoo shedding. Other than when they go thru a transition from their puppy coat to their adult coat. F1b's are super curly and do not shed.  

Do Cavapoos bark a lot or act agressive? Cavapoos don't usually bark very much. They alert you when you have a visitor. Ive never known a cavapoo to be agressive. They are very tender hearted dogs that aim to please you. These might look like a cockapoo but are much more mild mannered and less barky! Although I have met some sweet cockapoos, I've also groomed some pretty mean and barky ones! Of course, the wrong up bringing can change a dog over time and make them bitter so I'm not sure it was the dog's fault :-/.

What does F1, F1b etc mean? F1 is the first cross of the Cavalier and the poodle. F1b is the cross bred back to a poodle (75% poodle). A cavapoo bred to a cavapoo is still called a cavapoo. :-) 

​How big are Cavapoos? About the size of a small cocker spaniel, cavalier or miniature schnauzer. Most of our cavapoos are from Miniature poodles which are different from the toy poodles. Cavaliers range from 10-20lb and mini poodles about the same. Depending on parent sizes of course.  

What coat types are there? The F1 Cavapoo is a wavy to big curl coat. It is very soft and fluffy. The F1b Cavapoo is very curly and also soft and fluffy. We specialize in red and red and white.

Why is my pup shedding? Some pups will "blow" their puppy coats. It can be caused by change of season, vaccinations, anesthesia, poor diet or stress. But it will shed off until their adult coat comes back in. We suggest nuvet vitamins to help block the free radicals that can cause hairloss and hot spots.

What are cavapoo health concerns? They are similar to the poodle and the cavalier's breed faults. We try to breed these out. The Cavalier is prone to heart problems, eye disease and loose knees. The miniature poodle is prone to eye diseases and seizures. The mix of the two breeds is thought to increase the health thru hybrid vigor. We do test our dogs hearts and knees. We are starting PRA eye testing. Cavapoos are generally very healthy dogs. Underbites can be common in any cavalier mix puppy and are not considered a health problem.

How long does it take to house train a cavapoo? We recommend crate training only during the training phase. Depending on your devotion and time available to spend with your dog, you can usually expect training to take one to three months with 75% rate. They are smart dogs but can be a challenge at first and would rather play than pay attention. The good thing is that Cavapoos are people pleasers! So when they learn what makes you happy is what they want to do. If you are having trouble, please dont' hesitate to ask for help from us or a professional trainer.   

What is OFA? OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. They are a database for all the canine health testing. Veterinarians will do the required testing and paperwork so that we can "Certify" the dog as clear for these specific faults. After the results come back normal, OFA will send us a certificate on that dog. Like for the hips, our vet will xray the dog under sedation and then send the xrays and paperwork off to OFA who then has a panel of Vets judge the xrays and give them a score. Then they will mail the breeder the certificate for hip displaysia-- if it passed. You can test for just about anything. But the most common diseases are what we test for. In the miniatures and petites we test their hearts and their patellas. In the dogs over 50lb we do hip xrays to rule out hip displaysia. We will also be doing PRA testing for eye disorders.

Are Cavapoos good with kids and other pets? The answer is undoubtedly, YES! These little clowns LOVE human interaction and also adore the company of children, including other animals. Of course, some kids can ruin it for others, as well as some grouchy old cats ;-). If you or your children like to play rough, this will encourage rough-housing and we don't recommend to get that started. Chewing can be an issue during teething so don't let the pup chew on your hands/fingers. To discourage this use lemon juice on children's hands. 

Are Cavapoos AKC registered? No. Most all of our parent purebred dogs are AKC registered but when you have a designer mix litter, you can't register them with AKC. I hope in my lifetime this will happen and AKC will recognize them as a breed all their own! Currently we use a registry service by CPR (Certified Pet Registry) who has copies of the parents AKC papers and will provide registration papers for each litter and you will receive one too!

How long do Cavapoos live? On average from 14-17 years. Premium nutrition, vitamins like Nuvet and regular exercise is key to longevity. Other things that can extend their years is good preventative vet care. Spaying and neutering also adds years because cancer is common in the reproductive tracts.

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