Are you planning on having a Cavapoos pup as a pet? You have come to the right place to know all about the companion of your choice. The rising star of the pet industry, Cavapoo, is melting hearts with its adorable appearance and sweet temperament. This new designer pup is becoming so popular with pet lovers that the Cavapoo accessories have become their own brands.
Not only is a Cavapoo soft like a cotton ball and cuddly like a bear, they are the best of the companions. The Cavapoo gets its genes from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and our dear Poodle. Having such adorable parents, it is obvious that Cavapoos have such good looks and heart melting eyes. There is more about this lap dog that will interest you in the best ways possible. Let’s dive into the Cavapoo world.
Where did Cavapoos originate from?
The adorable breed originated in Australia in the early 1900s. The dog breeders wanted to combine the adorable looks of a poodle with the sporty nature of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. A Cavapoo was born as a result, possessing all of these characteristics.
The hypoallergenic coat and playful nature of the breed got it instant admiration worldwide. Very soon, the Cavapoos got out of Australia and started spreading love in the countries of the world.
Appearance and colours
With a face that expresses too much and gestures that are too innocent, Cavapoos have floppy ears, bushy big eyebrows and a cute button nose. They have very small bodies with small round feet.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel though comes only as a combination of the same brown, white, black shade, the Poodle is responsible for imparting colours to a Cavapoo. Cavapoos come in a variety of colours, thanks to that.
- Gold
- Black
- White
- Fawn
- Chocolate
- Chestnut
- Cream
The breed is also known as?
Being a cross between the Cavalier and the Poodle, the Cavapoo breed has a lot of names combining the names of them both. The most common out of them are a few cute ones that went on with time to become popular.
Cava-doodle and Cavoodles are two of such cute combo names of the breed. Of Course the name defines what kind of dog a Cavoodle is, whatever name they use for the breed, the fact can’t be changed that they are the cutest lap dogs.
How big are they?
The size of the Cavapoo ranges from small to medium. Although, the size of the offspring depends on the size of the parents. The Cavapoo on average grows up to be 14 inches and weighs from 9-25 lbs.
The dogs have one of the highest life expectancies of the dog world. While other dogs live commonly upto 10 years, Cavapoos live upto 12-15 years at least. They stay energetic and playful until the very end. They would be your ultimate life companions for a long long time, giving you love all the time.
Personality
Cavapoos are ultimate attention seekers who love affection and cuddles. In addition, this breed is very intelligent and sufficiently agile. They are highly trainable for agility and obedience. Cavapoos are very friendly and energetic. They are perfect lap dogs and love to sit at home, watching television with their humans. Though, don’t think they are lazy. They also love to jog with you in the park.
These pups are attention-seeking to such an extent that they make it their purpose to achieve it. They would do things for their owners to gather praise and pats.
Cavapoos are bred as companion dogs and being alone is not the thing for them. They need constant companionship and care. Cavapoos need you around and would experience separation anxiety if you leave them alone.
If they don’t get enough time to play with their owners, they get destructive in their absence. They would start biting, chewing or digging on stuff. That is why dog experts recommend early age training and socialisation for the Cavapoo puppy. This helps suppress their disruptive behaviour even if they are left alone.
Also See:- How You’re Feeding Wrong To Your Puppy | Puppy Feeding Guide
Compatibility and friendliness with the pet kind
The Cavapoos are very friendly. They get along with just anyone, human or animal. This makes Cavapoos great home buddies. They respond to love and care positively and are very lovable.
However, before you leave your Cavapoo pup with other pets, you need to take care if they are properly exposed to socialisation. If they aren’t exposed to it at a young age, they might feel threatened and exhibit violent behaviour.
Also, the Cavapoos do not respond well to caging. They feel very anxious and left out. That might lead them to get behavioural issues. They thrive in the company of their owners and like to show their loving behaviour, which is their ultimate goal.
Temperament of Cavapoos
The energy levels of a Cavapoo range from low to medium. Like an average human being, you can see them rolling on the floor laughing at one time and then lying on the couch, refusing to get up at another time. They get really moody that way.
You want a rowdy barking guarding canine? Oops. A Cavapoo would not do the job for you in a million lifetimes. They would not submit to the demands of aggression. However, they are very stubborn. They need specific training to suppress their stubborn behaviour. Though, they are not angry dogs.
The Cavapoo is more sensitive than all other dog breeds. They require gentle training. They would get anxious if you are hard on them. Though, they have a very short attention span. So, training them can be quite tricky.
They require frequent praises and treats. The training sessions need to be short so as not to make them stressed. With enough patience and determination, one can train them to unleash their full loving potential.
Are they family dogs?
Cavapoos are highly adaptable. They can fit in any environment as long as they get attention. However, it is your duty to take care of their needs. They need at least 15-30 minutes everyday for walking and playing. This helps them exercise their body and also, promotes socialisation in the natural environment.
If it is not possible for you to take out this much time in a day, it is not a good choice for you to have a Cavapoo. To make you feel good, every moment you spend on them would be time well spent as they would return all the love and attention by becoming the most lovable dogs of all times. With their sweet attitude, caring for them would never feel tiring to you.
Behaviour with children
Experts highly appraise the role of a pet in teaching children compassion and responsibility. This is why dogs are termed as perfect companions for children. The Cavapoo qualify as the prime most choice for the parents to get to their children.
The sweet nature of a Cavapoo helps children to cuddle and play with them without irritating the pup. More so, the Cavapoo loves it when children just can’t leave them alone. Children get a lifetime companion in a Cavapoo who grows more lovable with all the attention and the Cavapoo gets a human who dotes on them like nothing else.
Owning a Cavapoo
Cavapoos are prone to gaining weight. That serves as a warning for parents to get them proper exercise and control their diet. If they gain too much weight, that opens up a portal for various diseases to enter including hip displacement.
All that is required to prevent that is to maintain a good nutrition for your Cavapoo pup. Also, you need to keep them hydrated. If you live in a warm area, you need to pay special attention to that.
You should not leave your pup too long in the sun and especially in summer. Cavapoos have strong muscles that make it very difficult for them to maintain their body temperature. This makes a Cavapoo prone to heat stroke. You need to make special efforts to prevent that.
Grooming a Cavapoos
When we call the Cavapoos your hairy, fluffy companions, that only leads to one conclusion – regular grooming. Their coats need regular brushing, sometimes even two times a day. They would often come home after playing, with matted coats, covered in dirt and knotted.
However, it can be solved with just brushing. You would need to take them to professional groomers once a month or in 6 weeks necessarily. That would help your puppy keep a lush and healthy coat.
While this breed has very healthy dogs, the health of the pup mostly depends on that of their parents’. Some pups may get some diseases like Congenital Heart Attacks, Dental problems, Progressive Retinal Atrophy and slipping kneecaps overtime.
Regular checkups help keep your pup healthy. Never show ignorance with that. The grooming and overall owning of a Cavapoo dog can cost you 500-700 dollars per year. Although owning smaller dogs cost you less in maintenance because they eat less, the grooming and vet visits for them can be a bit heavy on your pocket.
How much do they cost?
The Cavapoo is called a designer dog that means, they are bred for a particular look. Most Cavapoo lovers are surprised by how much the puppy cost. This mix breed puppy costs from around 1000 to 3500 dollars.
There are factors that affect the cost of a Cavapoo pup for example –
- Age – A young pup is more expensive than an older dog. If you go for a pup older than 12 months, you can witness a serious drop in prices.
- Generation – The first generation puppies are less expensive than the first generation backcross puppies. The first generation puppy is a 50-50 mix of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. A first generation backcross, on the other hand, is when a grown up first generation Cavapoo is bred with either a Poodle or a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- Seasons – You can witness a dramatic drop in prices in the cold months. The puppy prices can get higher in the summer and spring months as more people go puppy shopping in these months.
The shortcomings of a Cava-doodle
Nobody is perfect. Even though a Cavapoo is very close to the idea of perfection, they have some shortcomings if your expectations are different. Here are some of the shortcomings of a Cava-doodle that should not stop you from getting a pupup but would let you know what you are getting into.
1. Not a rowdy guard
If you think you are bringing home a guard who will protect you from all the thieves and trespassers, you can’t be more wrong. On the contrary, you might be the one saving this fur ball from most of the threats.
They are good for loving and charming people but threats and intimidation, not their thing. They would bark a cute bark when they are pissed. If a thief comes with pats and treats, there is a high probability your Cavapoo would be all over the floor in love with him.
2. The grooming part
They need serious grooming and they need a lot of it. You would need to arrange regular grooming sessions for them, you would need to take time out daily for their grooming. You can’t neglect their grooming even if you can neglect yours.
Also, their grooming gets tough on the pocket many times. Even though you love your little pup, these things turn out a bit difficult for you to maintain them. They are high maintenance.
3. Frequent anxiety issues
You just can not leave them alone. They are very prone to anxiety. It gets very difficult to handle them when you are frequently out of the house. They get very sad and lonely and you can see it on their faces.
They need to walk and exercise when they need it. You neglect it and they feel neglected. A cavapoo needs a lot of emotional investment and if you are not up for it, it might create a problem for you.
Conclusion of Cavapoos
The fluffy appearance and the loving temperament of the Cavapoo dogs are making them the rising star of the pet world. If you feel attracted to the Cavapoo charm too, there is nothing in your way to get one for yourself. They love giving and receiving warm hugs.
If you want to have a companion who will give you love in pounds and a basket full of affection with their single looks, a Cavapoo would be the best choice for you. Just take care you don’t spoil them. You can’t resist doing that!
Also See:- Everything You Need To Know About Cavapoo
