Breeds / Small
Cavapoo puppies
The Cavapoo is gentle and even keeled, one of the lower key Poodle crosses, and suits first time owners. It attaches strongly to its household and is prone to separation anxiety.
The facts
- Size class Small
- A cross of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle
- Adult weight 3.6 to 11.3 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 8 to 25 lb
- Adult height 23 to 36 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming High
- Typical lifespan 12 to 15 years
A cross, not a breed. The Cavapoo is a cross rather than a standardised breed, so size, coat and temperament vary and can favour either parent, and whether a puppy is a first cross of two purebred parents or a later generation backcrossed to a Poodle changes how predictable the coat is. Because the Cavalier parent carries a high risk of mitral valve disease, ask for the heart status of the Cavalier parent and its own parents whatever the generation.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Cavapoo puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Mitral valve disease from the Cavalier side, detected as a heart murmur on auscultation and graded by echocardiogram
- Syringomyelia and Chiari like malformation, diagnosed by MRI scan
- Patellar luxation, graded on orthopaedic examination
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip scoring radiographs
- Progressive retinal atrophy and other inherited eye disease, detectable by DNA test and eye examination
- Dental disease in the crowded small jaw, found at annual dental checks
From Cavapoo breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/cavapoo. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Cavapoo puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Cavapoo.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 3.6 to 11.3 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other small breeds
Previous: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel · Next: Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.