Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or Cavapoo?

[sweetet]

I lost my sweet maltese dog recently. I find myself wanting another dog already and wanting to be around dogs. I am tempted to get the same breed that he was, but I worry that I will always compare the new puppy to my old dog if they are the same breed? There are also aspects of our beloved dog that were pretty difficult - he would bark at everything no matter how much I tried to train him.

I have been looking at different breeds and the only one sticking out to me is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and potentially the Cavapoo. I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on what these dogs are like?

I am wanting a small dog that needs walks 1 hour or less per day. My maltese was hypoallergenic and didn't moult which I loved, I really don't want a dog where I will have dog hairs all over me.I work from home so they will nearly always have company. No children in the house.

CKCS are prone to certain health issues from what I've read.

We had two CKCS when I was growing up. Gorgeous dogs that don’t take a lot of walking but they do tend to have health issues, especially heart problems. Both of ours did and so did the one up the street. Make sure you’ve got really good pet insurance or they’ll cost a fortune.

We've had four cavaliers... gorgeous, low maintenance, loving , lazy...
One out of our three had the heart problems they are known for. He died aged 10.
Second died at 14 of just old age
Current 2 are 9 and 7 and no health problems.

We have them clipped as we live in very rural spot and they get teazels etc in fur, so she'd of hair is less.

Cava poo is not a breed , it's a mongrel mix . They seem more hyper, more energy but as poodles don't shed hair they are better option if it's a big issue for you

Cavalier all the way for me. They are my soul dogs. BUT, I’ve had a couple that were clearly descended from a strain bred for hunting rather than snoozing and definitely needed more than an hour’s walk a day. More like Springers!

Also agree about health issues. Be very careful about the breeder you choose and the health checks on the parents that they carry out.

But Cavaliers are, without a doubt, the very best boys and girls!

I work in veterinary and can hands down say CKCSs are the loveliest dogs ever. They have a beautiful nature, they’re gentle and funny and just so loving. They do have known heart issues there’s probably about a 50/50 chance yours would have a heart issue as it gets into middle/old age, but they creep on over time and are manageable with meds.

Cavapoos are high energy and need lots of training, they can be very loving but they are definitely more neurotic than CKCS. Much more reactive towards other dogs and more barky. They also have issues - almost every breed/cross breed has its problems unless you get a total mutt. Cavapoos tend to have problems with their skin and coat (itching/inflammation/anal gland issues/ear problems) . We also see a lot with separation anxiety and behavioural issues. So good training is key with these guys.

Other safe bet smaller breeds are whippets, Italian greyhounds, border terriers. Whatever you do, just get good insurance (a lifetime policy) and don’t let it lapse!

100% agree with everything you've said!

Cavaliers are adorable and good natured but they definitely shed and can be prone to separation anxiety and heart/eye issues.

Cavapoos are also very sweet - I have only met lovely ones, yes they have energy on walks in the park but haven't heard from their owners they are crazy/neurotic - just normal family dogs - maybe I've only met well trained/socialised ones... Again they could have the same health issues if the parent cavalier did so a breeder who has health tested is important.

I have a cavachon who is an absolute dream. She’s the calmest, most obediently dog ever. I’d go for a cavachon over a cavapoo as poodles can be prone to separation anxiety and are also super intelligent which in my mind has the potential to be on the go more/not as calm. I felt a bichon mix rather than a poodle mix was likely to be calmer. No moulting with this mix. I echo the health concerns of the cavalier, so read up about this. One issue is heart problems and the other is something to do with brain development and small skulls. Cavachons definitely have bigger heads than cavaliers so hopefully that lessens that risk. Some cavachon breeders do health test for the heart issue.

If you want a small low-shedding lapdog then why don't you look into Bichon Frise or Bichon Havanais? They are similar to Maltesers when it comes to exercise needs and size too. Definitely don't get a poodle mix, they are usually bonkers and very high energy + big on barking. The Cavaliers are beatiful dogs but every one I have ever known has died from heart failure, the youngest one only at the age of 3. Two of the ones I know have also become blind.

Sorry for your loss. I would suggest a mixed breed to avoid the relevant health issues that go with pure breeds. So the cavapoo. Would you consider a rescue? Maybe visit your local shelter. We got lucky with our little cockapoo wannabee. Most adorable, gentle dog ever. Good luck

Yes and make sure the cover amount is no less than £7-8k. We got stung when our dog ruptured a ligament and the cover amount wasn’t high enough even though we had a lifetime policy. We set the amount at the average vet bill amount that the insurers told us but it was woefully inadequate.You need to increase the cover amount yourself as prices rise. We had assumed that happened automatically.

We had a beautiful Cavalier from a pup till he passed away at 14. That was a few years ago now, but we still miss him every day. He had a wonderful personality and never showed a moment's aggression - he would cheerfully put up with anything, even me lancing a boil that appeared on his foot! He came with us everywhere until he got too old for days out.

We carefully researched a breeder and had to wait about a year for a pup to be available. This was worthwhile, because our dog was healthy by Cavalier standards. Heart problems are almost universal in the breed but ours was OK till developing a heart murmur aged 8, but this didn't advance to a degree that it affected his life. The other huge for Cavaliers is chiari malformation - again, ours didn't show any signs of suffering from this.

I would suggest you need to be very careful with your breeder if you go for a Cavalier, or you could consider a rescue Cavalier because you'll then know exactly what you are getting in health terms - this is a good charity for rescues - https://www.blisscavalierrescue.org

In terms of other considerations, Cavaliers are a long-haired dog and moult prolifically. We were still finding dog hair in odd places for about two years after our little fella passed away!

I don't have any experiences of Cavalier mixed breeds, though I often spot them out and about and they look very sweet. If you could get the Cavalier temperament without the health risks that might be a great option for you.

Whatever type you choose, I hope you have as much joy with your canine companion as we did with ours!

How about a Maltese mix if you like Maltese? Maltese/shih Tzu or Maltese/Havanese are lovely. Or just a Havanese - gorgeous dogs without the health issues of shih Tzu

We had a cavapoo, he was intense, feisty, loyal, bad tempered and snappy at times but he was very loyal and affectionate too. We loved him so much. He suffered from mitral valve disease and was dying before our eyes when he was 6 years old. We paid £12k ( almost financially crippled us at the time) for mitral valve repair in London. He was so brave. He lived until he was 11. I wouldn’t recommend a cavapoo as it was such an emotionally painful experience

Both are likely to end up with mitral valve disease, and possibly die from it. They can be treated with medication, but curative surgery is very rare and expensive. However, both are wonderful and sweet dogs. If you can live with medicating them (average age of about 8 yrs onwards), then go for it - there is a reason they're both such popular dogs.

I’ve had CKCSs all my life, 6 in total. Various health issues but most of them living to between 12-14 years. Really lovely dogs. However this time we’ve got a Cavapoo puppy. Our reasons for this were to have a change, and a more active dog for our 6 year old to run around with. We were also attracted by the low moulting. Our Cavapoo girl is now 7 months old and she’s adorable. It’s like having a big teddy bear all the time. She loves to be with us but will be left on her own without issues. She’s not cuddly yet in the way CKCS are but she likes a lot of stroking and sitting next to you. She loves walks and other people! She has a beautiful non aggressive personality and is perfect for an energetic 6 year old! Good luck

I really wanted a CKCS but having researched and spoke to my vet I went for a crossbreed. My cavapoo is such a sweet girl and is like a little shadow. She needs grooming every 6 weeks as her hair grows so fast, snores like a warthog and still jumps over everyone/thing but wouldn't be without her.

Thousands of unwanted dogs in rescues. Don’t fund the breeders. Only last week a little cross bred dog was up for rescue whose elderly owner had died. Was a sweet little terrier cross. Get on some waiting lists and they will find you a match.

rescue dogs have a bad rep but there are many that are suitable for families. You might just need to be patient.

Just to add, if you’re interested in adopting, Bliss Cavalier Rescue is a good place to check out.

I have no affiliation with them other than donating and following on insta!

I taught my CKCS to wink when I was a teenager.
He used to freak people out.
Brilliant dogs.

I love the sound of the CKCS's temperament but the health issues do worry me! I have just been through a lot of health issues with my beloved little dog, including mitral valve disease, and it was pretty traumatic. The vet bills were around £12k in total on top of insurance. He was only 10 when he died, which quite young for a maltese (they usually live 12+ years).

I am looking at rescues too. As selfish as it sounds though, my maltese was very reactive so I was never able to take him on 'normal' walks in the park or let him off lead as he was too reactive despite the efforts I made with training and getting a behaviourist. I know not all dogs in rescues are reactive, but a lot are reactive or don't like cats, or men, or children. I'm still looking though.