Cavapoo owners

[Pumpkin5piced]

I know mumsnet judges poodle crosses so please no comments about breeders or “why don’t you want a cavalier or a poodle”.

I just would love cavapoo owners to tell me about their dogs. I have a decision to make pretty soon between cavapoos and another breed.

I have a cavapoo! She is gorgeous in every way. I had a cavalier king charles spaniel as a child and she was gorgeous too. I just remember my mum stressing about her hair everywhere so having a cavapoo solves that!

She is a very chilled nature but also fun, perfect with the children. Is there anything you particularly wanted to know?

Ah how lovely. Is she up for longer walks and running around with kids? I’m hoping to get a balance of a dog that doesn’t require hours of exercise but will happily accept it when available.

Yes I would say she is a good mix of both. I've had the odd day where I've not walked her for one reason or another and it's not been a problem, or we've gone for long forest walks or at the beach for the day and she's fine!

She is 6 now and loves nothing more than curling up with us on the sofa, but we can still get her playful so she has mental fits quite easily! She is a really easy dog, not sure if we've just been really lucky or they're all much like that?!

The only negative I can think of is she is food mad. She would pinch any food left in reach given the chance and she seems to have a sensitive tummy so it doesn't end well if she manages it! Bit of a pain round the kids when they're eating.

I have a cavapoo. Unlike the poster above, ours is rather a fussy eater which I gather comes from the poodle side. Ours is the loveliest nature, happy to walk for miles or curl up on the sofa, he just wants to be with his people and doesn't run off when off lead etc (he likes to chase a squirrel, but always comes straight back). We wanted a cavalier-type temperament without the shedding and health problems and he is perfect for us. The only things are, make sure you get one from health tested parents - as a popular expensive cross they are very often puppy farmed - and don't expect to leave them for very long periods alone; these are definitely peopley dogs.

I have one.

She's amazing. So calm but can also have a hyper streak when she wants to play. Most of the time she's snoozing on us though.

Ours is great with all 3 of our DC.

She doesn't moult so needs regular grooming which can be quite pricey.

Don't know if it's just my cavapoo but she's also a fussy sod food wise.

I have a cavapoo. She's nearly 10 now so getting older but still chased squirrels and rabbits on her walk today. We do agility and she adores it. Starts barking as soon as we arrive at the field where we practice. Pros are that she's wonderful with people and other dogs, easy to train and is basically a dog/cat because she wants to sit on you all day. Cons are that she thinks everyone adores her so she can be over friendly, she is needy and although she doesn't have separation anxiety she insists on singing us a happy song when we return (known to others as the cavalier scream). And she barks... A very piercing bark. My dog groomer says that she reckons the cavapoo is the best of all the poodle crosses. Very calm, easy to train and loves being groomed. What I would say is that they are not a dog to have if you are planning on leaving them for any length of time. They crave human company. No health problems at all in her ten years. We've only visited the vet once a year for her health check and injections. At her last one the vet said she had the best teeth he had ever seen in a small dog.

I have a cavalier - no experience of cavapoos but they cavaliers are so sweet!

Please please be careful of breeders though, cavaliers can have a lot of health problems and just because crossed doesn’t mean they will be ok! You need to ensure the parent has had all the tests. Cavalier matters is a good site to research.

Cavaliers thrive on attention and love cuddling up with people. You need to bear that in mind, ours doesn’t have separation anxiety, but he loves being with other people and dogs and he follows me around the house (unless up to mischief).

They aren’t the easiest to house train and training takes a long time as not so intelligent but crossing with a poodle may improve this (but is very hit and mix).

Personally, I prefer the look of cavaliers than cross breeds but cavachons are supposedly calmer.

Tbh there are so many needing rescuing at the moment that I would look into this. I know I’m tempted to get a rescue myself but think my DH and Dcat may disown me! Many Tears had a lot of dumped breeding dogs (cavapoos / cavachons included) and I know someone who has had lots of cavaliers from there that have been a joy! But they often only rehome with another dog so another charity may be better!

Please please be careful they are prone to backyard breeding and puppy farms. There’s a good cavapoo lady in Sussex - I’d look at joining her (long) waiting list. She sees them as a breed rather than a mixed breed.

I’m not a hater of cross breeds - people can make their own choices - but puppy farms / poor breeding keeps me up at night and I hate the thought of any dog being subject to it.

My neighbour has one. I'm generally not a fan of smaller dogs or anything that's named poo but this one is just the loveliest creature. He is fabulous with my much bigger dog. I've since discovered another on one of our walking paths and again, lovely temperament if a little excitable.
One of these guys was a rescue and the other was given to its owner after a single accidental litter so these pups seem to be attainable from shelters. If we were to get another dog I'd love one just like these.
Good luck with whoever chooses you. Having a dog has just made me a far happier human ❤️

Watch the downsides.

They can be sweet dogs of course. I have a pure bred CKCS and he’s just lovely. But the shedding is variable in the poo crosses. Also the separation anxiety side and resource guarding can be an issue. Poodles can have a neurotic side and you could end up with rather more of this side than you’d like.

I don’t honestly know if the cross carries health issues from the poodle side or if the poodle side cancels the health issues that cavvies carry.

I sometimes pet sit my friend's cavapoo. Its a nice sized dog - portable. Likes a good walk and has an even temperament.
The downside is that its a velcro dog and is always under my feet! It wants to be with people all the time which can get wearing. This one also sheds. It gets brushed daily and has 8 weekly grooms.

We have a 14 week old Cavapoo and she is a little delight. We had looked after a Cavapoo for years beforehand and she is also gorgeous. Our puppy is so friendly and happy but pretty rubbish so far at toilet training. She loves eating so much, which I have heard is quite unusual of the breed.
We wanted a rescue but all the rescues wouldn't re- home to a family with young children and the dogs needed so much support.
We tried Many Tears rescue several times but any dogs without issues were gone so quickly.
Definitely agree re checking out the breeder very carefully.

I have a 4 month old cavapoo and he is the most adorable thing. Absolutely loves being around us at every opportunity - if his bed is across the room he would rather sleep next to us on the wooden floor than be in his bed! So they follow you everywhere and can be a bit needy. They have such lovely temperaments - loving, gentle but also easy to train and intelligent. My parents also have a 3 year old cavapoo who is very similar - it has been interesting seeing their different personalities. My parents dog is food obsessed whereas ours has become very picky with eating - so you never quite now what part of the mix of breeds will come out. I would say they can't be left alone for long periods - it can really distress them. They're pretty happy as long as they are around people or dogs most the time. The walking is ideal too in that you can have a good walk that doesn't need to be crazy long. They love playing with other poodle mixes - so I would say finding opportunities to socialise and play like this is important and makes them so happy! And tired! I haven't had any major issues with the breed, the number one thing is to make sure you do all the right checks and be careful from where you buy from.

Anyone know a reputable Cavapoo breeder near Glasgow?

I dog sit. I often have my friends cavapoo to stay. Out of all the poo mixes she is my favourite. Portable, smart, doesn't yap, doesn't have mania like the cockerpoos, just a lovely companion dog. She does need to keep on top of grooming, can be a fussy eater and like to be glued to my side. But they have a good grooming routine, her diet is sorted and she is a lovely dog;