Talk to me about cavapoos (rather than King Charles cav?)

[Blinkinname]

I've had my heart set on a king Charles cavalier but understand they can be riddled with lots of health problems that can be both hard for them to live with and extremely expensive to treat!

I wanted a king Charles cav as I looked after a friend's dog for six months and he fitted into our lives perfectly and seemed very happy with us . He was playful but chilled and coped well in our apartment (no garden but large terrace and lots of outdoor space on our doorstep). I also just fell in love with him. He was 3 and didn't have any health problems (yet?)

A friend with a long Charles said she wouldn't get one again and suggested we consider a cavapoo to try and avoid some of the worst health issues. Does anyone have a cavapoo? What are they like?

Just me and DP who are likely to keep WFH (DP always has and my contract has changed to say I mainly WFH now). No kids but want them soon ish

@liveforsummer

Mumsnet hates any poo breeds so you likely won't get a balanced response here but anecdotally every cavapoo I've ever met has been lovely, generally a bit more lively than a king Charles though with higher energy needs

People don't hate the dogs themselves, they hate how most of them are bred - which is via backyard breeders and puppy farms.

Yes, there may be a handful of breeders out there who do all the relevant health tests and who are trying to breed healthy puppies with excellent temperaments, but they are going to be very few and far between.

I walk a cockapoo and he is a real sweetheart - good recall, great with dogs and people, doesn't shed and is very friendly - I totally get the appeal of them as dogs, but as they're a mix, they're not all going to be like that and many will not come from good breeders.

The health and living conditions of the dam are just as (if not more) important than the health of the pups.

@liveforsummer

Mumsnet hates any poo breeds so you likely won't get a balanced response here but anecdotally every cavapoo I've ever met has been lovely, generally a bit more lively than a king Charles though with higher energy needs

Yep people get annoyed about dodgy breeding practises and dogs being mistreated because they hate dogs.

I don't hate poo mixes - I just think it's a shame when someone describes the dog they want (& it's a poodle), then pays lots to a dodgy breeder for a mix & wonder why their cockerpoo is behaving like a cocker spaniel
I love my cocker spaniel but he's hard work.
Equally, if you want a CKC, then the highly intelligent energetic nature of a poodle may not be the dog you are after.

i have a lovely little beaglier; he is cavalier kings charles x with beagle. lovely and docile and so friendly. there is a facebook group with beagliers. might be the dog you are looking for. also by the way, i did get him on pets4homes, i went to meet the mum and the dad and the litter and was happy with what i saw. i appreciate that it’s not always like that but not everyone who advertises on there is a scoundrel.

Unfortunately @Fleetheart if you met both parents, that's a bit of a red flag in itself as a good breeders will buy in the services of a stud, not just breed their two family pets.

It's very, VERY unlikely that anyone out there owns two well-matched dogs to breed from, unless they specifically went out of their way to buy a stud to match their bitch.

It sounds like you bought from a family who decided to make some money breeding their beagle and CKS, and while your chap looks lovely, I'm afraid it does read to me like you got him from a pretty dodgy set-up.

@icedcoffees agreed

Can you get a 'good breeder' breeding two different breeds?

Doesnt seem to be any mixed breeds on Champ Dogs - all pedigrees unless I'm missing it. And pedigrees often have problems. The one ckc looks too old to be leaving it's mum - I wonder why it's still there.

All useful info though thanks.

I suppose I'm being impatient. I've thought about getting a dog for a long time and now I want one I can't find what pps would consider a 'good breeder' for a ckc.

Champdogs is specifically for breeders of pedigree dog breeds, not for mixes, so no, you won't find a mixed breed dog on there.

I'm sure there are some good breeders of mixes out there, but they're going to be few and far between.

Why not just hold out for a breeder of a healthy CKS? Yes, you may have to wait a year or so but that's part of doing your due diligence.

We got a beagle four years ago and we had to wait about nine months from putting our name down to bringing our puppy home. If you can just turn up somewhere and get a dog at a time that suits you, that's a massive red flag in itself.

You need to wait until the bitch is in season (which you can't plan), hope the pregnancy takes, hope the litter is healthy and then hope there are enough pups in the litter to go round everyone who has their name down on the list.

You need to get yourself registered with some breeders and then it's just a waiting game I'm afraid.

When a dog comes into your life it’s there hopefully for 12-15 years. It’s worth waiting 6 months for the right dog. I have friends who bought dogs from money making breeders, anyone who has puppies for sale who are ready to go to homes is in it to make money, who then had high vet bills which cancelled out any savings from buying a cheap puppy.

We have two cavapoos. They're half siblings and are both so different in terms of looks and behaviour, this is part of getting a crossbreed - you can't guarantee which traits you will get, if you really want a cavalier then I'd wait for a cavalier. If you do decide to go for a cavapoo then please make sure both parents are health checked as cross breeding doesn't necessarily rule out health complaints.

@icedcoffees, yes you’re right they decided to breed; but i still wouldn’t say it’s a dodgy set up as the vet was involved and all the tests were done. in other words i knew what i was getting (as much as one can). to be honest I would have been happy with any easygoing dog (and I wouldn’t have known about their provenance), but rescue centres don’t seem able to cope with the level of demand they are getting. and he is a lovely fellow 🙂

Would you consider a rescue Cavalier - a breed-specific rescue will be upfront about any health issues, so you know what you are getting and can judge accordingly. Bliss Cavalier Rescue is a good one.

@ArblemarchTFruitbat

Would you consider a rescue Cavalier - a breed-specific rescue will be upfront about any health issues, so you know what you are getting and can judge accordingly. Bliss Cavalier Rescue is a good one.

Yes absolutely would consider a rescue! Thank you

Just glorified, overpriced mongrels. Rescue.

[quote Fleetheart]@icedcoffees, yes you’re right they decided to breed; but i still wouldn’t say it’s a dodgy set up as the vet was involved and all the tests were done. in other words i knew what i was getting (as much as one can). to be honest I would have been happy with any easygoing dog (and I wouldn’t have known about their provenance), but rescue centres don’t seem able to cope with the level of demand they are getting. and he is a lovely fellow 🙂[/quote]
Fair enough :)

We had an adorable cavapoo who unfortunately inherited the cava heart problems. He went into heart failure aged 8. We payed £15k for mitral valve surgery in London and had the joy of him for another three and a half years. He died in September, suddenly one morning. He was excited about going for his walk and just collapsed. I miss him

I have a wonderful cavapoo and am very happy I bought him from a reputable breeder. Happy to share details privately but there is about a years waiting list

I have two Cavapoo, absolutely delightful! They're brother and sister from the same litter, breeder is a friend of a friend and the mum is their family pet. Dad is the pet of another family member so definitely not a puppy farm. They are F1b but one is definitely more 'poodle' in appearance and temperament. I'd highly recommend them, the parents of ours have had no health issues and ours haven't been to the vets other than for vaccinations and neutering. Very affectionate dogs

Rescue a cavvie please!!!!!

“I suppose I'm being impatient. I've thought about getting a dog for a long time and now I want one I can't find what pps would consider a 'good breeder' for a ckc.”

You’ve got next to no chance finding one for a cavapoo, but... pedigree cavs are also often puppy farmed and bred by backyard breeders, they’re small, easy to keep and popular - so easy to make a load of money from. Also, selling websites aren’t really the best place to find good breeders either.

www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/

It looks like breed club hold a puppy list and have a rescue contact as well, I’d start with them.

I wonder if a cavvie rescue place would give us one with no garden - a regular one wouldn't. Depends on the dog I guess

@Blinkinname

I wonder if a cavvie rescue place would give us one with no garden - a regular one wouldn't. Depends on the dog I guess

I don't think any rescue would re-home to you if you don't have a garden, unfortunately. Their criteria are normally very strict.

In fact, many breeders would also turn you down for this. How are you going to toilet train a puppy with no garden when it can't go outside for the first month?

Follow the saving cavaliers I’m Facebook - they highlight cavvies that are being sold that are clearly at risk

I would say a high energy breed mix of spaniel & poodle will be challenging to manage without access to enclosed outdoor space, especially if you're planning on starting a family...
Imagine having to get everyone out of the door for the early morning & late evening wees! Even worse if you had to negotiate stairs.

If you're near wales we have a registered breeding scheme that means commercial breeders are inspected and have to have plans for health & socialisation. It's not perfect but I got my pup from one 2 years ago (she's a poo mix) and she's been brilliant. She was the mum's last litter as her sister had a heart problem so they wouldn't breed from her again. She's spayed and is enjoying retirement!