Cavapoo: what a Cavalier × Poodle cross looks like
The Cavapoo, called the Cavoodle in Australia, crosses a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a Toy or Miniature Poodle. Add a photo to see whether your dog reads as a Cavapoo or sits closer to one parent.
Also known as: Cavoodle, Cavadoodle, Cavapoodle, Cavalier Poodle mixCross of: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel × Poodle
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About the Cavapoo
Australian breeders did much to popularise the cross under the name Cavoodle, and it spread to Britain, Europe and North America as the Cavapoo. It is a companion dog through and through: small, gentle and closely attached to its people, with the Cavalier’s softness and some of the Poodle’s sharpness. No kennel club recognises it, so there is no FCI, AKC or KC standard, and size and coat depend on the parents and the generation. Most Cavapoos are content with moderate exercise as long as they have plenty of company, and many find long hours alone hard.
At a glance
- Type
- Mixed breed
- Size
- Small
- Adult weight
- 4–10 kg
- Life expectancy
- 12–15 years
- Exercise
- Moderate
How to recognise a Cavapoo
- Large, round, dark eyes and a short to medium muzzle give the soft, baby-faced expression most Cavapoos keep into adulthood.
- Coat is soft and wavy, loosely curled or tightly curled depending on generation; a flat Cavalier coat is less common but possible.
- Ears are long, set fairly high and well feathered, framing the face rather than hanging low as on a Cocker.
- Colours include apricot, red, ruby, black, cream, chocolate, Blenheim-style chestnut and white, and tricolour.
- Small, light-boned build, usually a little longer than tall, with a feathered tail carried happily.
Photo tip. Shoot at your dog’s eye level, face-on and then in profile. Eye shape and ear set separate a Cavapoo from a Cockapoo, and both flatten out in photos taken from above.
Cavapoo or look-alike?
Cockapoo
A Cockapoo tends to be sturdier, with a longer muzzle and lower-set, heavier ears. Merle or roan coats come from the Cocker; very large round eyes and a short face come from the Cavalier.
Cavachon
A Cavachon has a Bichon parent instead of a Poodle, so it is usually white or cream with chestnut or tan markings and a fluffier coat. A solid red or apricot dog is more likely a Cavapoo.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
A pedigree Cavalier has a long, silky, flat coat with feathering, never wool or tight curls, and comes only in Blenheim, tricolour, ruby, or black and tan.
Maltipoo
A Maltipoo is often smaller, with a narrower face and shorter ears, and many are white or cream. Cavalier markings or a ruby coat point to a Cavapoo instead.
What a Cavapoo inherits
Coat is the least predictable trait. First-cross litters often mix wavy, curly and fairly flat puppies, while F1b and multigen Cavapoos are curlier and shed less on average, though not always. The Cavalier’s eyes and ears survive in nearly every dog, and size depends on whether a Toy or Miniature Poodle was used. The identifier recognises the Cavapoo as a type, so a typical wavy apricot dog often comes back as Cavapoo, while curly coats lean towards Poodle and flat, marked coats towards the Cavalier. A DNA test gives real percentages.
Health and care
- Mitral valve disease is well known in Cavaliers, and crossing with a Poodle does not remove the risk. Ask for the parents’ heart checks by a cardiologist and plan a yearly heart check for your dog.
- Syringomyelia, linked to Chiari-like malformation, also comes from the Cavalier side. Ask whether the Cavalier parent was MRI-scanned before breeding.
- PRA and patellar luxation are known in both parents. Ask for a prcd-PRA DNA result, a recent eye examination and patella checks on both sides.
- Brush through to the skin several times a week and plan a trim every six to eight weeks. Check the feathered ears weekly, as they hold moisture.
- Small portions disappear fast and extra weight strains the heart, so measure food and keep them lean. Daily walks and indoor games are usually enough exercise.