Cavapoo
Affectionate, playful and adaptable.
- Height
- 9–13 in23–33 cm
- Weight
- 9–22 lb4–10 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–15 yrssmall breed
- Origin
- Australia
- AKC group
- Designer mix
- Coat
- Curly
At a glance
History
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross that originated in Australia.
The Poodle, Bichon & Water Dogs family. Curly-coated water retrievers and their companion-sized cousins. Their low-shedding coats made the Poodle the parent of most modern 'doodle' mixes, which sit here.
This mix combines the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Toy Poodle. Mixed litters vary, so a puppy can take after either parent in size, coat and temperament.
Personality & habits
Affectionate, playful and adaptable.
- Voice
- Barks to alert you, then settles.
- With kids
- A family favorite that thrives around children.
- Other dogs
- Loves canine company.
- Home
- A natural apartment dog.
Size
Exercise & training
Exercise. Moderate: daily walks and active play, such as a game of fetch. Puppies do better with several short sessions than one long walk, and older dogs need gentler outings.
Training. Eager and responsive. Picks up basic manners quickly and enjoys learning tricks.
Grooming
Curly, continuously growing coat: it sheds little but mats easily, so brush several times a week and plan regular professional clips. Barely sheds.
For every dog: trim nails when you can hear them click on the floor, brush teeth daily if you can (a few times a week still helps), and clean ears about once a month, drying them well after baths and swims.
Diet & feeding
- Daily calories
- About 320–630 kcal for a healthy adult
- Dry food
- Roughly 0.75–1.5 cups a day at ~400 kcal per cup
Puppies eat four small meals a day at 6 to 12 weeks, drop to three somewhere between 3 and 6 months, and move to two meals a day from about 6 months.
Keep treats, including training treats and table scraps, under 10% of daily calories.
Calories use the resting-energy formula from the Merck Veterinary Manual (70 × body weight in kg0.75) times a maintenance factor of 1.4 to 1.8, so very active or working dogs may need more. Cups assume about 400 kcal per cup; check your food's label. Treat any feeding chart as a starting point and adjust to body condition.
Health
Typical lifespan is 12–15 years. Conditions reported in the breed:
Ask breeders for health-test results from the parents (hips, eyes, and DNA tests where relevant), and schedule yearly vet checkups.
Videos
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Fun fact
Also known as the Cavoodle in Australia.
Parent breeds
Closest relatives
Photo credits
Photos come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under the licenses shown. Only freely licensed photos appear on this site; where none is available, you'll see an illustration.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cavapoo (opens in a new tab)
- PetMD: Types of doodle dogs (opens in a new tab)
- AKC: Puppy feeding fundamentals (opens in a new tab), bloat (opens in a new tab), treats (opens in a new tab) and grooming (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional requirements of small animals (opens in a new tab)
Ratings for energy, shedding and the like are our own summaries, informed by these sources. Breed facts were checked in October 2026.