Some people prefer huge and intimidating dog breeds that can scare away a stranger or an intruder. While these are excellent dogs to have, they require more training, maintenance, and exercise.
Others prefer small dogs. After all, who doesn’t adore puppies? But at some point, they may grow up bigger.
This is not the case with all dogs, as some dogs look like puppies for their entire lives. The Cavapoochon is one example of a family dog that never grows throughout their adult life.
Cavapoochon: 7 Things You Need to Know
1. Origin
As with most designer dogs in today’s world, the Cavapoochon comes from a hybrid of three different breeds: A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Toy Poodle, and a Bichon Frise.
This triple-cross breed results in a small, playful animal known as the Cavapoochon dog breed (Cava- from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, -poo from the Toy Poodle, and -chon from the Bichon Frise) that is one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the modern world.
The three dogs cannot be bred together at the same time. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is mixed with the Bichon Frise mixed to give you a Cavachon, which is another small, designer dog. The Cavachon is mixed with the Poodle into a Cavapoochon.
This species has the best features from all three of the original breeds of dogs to make this tiny, hypoallergenic breed with a fleece coat and a long-life span.
This breed can sometimes be confused with cavapoo dogs. The cavapoo is a cross of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a poodle. The difference is that there is no cross breeding of the Bichon Frise. If a cavapoo was bred with a bichon frise theoretically it would produce a cavapoochon. However, the accepted standard for a cavapoochon is 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, 25% Bichon Frise and 50% poodle.
2. Physical Characteristics and Appearance
The Cavapoochon is famously known as the dog that never grows up. This is because this breed stays extremely small and will look like puppies throughout their entire lives.
Because of their puppy-like features, their eyes are distinct and are surrounded by soft fur when the Cavapoochon is full grown. With other breeds that grow up to medium to large dogs, their eyes are more prominent and grow into their big snouts throughout time. They are often considered to look like a teddy bear.
With the Cavapoochon, this phenomenon does not happen. A ten-year-old Cavapoochon would still look the same as when it was at a young age. This makes this species an extremely popular choice for people who want a puppy for life.
The size of a full grown Cavapoochon is no more than 30 centimeters. These dogs will reach their full size in less than a year! Larger dogs take around 2 to 3 years to reach their full size while smaller dogs like the Cavapoochon can reach adult size at just around 10 months old.
These dogs will also be lightweight, and it is not common for Cavapoochons to weigh more than 15 pounds. On average they tend to weigh between 12 and 15 pounds. Cavapoochons are not short and stocky like bulldogs. They adult cavapoochon is on average about 12 inches in height once fully grown.
The final size of your cavapoochon will depend on their lineage. A key factor is if they were bred from a toy poodle or a miniature poodle.
When it comes to their fur, the genes of the Toy Poodle in the Cavapoochon allow for a thick fleece coat that will not shed. As their hair does not shed at all, the maintenance and cleaning that goes behind these dogs require minimal effort.
In terms of regular grooming, cavapoochon owners will need to brush their dogs a couple of times a week to keep their fluffy coat soft and silky and to avoid knots and matts. Owners may need to take their dogs to a professional groomer.
Another important aspect of the Cavapoochon is its hypoallergenic coat. A lot of people are allergic to dogs because of shedding fur and the protein released from it, but you do not have to worry about that with this popular dog breed.
With hypoallergenic fur that does not shed, these family pets will reduce the likelihood of you sneezing! Similar to a lot of other mixed breeds, the Cavapoochon comes with a typical tri-color curly coat but it might have a solid color including golden browns, blacks, and white markings.
Cavapoochons come in a wide range of coat colours. Poodles have 28 recognised colours and Bichon Frises and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel both have four recognized colours or standards. That is a lot of potential colour combinations!
The most common coat colour for a cavapoochon is red with white markings.
3. Cavapoochon Temperament
Cavapoochons are extremely friendly, fun loving, and loyal. This breed could be the sweetest puppies you can have in your home.
Because of their parent breeds like the Toy Doodle, the puppies are extremely intelligent which makes training an easy task. Not only will basic tasks like potty training be a walk in the park, but you can teach these dogs tricks with the proper positive reinforcement.
The Cavapoochon are great around children because of its gentle and loving nature, making them great family pets. This hypoallergenic dog breed and its adorable puppy eyes can also get along well with other animals. If you’re a family with children and maybe a cat, Cavapoochons will make an ideal family pet.
They are also loyal and fierce in their own cute way. If a delivery man arrives or if a stranger is visiting and the dog does not recognize the person, their protective instincts take over and they will bark a lot until they’re sure that the new person is not a threat. With proper training, the barking could be managed from an early age.
The cavapoochon is a very intelligent dog and can be trained using methods like positive reinforcement. As the cavapoochon loves to please its owner hugs and pats and kind words will also be quite effective as training tools. And they are perfect for a dog friendly holiday.
Once they get more comfortable with the new people, Cavapoochons are extremely friendly dogs who love to be pet and stroked by family and new friends. They tend to have low separation anxiety.
4. Popularity
Since this specific species came into the world, it has been celebrated as the perfect family pet and a great companion. The Cavapoochon is extremely popular across the United States and United Kingdom.
The Cavapoochon is an extremely popular dog because of its’ adorable looks, intelligence, and low maintenance. They are qualified as “Designer dogs,” which means that if you’re looking to buy a puppy instead of adopting, it will be expensive.
If you purchase one of these intelligent dogs from a recognized breeder, this designer dog breed will cost you around $1,500. Make sure that you always do the proper research on the breeders before you purchase cavapoochon puppies.
5. Exercise Needs
The Cavapoochon requires moderate exercise. If you have a very active, high-energy dog, you will start to notice behavioral problems if these exercise requirements are not fulfilled.
However, this is not a problem with the Cavapoochon. Their small size ensures that they can get all the exercise they need even if they live in an apartment.
You may need to take the dog on walks while you’re potty training them to ensure they’re behaving properly, but rest assured that these dogs will be extremely well behaved in family living spaces because of their superior intelligence.
6. Diet
Now that you’re aware that the Cavapoochon is a small designer dog, this means that its dietary requirements may be slightly fancier than other dogs.
You will always need quality puppy food in the house to feed them. They are not voracious because of their small size, but it is still a good idea to ensure that they are fed high quality dry food to ensure that their health stays in the best condition.
Another reason to pick small and dry food kibbles is that these dogs will take tiny bites of their food because of their size. They should not have any problems with their digestion because of the size or consistency of the food that they consume.
This dog breed can also eat apples, sweet potatoes, yoghurt, oatmeal, salmon, chicken, eggs and green beans. Sweet potatoes in particular can be great for a cavapoochon’s coat.
If your cavapoochon is under 10 pounds then provide it with two to three meals a day. If it is over 10 pounds, then move to three to four meals a day.
7. Potential Health Issues
While mixed breed dogs do not have the same health problems as purebred ones, there will be some problems that you will need to be on the lookout for should you decide to get a Cavapoochon. Below are some precautions you should take to ensure that your dog lives a long and healthy life.
Cavapoochons are dogs that live a long life as they can live for an average of 15 or more years. Triple-cross breeds in particular are known for their vigor and strong health. These dogs are long-term companions, but you should look for the health conditions mentioned below.
Heart problems
Your Cavapoochon may be prone to heart issues because of its lineage. Make sure that he gets enough regular exercise, high quality puppy food, and enough water nearby to ensure a long and healthy life.
Eye Disease
Because Poodles and Cavaliers are prone to eye diseases, the Cavapoochon might suffer from eye problems as well. Regular checkups to the vet’s office will ensure that this is not an issue for the foreseeable future.
Seizures
This is a common problem that affects Poodles and might be a problem for your Cavapoochon too. Medication and regular checkups will ensure that they do not suffer from this issue.
Final Word on the Cavapoochon
If you’re one of those dog owners who want a puppy to always be a puppy, the Cavapoochon is the perfect dog breed for you! These dogs stop growing before they reach one year old and look like puppies for all their life.
Their soft, sleek, and hypoallergenic fur means that people with allergies are completely safe, and the non-shedding nature of their curly hair ensures that cleaning up and maintenance afterwards is easy. Cavapoochons are also extremely intelligent and understanding, making them easy to train.
The friendly nature of these dogs along with their appearance and intelligence makes them excellent as family pets. If you’re interested in more topics about family-friendly dogs, please feel free to check out our other articles as well!
Amanda O’Brien is the owner of The Dog Snobs website. She is dog mad and dog aunt to Clover in London and Poppy in Sydney. She can’t wait to have a schedule that allows her to have a dog of her own (for now it is two Siberian cats) and loves learning about dog breeds and dog behavior.