Our next litter will be from Ginger and Toby and will be ready to go to their new homes towards the end of November, we are currently taking reservations for this litter, please email us if you wish to go on the waiting list.

Breed of the month – CAVOODLE! by Mark Vette. 

This month we take a look at the cavoodle! Now I know I’m not strictly speaking about one breed here, so we’ll consider the traits of both breeds that contribute to this mix, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the poodle, our cross-breed of the month!

These dogs are gentle, sweet and smart. They’re thought to be one of the oldest poodle hybrid breeds, probably an adorable little accident to begin with! The first officially recorded litter of Cavoodles was in Australia in the 1990s, despite accidental litters earlier in the US.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
These dogs descend from small toy spaniels, and are loveable lapdogs through and through. They were bred to warm laps in drafty castles and on chilly carriage rides – their other job was to attract fleas and thereby spare their masters!

They were named after the breed’s biggest fans, King Charles I and II, and were developed in 17th century Britain.  They are relaxed, sociable, affectionate and not highly energetic. Aggression is very rarely an issue with this breed, they are excellent with children and love interaction with people. They can be prone to noisy greetings, but I don’t consider them “yappy” (if you’re careful not to reward barking!).

Miniature Poodle 
Poodles are notorious for their intelligence, which is why they’re a greet breed to include in a hybrid mix. They’re small but athletic, with a friendly temperament. They’re easy to train, low allergen, and high energy (though not as hyper as their toy counterparts!). They are people pleasing, but their sensitive nature can result in hypersensitivity and anxiety, so they need to be taught emotional resilience early in life! 

Now the combo… Cavoodles!
The result of combining these two breeds tends to be an intelligent, gentle, people-loving breed – the perfect companion for owners young and old. They tend to have a fairly soft temperament, be even-tempered, people-oriented and will get along well with everyone in the family, including other pets.

From the poodle, they’ve inherited intelligence and energy. They’re smart, curious, easy to train and more active than a Cavalier King Charles. 

They love attention, and are always up for a play or a cuddle. They love to be in a household with plenty of social contact so they’re not bored or lonely! I would not recommend a Cavoodle if you wish to have an outside dog. 

Due to their attachment to their favourite humans, Cavoodles can be more prone to separation anxiety. If getting a Cavoodle pup, you may find the settling in period tough with lots of whining as you try to teach them healthy separation. It’s really important that they learn how to be happy in their own company, so start off by leaving them alone for just a couple of minutes at a time then build up until you’re able to leave them on their own happily for several of hours a day. 

They are also sensitive souls, so need early exposure to lots of different things so that they learn to cope with the novelty of life! Lack of experiences can lead to hypersensitivity. 

I find them well-suited as companion dogs or as a support to someone with mental health challenges such as anxiety. 

If getting a Cavoodle, I would recommend:
– Start working on healthy separation from Day 1. It is easy for them to become overdependent and stress out when they can’t see you, so begin with just short periods of time away from them then build up to longer stretches
– Give them plenty of exposure to different stimuli in their formative period (2 – 4 months)
– Engage them with training and play, they’ll love the stimulation!
– Only get one if you see a dog as part of the family. They love to be involved and social contact is really important to them.
– Doggy daycare or a dog walker is a good idea if you work away from home full time

Of course all dogs need good early socialisation, but it shouldn’t be a big battle with a Cavoodle! 

All in all, they’re a cuddly, loving and adorable family pet. A great all-round option for households with young kids, or people who do like to walk their dog but don’t want to spend heaps of time doing it!