One parent, two different dog breeds. The cavachon and cavapoo are crossbreeds that share parentage from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and two other breeds.
The cavachon is a mixed breed from the Cavalier and the Bichon Frise while the cavapoo is a mixed breed from the Cavalier and poodle. Even though they share one parent, their characteristics are different in behavior and physical attributes.
If you’re looking to make a choice, following is a detailed discussion about the two, their differences and similarities. To start us off, let’s look at a comparison chart.
| Features | Cavachon | Cavapoo |
| First Crossbreeding | North America in 1996 | North America in the 1950s |
| Group | Toy/ Designer/ Companion dog | Toy/ Companion dog |
| Average Height | 12.5 inches | 14.5 inches |
| Average Weight | 25 pounds | 18 pounds |
| Coat | Feathered curly, medium-length coat | Short, soft, wavy, or curly coats |
| Coat Colors | Cream, White, Pied | Black, White, Chestnut, Tricolor, Apricot, Cream, Sable Red, Sable Phantom |
| Shedding/Hypoallergenic | Low Shedding/ Yes | Low Shedding/ Yes |
| Energy levels | Moderate energy | High energy |
| Recognition | Not American Kennel Club, but ACA = American Canine Association Inc. = Cavashon ACHC = American Canine Hybrid Club = Cavachon DDKC = Designer Dogs Kennel Club = Cavachon IDCR = International Designer Canine Registry® = Cavachon | Not American Kennel Club, but American Canine Hybrid Club = Cavapoo Designer Dogs Kennel Club = Cavapoo International Designer Canine Registry® = Cavapoo Designer Breed Registry = Cavapoo |
| Health Status | Average health | Healthy |
| Lifespan | 13 to 17 years | 10 to 15 years |
| Reproducibility | Two to five puppies a litter | Two to eight puppies a litter |
| Price | $800 – $1000 | $1200 – $1500 |
Differences and Similarities
Before we jump into the differences and similarities, let’s first understand where these two crossbreeds came from.
Cavachon
The Cavachon is a mixed breed between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the designer dog Bichon Frise. The breed has been around for about a decade or so but it all began in 1996 when designer breeders started intentionally mixing Cavalier King Charles with Bichon Frise in North America.
Gleneden Kennels in Berryville, Virginia, in the United States, claim to be the first breeder of Cavachons, having established this hybrid in 1996. After which the breed has spread all over gaining popularity in the United States, United Kingdom, and throughout much of Europe.
Cavapoo
The Cavapoo, on the other hand, is a hybrid from two purebreds namely, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the poodle( toy or miniature).
The breed was created in the United States in the 1950s, but intentional crossbreeding began in Australia in the late 1990s.
Soon after, the Cavadoodle/ cavoodle became more popular.
Differences
Appearance
The Cavachon is a compact crossbreed with a height of 12 to 13 inches and weighing about 15 to 35 pounds for the males and 13 to 33 pounds for the females. Practically a lapdog! Their toy size makes them easily portable and very easy to manage while living in an apartment or with lack of space.
The cavapoo too is small to medium-sized weighing between nine to 25 pounds and a height of just 11 to 18 inches. Also, depending on the type of poodle used, the breed could be toy-sized or a little larger.
The cavachon has a broad back and chest, a strongly built body with boned legs, a medium-length coat, and a curly and bushy tail. As for their face, they have a round head, soft and floppy ears that fall to the sides of their face, round and dark brown eyes with a dark-colored nose.
As for the cavapoos, they have small round, poodle-like faces, with short floppy ears and deep-set brown large endearing eyes with equally brown eyebrows.
Character Traits and Temperament
Onto their temperaments, they’re quite similar in behaviors. The cavachon is smart, clever, and very easy-going while the cavapoo is friendly, gentle loving, and intelligent. They both have sweet temperaments and are set to excite just about anyone’s family with their round adorable eyes.
The cavachon however, has been known to be quite extreme when it comes to its bonding with the owner. They can experience separation anxiety once left alone for a considerable amount of time. Not to say the cavapoos love being alone, but they too tolerate alone time to the minimum.
In fact, cavapoos are quite dependent on their training, without it they are known to have destructive behaviors such as chewing furniture and shoes and rooting through the garbage. Proper training and socialization are needed from an early stage.
Both the cavapoo and the cavachon are stranger friendly, pet friendly, and children friendly. They enjoy playtime and are affectionate with anyone. The cavachon can often relate well with dogs, cats, and most of your other pets as long as they get a share of your attention. Cavapoos though may need more attention from you even with the other pets around.
One thing to watch out for is that cavapoos can easily get picked on by other pets because of their small size. This means they can easily get hurt. Hence, teach your children how to handle and approach them correctly.
Nutrition, Care, and Grooming
Both breeds need about 30 to 40 calories of food rich in protein and fats but they can be overwhelmed with food leading to obesity, though it’s not quite common. This then calls for a regular food schedule to keep them at bay plus limitations on their snacks and treats.
Cavachons have a faster metabolism than the cavapoo, which is why they could feed 1 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals, compared to the cavapoo that only takes 0.5 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, in two meals.
Food monitoring is more vital for cavapoos as they can develop heart conditions alongside obesity if their mealtimes aren’t monitored. Their dietary needs will, however, change with time from puppyhood to adulthood and even in their senior years. Always consult on the best foods to feed the dog.
As for their care, regular veterinarian checkups are crucial to their health and growth. This way any health issues can be detected early, especially because their parent, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has many medical concerns.
The cavachon needs about half an hour walk a day to keep them in tip-top shape, happy and stimulated. The cavapoo however is much more active and will need more sporting activities to keep its high energy levels at bay.
Cavachons are very sensitive to extreme weather, especially in summer. You may consider offering coverage on their nose and ears to at least protect them from the excess heat exposure
The cavapoo is said to have a moderate stink as cavapoos have a low stink. Hence, care and bathing are vital. Check on their oral health, they should be brushing their teeth daily, checking their ears for debris and any pests that may be hidden in their floppy ears. Trimming of nails should also be done at least twice a month.
For their grooming, the cavachon has a feathered curly, medium-length coat with its mains colors as a cream white and pied. Of course, the dog can have multiple other combinations, but the coat is hypoallergenic and low shedding.
The same with cavapoos, they too have a hypoallergenic coat that comes in a variety of colors including cream, fawn, chocolate, gold, chestnut, and white, which can sometimes be solid colors, chestnut, and white, or tri-colored.
The cavapoos have short, soft, wavy, or curly coats that easily tangle into fluff balls. This requires regular grooming and brushing say once or twice a week, which is different from the cavachon who need grooming say three to four times a week. One advantage however is that their curly coats aids them to tolerate moderate cold and heat.
Exercise Needs
The cavapoos have a higher energy level than the cavachons. This means more exercise and sporting activities than the other. While the cavachon only takes a 30-minute walk, the cavapoo needs an hour walk in line with their energy levels.
Both dogs are quite easy to train, however, the cavachon can be quite stubborn and resistant. Plus they get bored doing the same thing for a long time. Hence, short exercises can be a good idea.
Health Issues
It’s no secret that the cavachon has more health issues than the cavapoo. Luckily they have a long lifespan where cavapoos can like for 10 to 15 years while the cavachon can like 13 to 17 years. This, however, doesn’t change their health issues.
While the two may have hybrid vigor, the cavachon is much predisposed to the health problems that affect the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The cavachon can have these health issues.
- Heart murmurs
- Eye ulcerations from constantly rubbing their eyes.
- Ear infections caused by infections, ear mites, or simply a wax build-up
- Cataracts
- Patellar Luxation
- Mitral Valve Disease
- Syringomyelia
- Atopic Dermatitis
- Cushing’s Disease
As for the cavapoo, they have the same problems seeing that they share one parent. Common health issues can include;
- Congenital heart attacks with the most common being mitral valve disease, which can also lead to heart murmurs.
- Progressive retinal atrophy that affects the eyes leading to blindness
- Slipping kneecaps also known as luxating patella
Their reproducibility isn’t much to worry about as they both have a 60 to 64 day gestation period, happening once a year. However, the cavapoo can have two to eight pups in a litter while the cavachon only has two to five.
Similarities
After reviewing the differences, now let’s have a look at the similarities.
- Both their coats are hypoallergenic with low shedding tendencies.
- They are both smart and intelligent dogs
- They excellent at training and socializing seeing that they’re very friendly with pets, strangers, and kids
- They’re both companion dogs falling in the same size bracket.
- They both have sweet temperaments and are adorable looking.
Which is Better and Why?
The answer mainly depends on your preferences seeing that cavachons live longer but are more susceptible to health issues. On the other hand, the cavapoo is very energetic but needs to follow you around everywhere.
They have their nutritional and care needs but they’re both adorable and have sweet and loving temperaments. The cavapoos is said to be therapeutic and can act as a service dog. They seem to have more positive attributes and be low maintenance except for their exercise needs and bathing needs.
For these reasons, the cavapoo takes the lead. They’re energetic, sweet, have better health status, and have a moderately long lifespan. Hence why they cost more by over $500, but they would be worth every penny.
Recommended Reading: Cavapoochon Dog Breed: All You Need to Know
