Cavapoo care on Cape Ann

The AKC lists the Cavalier at 12 to 13 inches and 13 to 18 pounds, the miniature poodle at 10 to 15 inches and 10 to 15 pounds, and the toy poodle at no more than 10 inches. A cavapoo lands somewhere in that range, which puts nearly every one in our smallest grooming band and in the small-dog playgroups. Neither parent is a working dog in the modern sense. Both were shaped to live close to people, and that thread runs through the rest of this page.

The coat blends the Cavalier's silky feathering with the poodle's dense curl. The AKC warns that a poodle coat not brushed and combed completely to the skin mats near the roots, and a soft blended coat does the same when it is only brushed on top. The friction points go first: behind the ears, under a harness, in the armpits and along the inside of the back legs. A puppy coat feels easy, so many owners find the problem when the first knot already sits flat against the skin.

Our playgroups run 7 to 10 dogs, matched by size and temperament at the free evaluation, which takes place on weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30 by appointment. A cavapoo goes in with the small dogs, and within that group our handlers look at play style: a gentle, Cavalier-like dog that wants a soft chase needs different friends from a bouncy, poodle-like one that wants to wrestle. Both are normal. The evaluation needs Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file and a current city dog license.

Half days suit many cavapoos: a morning of play, then a nap at home. A young, sturdy one may want the full day. The AKC notes that Cavaliers keep their scenting and hunting instincts and may not come when called, so the fenced turf yard and the indoor floors are a safer place for a cavapoo to run than an open field. In Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, the Pup Van collects and returns for $10 each way.

VCA lists the Cavalier King Charles spaniel and the miniature and toy poodle among the breeds predisposed to mitral valve disease, a leaking heart valve whose earliest sign is usually a murmur your vet hears with a stethoscope. Later signs include a chronic, hacking cough and less stamina. A daycare team cannot hear a murmur. What our handlers can notice is a cavapoo that tires sooner than it used to, and that change is worth telling your vet about. Ask your vet how often your dog's heart should be checked.

The AKC notes that slipping kneecaps are more likely in toy and miniature poodles, and it lists patella luxation and middle ear infections among the Cavalier's health issues. A small dog that skips a step on a back leg, or shakes its head after a swim, is showing you something for your vet. Because a cavapoo is a cross rather than an AKC breed, ask the breeder which health tests the Cavalier and poodle parents passed; the AKC pages for both breeds list the recommended screenings.