Fully Grown Cavapoo: Everything You Need to Know
The Cavapoo is a highly popular and playful mixed dog breed that makes for an excellent family pet.
A Cavapoo is a cross between a Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – hence its creative and slightly silly name.
If you want to adopt a Cavapoo, you might wonder how big they can get. Continue reading to find out.
Physical Features
These small dogs boast very soft coats. In addition to size, genetics also play a significant role in a Cavapoos coat texture. They may inherit more of a wavy coat like Spaniel genes or a tightly curled coat from the Poodle side.
In the same way, the color of the Cavapoos widely varies as well. Your Cavapoo can be any combination of the following colors:
- Black
- White
- Gold
- Chocolate
- Grey
- Fawn
Most Cavapoos are either one solid color or a combination of one of the above colors with white.
How Big Do Cavapoos Get?
Cavapoos are a smaller hybrid breed of dogs. Depending on their style, they can vary between 7-25 pounds and 9-16 inches tall. They usually reach their full size within a year of life.
Sometimes, larger Cavapoos get classed as medium-sized dogs. However, first-generation Cavapoos will not reach the size of a standard Poodle.
Are There Different Sizes?
Since they are a mixed breed, Cavapoos’ size will vary based on the parent dogs.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are small dogs, so they are generally bred with the Toy or Mini Poodles to minimize the size difference. The offspring of these dogs would have a smaller stature.
If breeders used a larger variety of Poodles while breeding, the overall size would be more prominent.
Even with that, it’s infrequent for a breeder to use a Standard Poodle. As a result, most adult Cavapoos are still relatively small because they are bred from a Toy or Miniature Poodle.
How Big Do Toy Cavapoos Get?
Toy Cavapoos arise when you breed a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a Toy Poodle. Toy Poodles weigh 4-6 pounds and are under ten inches tall from paw to shoulder. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel weighs between 13-18 pounds with a height of 12-13 inches.
These tiny pups will reach their full size within 11 months of age. They weigh between 7-13 pounds with a height of 9-12 inches.
You can predict your Toy Cavapoo’s weight at around 15 weeks (3.5 months) old. At this age, they are about half of their full size. Just multiply this weight by two to get a fairly accurate prediction.
How Big Do Mini Cavapoos Get?
Mini Cavapoos come from Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, bred with Miniature Poodles. Mini Poodles weigh 10-15 pounds and reach heights of 10-15 inches. These Poodles exceed the size of Toy Poodles and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, resulting in larger Cavapoos.
Your Mini Cavapoo will reach its full size within 11-13 months. They usually weigh between 13-25 pounds. From paw to shoulder, Toy Cavapoos are 12-16 inches tall.
Since they hit about half of their maximum weight between 15-20 weeks (3.5-5 months), you can predict their size at that point. Try to predict their adult size by multiplying their weight at 18 weeks by two.
What About Standard Cavapoos?
Some breeders will call some of the larger Mini Cavapoos “Standard,” despite not being bred with a Standard Poodle.
Although rare due to the size difference, you might find a Standard Cavapoo. If you find a larger Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a smaller Standard Poodle, the size difference might not seem too drastic.
Also, some Standard Cavapoos are not full-bred Cavapoos.
They might result from a Mini Cavapoo being bred with a Standard Poodle, giving them a 75% Poodle and 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel makeup. These dogs will be taller as they are first-generation backcrossed Cavapoos.
Standard Cavapoos can exceed 30 pounds with heights of at least 15 inches.
A male Standard Poodle weighs 60-70 pounds, and a female 40-50. They are over 15 inches tall. Since Cavalier King Charles Spaniels rarely exceed 18 pounds, their weight lies somewhere in the middle.
What Impacts the Size of a Cavapoo?
If you want to know how big your puppy will get, look to its parents. Their full-grown height is often comparable to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle.
Also, consider your Cavapoo’s sex. Female dogs might be smaller than their male counterparts. While the difference isn’t always noticeable, it is a factor.
Furthermore, the genetic expression may vary between offspring. Unless they are identical twins, each Cavapoo will have a different blend of Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The resulting pup might lean genetically in one direction despite having pure-bred parents.
Depending on the generation of your Cavapoo, they might have a different mix of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle. Many times, breeders will combine a Cavapoo parent with a Poodle, which would make the dog more similar to the Poodle in size.
We previously mentioned the F1b (first-generation backcrossed) Cavapoo, but there are many other varieties. They are designated by “F” for filial hybrids, a number that represents their generation, and “B” for backcross if bred back to a Poodle.
The generations include:
- F1: 50% Poodle, 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (pure-bred parents of different breeds)
- F1B: 75% Poodle, 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (one F1 Cavapoo and one Poodle)
- F1BB: 87.5% Poodle, 12.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (one F1B Cavapoo and one Poodle)
- F2: 50% Poodle, 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (two F1 Cavapoos)
- F2B: 62.5% Poodle, 37.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (one F1 Cavapoo and one Poodle)
- F2BB: 81.25% Poodle, 18.75% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (one F2B Cavapoo, one Poodle)
- F3: 50% Poodle, 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (two F2 Cavapoos)
- Multigen: any combination of the above and further generations varies drastically
You can also impact their size through nutrition. If you feed your dog the proper portions, give them plenty of water, and encourage physical activity, they should reach their optimal size.
Malnourishment may stunt your Cavapoo’s growth, and overfeeding can lead to them being overweight. Contact a veterinarian to ensure you are providing them with what they need to grow healthfully.
When is Do Cavapoos Stop Growing?
For the most part, Cavapoos stop growing at around one year old. Smaller-sized Cavapoos will reach their full heights at a younger age than the larger ones. For example, a Toy Cavapoo may take only 7.5 months to reach its full size, while Mini Cavapoos may require 13 months.
Final Thoughts
Cavapoos are energetic and adoring dogs who genuinely love their family and remain loyal to them. While they won’t make the best guard dog, they’re perfect for hanging out, taking long walks, and learning some fun tricks.
As far as their size goes, your Toy or Mini Cavapoo will grow between 7-25 pounds and 12-16 inches. If you find a Standard Cavapoo, it will grow at least 15 inches tall and weigh over 30 pounds.
Different mixes between Toy, Mini, Standard Poodles, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels might make your dog smaller or larger as well. Since Poodles come in tons of sizes, the possibilities are endless.
By taking care of your dog’s health, you can help it reach its full size.
Be sure to do plenty of research before getting yourself a Cavapoo companion. They are ideal family dogs and bring a great deal of joy to their human counterparts.