The Cavapoo is a popular Doodle breed. Bred from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle, it’s a wonderful mix of intelligence, loyalty and affection and a great family dog. When you first bring your new puppy home, the last thing you want to have to think about is how long you’ll get with your dog before you have to say goodbye. But sadly, the time will come for all dogs when they head over the rainbow bridge and we have to learn to live without them. Hopefully, we’ll have many long happy years with them before that happens. So, what is the lifespan of a Cavapoo? How long can we expect them to live for?
How Long Does a Cavapoo Live?
The Cavapoo lifespan depends on a wide variety of factors. But generally speaking, the average lifespan of a Cavapoo is between 10 and 15 years. Many Cavapoos lead long and happy lives and they make great companion dogs as they are friendly and affectionate from puppyhood right through to their older years.
Generally speaking, smaller Cavapoos tend to live longer and may well live longer than 15 years, but it all depends on a range of factors. It’s impossible to accurately predict how long a Cavapoo puppy will live, but we can take steps to give them the best chance at a long life.
What determines Cavapoo lifespan?
The life expectancy of a Cavapoo depends on lots of different things.
- Diet
- Sleep habits
- Lifestyle
- Inherited health issues from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle
- Genetics
- A happy, settled home life
Common Cavapoo Health Problems
As a mixed breed dog, the Cavapoo can experience health issues inherited from both the Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Reputable breeders will always have the parent dogs health checked before breeding to minimise the risk of the puppies developing these conditions as they grow older.
These are the most common health issues for Cavapoos:
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Luxating Patella
- Congenital Heart Problems
- Entropion
- Mitral Valve Disease
- Cataracts
- Hernia
- Epilepsy
- Legg Perthes Disease
- Hip Dysplasia
- Dental problems
Some of these conditions are more serious than others, but they can all have an impact on the Cavapoo lifespan.
Can You Increase Cavapoo Lifespan?
Whilst you can’t protect your dog from every possible illness out there, you can do a few things to help to give your Cavapoo the best chance at living a long and healthy life.
Give your Cavapoo a good diet
Ensuring your Cavapoo has a healthy and nutritious diet is one of the best things you can do for their health and wellbeing.
Avoid giving too many fatty snacks such as sausages and other fatty meats. It’s fine to give these as treats occasionally, but just keep an eye that you’re not overdoing it as obesity in dogs can cause all kinds of health problems and in turn have a negative affect on a dog’s life expectancy.
Choose a food that is full of nutrients in order to give your dog everything they need to develop properly and maintain its health throughout their lives.
Treats
Giving your dog treats is a great way to reward them and is particularly useful when you’re training your dog, especially during the puppy stage. But your dog’s treats should make up a maximum of 10% of their daily food allowance.
If you’re worried that you’re giving your dog too many fatty treats, then you could switch to lower fat treats such as cooked, skinless chicken breast, or even carrot – they love carrot particularly when they’re teething.
Keep their weight in check
A healthy weight doesn’t always mean a healthy dog, but it is often a good indicator. Every dog will be different, but as a general rule, you should be able to feel your dog’s ribs with only a slight amount of muscle over them.
Your vet will be able to tell you the healthy weight range for your dog, so if you’re unsure, it’s worth asking them,
If your Cavapoo becomes overweight, that excess weight can put a strain on their organs and their muscles, meaning that they are far more likely to have health issues as they get older.
If your Cavapoo is underweight, then it isn’t getting the nutrients it’s body needs in order to function properly. A dog that starts to lose weight suddenly needs checking over at the vets as this could indicate an underlying health condition.
Cavapoo hygiene tips
Good hygiene is vital for a healthy Cavapoo.
Make sure you brush their teeth daily. This is something that many dog owners overlook. Years ago, you’d never think of brushing your dog’s teeth! But now, we know that brushing daily can help to prevent cavities, decay and gum disease in our dogs.
You should also regularly make sure that their ears are clean as Cavapoos and other dogs with floppy ears can be prone to ear infections.
Finally, regular grooming is essential for Cavapoos, particularly for those with a curly coat. As well as brushing regularly at home, it’s also a good idea to get a professional groomer to wash and cut their coats regularly too. Professional grooming will help to prevent matting which can lead to skin irritation and even infection.
Regular Exercise
All dog breeds will have different needs when it comes to how much daily exercise they need. Most Cavapoos will need around 40 minutes of exercise each day. This can be split across a couple of walks or could include a good run about and active play in the garden. Regular exercise will help to keep your Cavapoo healthy both in body and in spirit.
If you’re confident and your dog has good recall skills, it’s great to let them run off lead daily too.
Don’t forget about mental stimulation for your Cavapoo
As well as physical exercise, Cavapoos need plenty of mental stimulation too. They will get some mental stimulation just from being out on their walks as they take in different sights, sounds and smells. But there are lots of ways you can provide mental stimulation at home too.
Puzzle toys are great for keeping your Cavapoo’s brain working. Puzzle toys reward the dog when they solve the puzzle.
Snuffle mats are a great way to occupy your Cavapoo. You can bury bits of kibble in the mat and your dog will spend ages happily sniffing their way around the mat hunting for the food.
Kong toys can be filled with tasty liver paste, peanut butter or Kong Treat Paste to keep your Cavapoo busy trying to get it all out. You can get different sized Kongs, so make sure you get the right one for your Cavapoo.
All of these interactive toys and puzzles will help to keep your Cavapoo’s mind active and give them the mental stimulation they need.
Get regular vet check ups
Regular health checks with your vet are a great way to make sure your Cavapoo is healthy. Vets can often see health issues developing well before owners. Identifying problems in the early stages gives your pup the best chance of recovery and can prevent them from becoming seriously ill by getting them the right treatment early on.
Regular health checks are particularly important during the puppy stage. Many vets will offer a monthly development check for puppies right up until they are fully grown. This will allow them to check that your Cavapoo puppy is growing at the right rate and that they are developing as they should.
Does Good Training Help Cavapoos Live Longer?
Good training can help your Cavapoo to live longer. That may sound crazy, but it’s true.
When you train your Cavapoo, you’re teaching it valuable life skills that can actually help it to live longer. Skills such as self control will help your dog to be less impulsive which can mean they’re less likely to be involved in accidents or scuffles with other dogs.
Teaching the “leave” or “drop” command is really important. If you’re out walking your dog and he or she picks up something that could potentially be harmful to them, then you need to be able to get them to drop it. Some plants or bits of litter a dog finds have the potential to be fatal.
Taking care of an older dog
Obviously, we all want our Cavapoos to live as long as possible. But as they get older, we need to make sure that they still have a good quality of life. An older dog with lots of health issues may struggle with things such as climbing the stairs or going out for long walks, so you may need to adapt your lifestyle to suit your older Cavapoo.
Cavapoo Signs of Aging
It’s a natural part of life that as we get older, our bodies and appearance usually start to change. Here are some of the common signs of aging in Cavapoos:
- Being less active – one of the most common signs that any dog is getting older is that they start to slow down. They may not be able to manage long walks, and you may notice that they spend more of their day asleep.
- Going grey – just like humans, dogs can start to grow grey or white hairs as they grow older. These can usually be seen around the mouth in the muzzle area.
- Difficulty climbing stairs or jumping on the couch – as dogs get older, they may start to experience joint pain or just become less agile. They may begin to show reluctance to go up or down the stairs.
These are all normal things that happen to Cavapoos as they enter the later stages of life. But there are some more worrying symptoms that you should get checked out with a vet:
- Signs of confusion which could be a sign of dementia
- Hearing loss
- Loss of appetite
- Limping
- Any lumps you can feel under the skin
- Sudden changes in behaviour
- Having accidents around the house or not being able to hold their bladder like they used to
Is your house safe for an older dog?
Older dogs need a calm, safe place to call home so that they can live out the later stages of their life with as little stress as possible.
Just like when your Cavapoo was a puppy, you may need to make some changes to your home in order to keep them safe as they get older.
Older dogs may need to rest more, so make sure they have a comfy, warm and quiet space to call their own.
Older dogs may have continence issues, and they may not always be able to hold their toilet needs until you’re around to let them out, particularly during the night. You may need to start getting up during the night to let your older Cavapoo out, just like you probably did when they were a puppy. You could use puppy pads too just in case.
Keep a close eye on your older Cavapoo
As your Cavapoo gets older, you’ll need to keep a closer eye on them for any signs of health issues or deterioration. Older Cavapoos are more prone to lumps, growths and skin conditions, so give them a good check over regularly.
You also need to keep a close eye on their teeth too, as they get older their teeth can start to show signs of decay which can cause pain, loss of appetite and could lead to an infection.
Life Stages of a Cavapoo
We used to always say that one dog year is the equivalent of seven human years, but that’s pretty old fashioned and isn’t really used as a way of aging dogs any more.
Every dog is different and one Cavapoo may mature more quickly than another, but this is a general guideline for the different life stages of a Cavapoo.
0-3 months
In their first three months of life, the puppy Cavapoo will spend most of it’s time with it’s mother and litter mates. During this time puppies develop very quickly. By the time they reach three months old, they will be around one third to one half of their adult weight.
6-12 months
These are the adolescent months of a puppy’s life. You may find that your puppy starts to show defiant behaviour and tests the boundaries you’ve set for them. They may try to assert themselves as the boss of the house around this time. This is a vital stage of development and any bad habits that form during adolescence will be very hard to put right later on, so be clear about the rules and your expectations.
Around this time, puppies will also be losing their baby teeth and gaining their adult teeth. This can make them want to chew everything and anything in sight. Make sure they have plenty of safe things to chew such as kongs or Yak chews.
7.5-13 months
At some point between 7.5 months and 13 months of age, your adolescent Cavapoo will become a young adult. You may notice that they lose their puppy coat and their adult coat comes in.
Around this age you are safe to switch from puppy food to adult food.
2 years old
At two years old, your Cavapoo is a fully grown adult. It’s around this time that your Cavapoo should start to calm down and you’ll begin to see less of the hyper puppy behaviour.
10 years old
At 10 years of age, people begin to refer to Cavapoos as senior dogs. You may notice that your Cava starts to slow down a little, or you may still have a fairly active and healthy dog for a good few years yet. Now is the time to start keeping a closer eye on your Cavapoo for any signs of health issues in later life.
It’s impossible to predict the Cavapoo lifespan, but you can give your pup the best chance of a long, happy and healthy life by taking care of them at every step of the way.
