Cavoodle Appearance

Is there an ideal ‘look’ for Cavoodles?

Traditional breeds that are taken to dog shows, known as conformational shows, are judged against a set of rules or standards that explain what the ideal dog of that breed should be. These standards set out what all breeders need to try to get all their dogs to look like. In essence it is a beauty contest where all the models must look like the same drawn picture from a text book. To put it in a human context, imagine a beauty pageant where every contestant had to look like an airbrushed image of the same person!

As Cavoodles are a hybrid breed and not a show breed, there is no breed standard or “ideal looking Cavoodle”. The absence of a breed standard for Cavoodles and other designer breeds has worked in their favour as breeding the perfect looking dog has little relevance to Cavoodle breeders since there are no dog shows to attend. The main goal of reputable Cavoodle breeders is to breed healthy companion dogs that have equally great temperaments. While this should be the goal of every breeder of every dog breed, sadly this is not the case as some breeders will still breed dogs that have a higher chance of winning show ribbons even if it is detrimental to their health.

What is the typical appearance of a Cavoodle?

Although there is no breed standard for Cavoodles, there are some characteristics of its appearance that are very common. The most distinctive physical characteristic of this breed is its coat. Both of its parents have a luxurious coat, so this breed’s coat is always luxurious. The texture of the coat may be curly or feathered. The body of this breed is shorter in height than average, but often longer from head to tail thanks to the influence of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. It has darker facial colouring when compared to the marking on its body and often bears shades of red, apricot, black or brown with white markings.

The ears are usually set well above the eyes and often hang low past its chin. The neck is slightly elongated and transitions to its straight back. Its tail is long and usually hangs freely past the hocks. Cavoodles have large, round and expressive eyes that may have hair growing over the top of them from their forehead that can be clipped. Their muzzle is of a short to medium length with a scissor bite, but slightly overshot jaws are common as a result of the influence of short faced Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the background of this breed. When Cavoodles are in motion, they should be free moving and elegant in action, without obstruction and have a good length of stride from a driving rear action as a result of their straight-boned fronts and muscled hindquarters.

Toy and Miniature Cavoodle sizes

Cavoodles come in 2 different sizes as a result of the size of the Poodle used in their heritage.

Miniature – or Mini – Cavoodles

The larger of the 2 sizes who have a Miniature Poodle background and have a height that varies between 33cm and 40cm, although some can reach 45cm at the shoulder with longer legged dogs.

Toy Cavoodles

The smaller type who have a Toy Poodle lineage and have a height of between 28cm and 35cm at the shoulder. As you can see, there is some crossover between the 2 sizes (33 – 35cm), as the exact height of Cavoodles is not a restrictive factor as it would be for a show breed.

In general, the Mini Cavoodles are more of a sporty companion and their longer legs and body allow them to more easily keep up with an owner who likes to go for jogs while the Toy Cavoodle size is less sporty and more akin to a lap dog. Either Mini or Toy size Cavoodles are more than happy to lie around the house and fill the role of a lap dog and hot water bottle! Both are easy going dogs that have the same gentle nature and friendly disposition.