Debating between the Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle? You’re not alone! These two poodle mixes are popular across the world thanks to their adorable looks and lovable personalities!
Adding a four-legged companion to your family is a big decision and it’s important to find a breed that’ll be a good fit for your lifestyle and personality. The Cavapoo and Goldendoodle are two fantastic choices, so let’s talk about their similarities and differences to find out which one is the perfect match for you!
Should You Get a Cavapoo or Goldendoodle? Take the Quiz!
Please keep in mind that this quiz is only meant as a quick reference. As an informed prospective dog owner, please read the entire article and do your research to fully understand your options and make the best decision possible!
Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle: Puppy Selection
Availability / Popularity
Goldendoodles are the most popular variety of poodle mix in the United States. As such, you’ll tend to find more Goldendoodle breeders than you will Cavapoo breeders, Don’t worry too much, as Cavapoos are also fairly popular and not particularly hard to find.
Related: Goldendoodle Rescue Directory: Top 10 LEGIT Adoption Organizations
No matter which you choose a Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo, make sure you are selecting a responsible doodle breeder.
Litter Size
Both the Cavapoo and Goldendoodle litter size can vary widely from 2-10 puppies. As a general rule of thumb, Goldendoodles tend to have 1-2 more puppies per litter than Cavapoos.
Price
Being “designer dogs,” both of these breeds tend to be fairly expensive. Their price depends on a huge number of factors including size, color, location, and breeder reputation. A ballpark average range you’ll pay for either a Goldendoodle or Cavapoo is around $1,500-$2,500.
Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo: Appearance
Size
There are a huge range of Goldendoodle sizes! A “teacup” Goldendoodle can weigh less than 13 pounds and stand as small as 9 inches tall. On the other hand, a large Standard Goldendoodle can weigh up to 85 pounds or more and measure in at 25 inches tall.
Read More: Goldendoodle Size Full Grown: How Big Do Goldendoodles Get? (Teacup, Toy, Mini, Medium, Standard)
Cavapoos are more consistently small in size. There are two Cavapoo sizes—the Toy Cavpoo and the Mini Cavapoo. While there are slight differences in weights and heights of these two sizes, overall a Cavapoo is usually between 7-25 pounds and 12-16 inches tall.
Read More: Cavapoo Size Full Grown: How Big Do Cavapoos Get? (Toy & Mini)
Appearance
Besides their potential size differences, there are a few distinguishing features of the Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle. The ears of the Cavapoo will often be a bit longer and they’ll tend to have slightly shorter snouts thanks to their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heritage.
Colors
Both of these breeds can come in a wide variety of colors including brown, apricot, cream, black, white, chocolate, and more! They can be single colored, bi-colored, or tri-colored. In a litter of dogs, Cavapoo puppies tend to have more color variation than a litter of Goldendoodle puppies would.
Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle: Grooming & Maintenance
Coat
The Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle are very similar when it comes to their coat. The coat of breeds is highly influenced by their generation and how close they are in DNA to a poodle vs a Golden Retriever or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
If you’re looking at the F1 (50/50) Goldendoodle generation or Cavapoo generation, their coats could be straight, wavy, or curly. When you get closer in DNA to a Poodle like the F1B (75/25) or F1BB (87.5/12.5) Cavapoo or Goldendoodle, you’ll see much more consistently curly coats.
Related: Short Goldendoodle Haircut Ideas: 30 Before and After Photos!
Grooming Requirements
Due to their poodle heritage, when it comes to the Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo, frequent grooming is going to be a constant part of your life regardless of your choice. Especially the curlier the coat, the more challenging it will be to keep up with knots and matting.
Related: Cavapoo Haircuts: Before & After Grooming Style Photos!
The best way to prevent matting is frequent brushing. At least every other day is necessary for both the Cavapoo and Goldendoodle, with daily brushing recommended. Not only is brushing frequency important, but the quality of your brush can make a world of difference.
My Goldendoodle has an extremely curly coat and despite daily brushing, he would be matted by each grooming appointment. It wasn’t until I upgraded to the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush that I could keep it completely under control. It’s more expensive than a typical brush, but trust me, this is worth every penny and will save you money in the long run at the groomer!
Shedding & Allergies
Both the Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle are allergy-friendly, but neither is completely hypoallergenic. Since both of these breeds are a mix that includes a breed that isn’t hypoallergenic, there are no guarantees that the resulting puppies will be completely hypoallergenic.
Read More: Do Goldendoodles Shed? The TRUTH About Goldendoodle Shedding
With that being said, usually a Goldendoodle or Cavapoo will shed less overall than a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or a Golden Retriever would. They also tend to be easier for mild allergy sufferers to tolerate.
The most important factor to being low-shedding and allergy-friendly for both of these breeds are their generation. The closer they are to a purebred Poodle, the more likely they are to be hypoallergenic and non-shedding.
The best generations of Cavapoos and Goldendoodles for allergy suffers in order from best to worst are F1BB, F2BB, F1B, F2B, F1 / F2 / F3. Again, keep in mind that genetics are tough to predict and can not be guaranteed.
Read More: Goldendoodle Generations Explained (F1, F1B, F1BB, F2, F2B, F2BB, F3, Multigen)
Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo: Temperament
Personality
Both the Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle have sweet, friendly, affectionate temperaments. They are extremely loving and easily make friends wherever they go! Because of that, they don’t make fantastic guard dogs but Goldendoodles will be a bit more likely to bark at potential intruders…even if it’s in excitement!
Both of these breeds become very attached and can easily develop separation anxiety. While training can help combat this, they’re best suited for families where someone is home frequently throughout the day.
Activity Level
Activity level is one big difference between the Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle. Goldendoodles need lots of exercise to stay healthy and happy—an hour minimum. Without proper exercise, Goldendoodles can become overly hyper and destructive. Fetch and other physically-exerting games are also recommended.
Cavapoos, on the other hand, require much more moderate exercise. A half hour walk each day is sufficient to keep them happy. The rest of the day can be spent snuggling and relaxing.
Trainability
While they’re both highly intelligent, the Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo are also both eager to please. This makes them fairly easy to train and a good fit for new owners.
One thing to take note of for both of these breeds is making sure they get proper mental stimulation. Daily walks, obedience training, and other fun brain training activities for dogs will help keep them out of mischief!
Good with Kids & Pets?
Both the Cavapoo and Goldendoodle are great family dogs and tend to get along well with both kids and pets. Keep in mind that Cavapoos are very small dogs, and Teacup/Toy Goldendoodles can be as well. So it’s important to teach children to handle them with care and avoid roughhousing.
Sometimes, larger dogs can be better for young children as they’re less likely to accidentally get accidentally injured by an overexcited or uncoordinated child.
Cavapoo vs Goldendoodle: Health & Wellness
Life Span
In the debate between a Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo, this is one area where the Cavapoo has an advantage. Due to the Golden Retriever’s shorter lifespan of 10-12 years, Goldendoodles will live on average between 10-15 years. The Cavapoo will live on average a few years longer, between 12-15 years!
Potential Illnesses
While both of these breeds benefit from the health advantages that mixed breeds enjoy from their genetic diversity, there are still common health issues to be on the lookout for in the Goldendoodle vs Cavapoo.
Common health problems in Cavapoos include mitral valve disease, luxating patella, progressive retinal; atrophy, and ear infections.
Goldendoodle health problems often can include hip dysplasia, atropic dermatitis, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, as well as frequent ear infections.
Regardless of breed, many of these health issues can be expensive and come without warning. That’s why I recommend all new dog owners invest in quality pet insurance which can cover up to 90% of veterinary bills for accidents and injuries. I personally use Healthy Paws and find that they offer a great combination of low prices and exceptional coverage.
Should you get a Goldendoodle or Cavapoo? The conclusion…
- If you’re looking for a smaller dog, a Cavapoo may be a better fit unless you specifically opt for a Teacup or Toy Goldendoodle.
- Cavapoos require significantly less exercise and are better for those with sedentary to moderate activity levels.
- A larger Goldendoodle may be a better choice for families with small kids or those looking for a better watchdog.
- Cavapoos tend to live a few years longer on average.
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