Spoodle Vs. Cavoodle – What’s The Difference?

A Spoodle, also called a Cockapoo, is a designer that is a cross between a purebred Toy Poodle and a purebred Cocker Spaniel.

In comparison, a Cavoodle is a cross between a purebred Toy Poodle and a purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This designer breed is also sometimes known as a Cavapoo.

Temperament and Behavior

Cavoodles are typically calm, quiet dogs that love nothing more than to stay close to their human family. In fact, this breed can be prone to separation anxiety if left home alone in a crate for long periods of time.

Spoodles are affectionate, loving pets. However, they can also be clingy and get stressed if left alone for too long.

Both these breeds are great for kids, seniors, and couples. The Spoodle is likely to be the livelier and more playful of the two breeds.

Size and Average Weight

Both the Spoodle and the Cavoodle are small dog breeds.

The Spoodle typically measures between 23cm to 46cm in height and weighs between 5.4kg and 11kg. Cavoodles are similar in size, weighing between 5kg and 12kg and standing from 30cm to 35cm tall. Although the two dogs look similar, the Spoodle usually has a slightly longer face than the Cavoodle.

That said, the adult size of the dog depends on the size of its Poodle parent.

Coat Type And Shedding

Since both the Spoodle and the Cavoodle have Poodle parentage, they are typically very low-shedding dogs. Thus, both breeds are a good choice for homes with allergy sufferers and pet parents who hate vacuuming!

Some Oodles have curly coats, whereas others have a straight coat.

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Grooming Requirements

Although neither breed is a heavy shedder, you still need to brush your Spoodle or Cavoodle often to prevent matting.

Generally, curly coats need to be brushed more frequently than straight coats, as a curly coat is more prone to mats and tangles.

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Coat Type And Colour Choices

Both breeds come in a wide range of colours.

Spoodles and Cavoodles can be black, tan, white, silver, cream, red, roan, or beige. These dogs can also be bi or tri-coloured.

Although the puppy’s colour doesn’t change completely as it matures, dark red pups of both breeds often fade to a paler chestnut colour as they reach adulthood.

Exercise Requirements

Although both breeds are quite small dogs, they do need daily exercise in the form of walks or interactive games in your backyard.

Of the two breeds, the Spoodle is often the more energetic of the two, requiring more exercise than the laidback Cavoodle.

Spoodle Vs. Cavoodle: Health Issues

Most mixed breed dogs are known to be generally healthier than their purebred cousins, and that applies to Spoodles and Cavoodles.

Both these breeds typically enjoy a long life expectancy of between 12 and 15 years, although some can live longer.

 

However, there are a few health conditions that both breeds can suffer from.

Spoodles can be prone to:

•       Eye problems, including cataracts
•       Skin allergies
•       Hip dysplasia
•       Ear infections
•       Luxating patellar
•       Liver disease

Cavoodles can suffer from:

•       Eye problems, including cataracts
•       Hip dysplasia
•       Epilepsy
•       Chiari-like malformation (CM) & Syringomyelia (SM)
•       Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease (DMVD)

Given these health issues, it is worth considering pet insurance when thinking about buying a Spoodle or Cavoodle breed.

Training

Thanks to their Poodle parentage, both Spoodles and Cavoodles are relatively easy to train.

Early socialisation and training are recommended to ensure that your adult pet is a well-adjusted, obedient dog.

Diet And Nutrition

Both Spoodles and Cavoodles do best when fed a high-quality kibble (dried food). Crunching on kibble helps remove plaque from the dog’s teeth, which can form tartar, leading to gingivitis and dental disease later in the dog’s life.

Be sure to give your dog plenty of exercise to keep him fit and in good shape, and avoid overfeeding your pet as that can lead to obesity and its associated health problems.

Price

These days, designer breeds, including Spoodles and Cavoodles, are incredibly popular. For that reason, puppies are expensive to buy.

You can expect to pay anything from $2,500 to $5,000 for a well-bred Spoodle puppy. A Cavoodle pup will set you back from $2,500 to $6,000 or even more.

Beware Puppy Farms!

Never be tempted to buy a cheap puppy! A low price is usually a sure sign that the puppy comes from a puppy farm. Puppy farms are in business solely to churn out as many puppies as possible in as short a time period as possible, generating maximum profit for the breeders.

The breeding dogs at puppy farms are usually kept in very poor conditions, and they aren’t health-screened or even vaccinated. This leads to many puppies coming up with genetic defects and diseases.

Summary:

Spoodles and Cavoodles are adorable dogs that can make excellent family pets. These small pups are light shedders and have a friendly, loving temperament. There are lots of colours to choose from, too!

Both these breeds are pretty trainable and tend to enjoy good health and a long life expectancy. However, you do need to brush your dog regularly to prevent his curly coat from matting. Also, both breeds need sufficient daily exercise to keep them happy and healthy.

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