Mini Cavoodle Guide: Size, Price, Temperament, Lifespan etc.

Mini Cavoodles (AKA Mini Cavapoos or Mini Cavadoodles) are a designer dog breed, the result of breeding a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a Miniature Poodle. Their friendly, playful nature paired with their tiny size that is suited to apartment living makes them highly sought after, fetching high prices!

If you are interested in Mini Cavoodles keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

Cover Image Credit: Photo by Maheshwar Reddy on Pexels.

What Is A Mini Cavoodle?

A Mini Cavoodle is the second largest Cavoodle size, made by breeding a Mini Poodle with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Mini Cavoodles have round faces with long, floppy ears and a low shedding short to medium length wavy or curly coat. They come in many colours such as red, white, apricot, cream, black, silver and beige. Mini Cavoodles are the size between the Toy and Standard Cavoodles.

Characteristics

Mini Cavoodle Characteristics
Size	30cm to 40cm tall at the shoulder.
Weight	8kg to 12kg.
Temperament	Friendly, affectionate, playful
Activity Levels	Moderate to High
Exercise Requirements	Moderate
Lifespan	12 to 15 years
Coat	Wavy or curly single coat
Shedding	Light
Apartment Adaptability	High
Good with Children	Yes

Size

Mini Cavoodles are a small sized dog and are the second largest Cavapoo size. Their small size makes them a very manageable dog breed as they can be easily picked up and transported in the car via travel crate or with a dog seat belt etc. As Mini Cavoodles are a small sized dog they are a good companion for both the young and old.

How Big Does A Mini Cavoodle Get?

Mini Cavoodles get to 30cm to 40cm tall at the shoulder and weigh between 8kg and 12kg when fully grown. They are considered to be a small dog breed.

When Is A Mini Cavoodle Fully Grown?

Mini Cavoodles stop growing around between 10 and 11 months of age however some keep growing until just after 1 year of age. As a mixed breed dog, there is a lot of size variation between Mini Cavoodles which affects their growth patterns. Usually Mini Cavoodles get to half their adult size between 4 and 5 months of age.

Temperament

Mini Cavoodles have a very friendly and affectionate temperament. They love spending time with the family whether that is snuggling up on the couch to watch TV or participating in games or exercise. They are very cuddly but also very playful breed. Mini Cavoodles are suited to both apartment and house living due to their smaller size however still require a medium amount of exercise daily.

Are Mini Cavapoos Easy To Train?

Yes, Mini Cavoodles are relatively easy to train. They are quite intelligent due to their Poodle genes which means that they pick up new tricks and commands quickly. Mini Cavoodles are also very eager to impress their owners which motivates them to learn new things. Mini Cavoodles do best with positive reinforcement training with treats or their favourite toys.

Are Mini Cavoodles Territorial?

No, Mini Cavoodles are generally not territorial. They hardly ever show signs of aggression except in the situation where they feel threatened that someone may take away their food. They may display territorial aggression if someone threatening or dangerous came into their house.

Are Mini Cavoodles Yappy?

Yes, Mini Cavoodles are somewhat yappy. They bark much more than the Standard size Cavoodle. Like other small dog breed, Mini Cavoodles can feel threatened by larger dogs or unfamiliar situations which can prompt barking. They may also yap to get attention if they are feeling stressed or lonely.

Are Mini Cavoodles Velcro Dogs?

Mini Cavoodles can be velcro dogs due to their genetics that make them inclined to be very people-oriented. A velcro dog is a very clingy dog that always wants to be by their owners side when they are around. They often suffer from separation anxiety when their owner is not home.

Lifespan

On average, Mini Cavooodles live for 12 to 15 years. They have the longest life expectancy of all Cavapoo sizes. This is because smaller sized dogs generally live longer and because Mini Cavoodles aren’t so small that they have size related health issues like Teacup Cavoodles.

Shedding

Do Mini Cavoodles Shed?

Mini Cavoodles do not shed much at all and are classified as a light shedding dog breed. No dog can be completely non-shedding and a Mini Cavoodle is one of the breeds that comes pretty close to that definition. Mini Cavoodles with a higher percentage of Poodle genes shed even less than a 50/50 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross.

Are Mini Cavoodles Hypoallergenic?

Mini Cavoodles are classified as a hypoallergenic dog breed as they produce only a minimal amount of allergy inducing dander (dead skin cells). As they don’t shed much, they don’t release much dander that falls out along with their hair into the environment in comparison to other dogs. Mini Cavoodles with a higher percentage of Poodle genes are slightly more hypoallergenic than 50/50 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle crosses.

Generations

As Mini Cavoodles are a cross breed, there are many different generations that have a different percentage mix of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to Poodle. The most common generations are F1, F1b, F1bb and F2. The number following the “F” refers to the generation e.g. 1st generation, 2nd generation etc. The “b” following the number indicates that it is a cross back generation where the Mini Cavoodle has been bred back to a Miniature Poodle.

F1 Mini Cavoodle

A F1 Mini Cavoodle is the first generation. It is produced by breeding a purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a purebred Miniature Poodle. A F1 Mini Cavoodle is 50% Mini Poodle and 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

F1b Mini Cavoodle

A F1b Mini Cavoodle is the first generation cross-back breed. It is produced by breeding a F1 Mini Cavoodle with a purebred Mini Poodle. A F1b Mini Cavoodle is 75% Miniature Poodle and 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The purpose of cross-backing a Mini Cavoodle is to produce puppies with a curlier, more hypoallergenic coat.

F1bb Mini Cavoodle

A F1bb Mini Cavoodle is produced by breeding a F1b Mini Cavoodle with a purebred Mini Poodle. They are 87.5% Miniature Poodle and 12.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The F1bb Mini Cavoodle is one of the most hypoallergenic versions of the Miniature Cavoodle and has the curliest coat.

F2 Mini Cavoodle

A F2 Mini Cavoodle is the second generation. It is produced by breeding a F1 Mini Cavoodle with another F1 Mini Cavoodle. A F2 Mini Cavoodle is 50% Miniature Poodle and 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Training

Mini Cavoodles are very intelligent so they respond very well to training. You should start teaching your Mini Cavoodle basic commands such as their name, sit, stay and come from the moment they arrive home. You can then progress to more difficult tricks and commands.

When training your dog it is important to use positive reinforcement techniques as dogs repeat good behavior when it is followed by a reward such as a treat or their favorite toy. Clicker training is another type of positive reinforcement training that is a good method for learning new tricks. You use a clicker device so your dog can associate a new behavior with a click and then a reward.

Exercise Needs

As Mini Cavoodles are smaller than Standard Cavoodles s they do not require as much exercise but that does not mean that they don’t need any exercise at all. They are moderate to high energy dog, so need between 30 minutes and an hour of exercise each day. Mini Cavoodles enjoy going on walks, running and playing games. Mental exercise is also required so they don’t get bored and destructive.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Mini Cavoodles have a sweet nature and are eager to please.
Mini Cavoodles do not shed much and are hypoallergenic.
Mini Cavoodles are a small size which is very cute and adorable.
Mini Cavoodles are very intelligent so they are easy to train.

Cons

Mini Cavoodles can suffer from separation anxiety and may be clingy.
Mini Cavoodles can be hyper.
Mini Cavoodles are not suited to families with very young children as they are a delicate and fragile dog breed.
Mini Cavoodles need regular grooming which can be costly.

Mini Cavoodle vs Toy Cavoodle

The main difference between a Mini Cavoodle and a Toy Cavoodle is size. Toy Cavoodles are a size smaller than Mini Cavoodles. Toy Cavoodles get to about 30cm tall and weigh between 5kg and 8kg while Mini Cavoodles get to 30cm to 40cm tall and weigh 8kg to 12kg. There isn’t really any difference in temperament between a Toy and Miniature Cavoodle.

Cavoodle Size Comparison

	Height	Weight
Teacup Cavoodle	20cm to 25cm	3.5kg to 7kg
Toy Cavoodle	Approx. 30cm	5kg to 8kg
Miniature Cavoodle	30cm to 40cm	8kg to 12kg
Standard Cavoodle	40cm to 45cm	12kg to 18kg