Do Cavapoos Shed? Cavapoo is a popular crossbreed dog with some of the best traits from both of their parents Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle. These pups being playful and curious considered as wonderful family pets.
This lovable dog breed is supposed to be hypoallergenic and this might be the reason you are wondering do Cavapoos shed?
As a Cavapoo is a mixed breed so it is difficult to say a yes or a no to this question. One parent Cavalier Charles Spaniel sheds very often while second parent Poodle rarely sheds.
In this article, we will discuss the shedding of Cavapoos fur and coats and how their traits line up with both of their parent breeds.
Do Cavapoos Shed Their Fur and Coats? What You Can Do About It?
Shedding usually depends on the type of fur a Cavapoo has. However, adult Cavapoos need professional grooming after every four to six weeks.
If a Cavapoo coat is like King Charles Spaniels (shorter and wavier), it is likely to shed more just like Bulldogs, Boston Terrier, & Pitbulls. In contrast, a Cavapoo with Poodle fur traits will shed less. Still, a Cavapoo Rosie with a poodle-coat sheds enough to overfed your vacuum.
1) What Does It Mean by Hypoallergenic Dog Breed?
Hypoallergenic dog breeds or crossbreeds are those who are less allergic to people. Usually, allergens are caused by dander through hair shedding.
Cavapoos are well-known for minimal shedding and are considered to be one of the popular hypoallergenic breeds.
2) Do Cavapoos Shed Excessively?
Cavapoos are widely referred to as hypoallergenic breeds but they cannot be considered as 100% non-shedding.
A Cavapoo pup is likely to shed when it reaches the stage of adulthood, however commonly, a Cavapoo sheds while grooming.
A Cavapoo with King Charles Spaniel fur traits shed more as compared to poodles due to straight, long coats throughout their body. It sheds only at random instances of the 12 months which include mostly the converting of the seasons.
The quantity of hair shed will rely upon how frequently the Cavapoo is groomed. Cavapoos that take after the poodle parent, get a curly coat which is low shedding and mostly thick at front and tail.
However, this may end up as trouble in case you permit this kind of Cavapoo’s fur to become disheveled or clumped. Make sure you get this kind of coat specially groomed often with a hairbrush or by an expert groomer.
3) Why Do Cavapoos Shed?
As I told you earlier, the hypoallergenic argument does not occur naturally in this breed. To be honest, I think this popular topic is probably due to the high quality of the fur this breed has, which comes from proper care.
You should remember that there is no second opinion to the fact that every dog breed loses hair throughout their life span. Cavapoos shed hair at different stages of life, usually when the weather turns cold to warm and vice versa.
As a Cavapoo is a cross, people believe that they shed more than they are supposed to shed.
To better understand Cavapoos shedding, let’s first talk about their parent breeds!
A) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel:
Spaniels are sweet and affectionate. What makes them special is the beauty of the fur they have. They have a radiant, lustrous, and silky coat which is droopy around the ears and flowy long at the rest of the body.
A Cavapoo usually exhibits this spaniel trait on the back and tail area. If your Cavapoo has fine and long hair around the face and neck, it shows that your dog has dominant spaniel traits and is likely to shed more.
B) Miniature Poodle:
Miniature poodles have a soft, wavy, and woolly fur coat. The fur gets tangled in the surrounding instead of shedding out. As the hair is curly and bushy, the length remains short.
If your Cavapoo has more poodle-like hair you will be happy to know that he will not shed like spaniels. A Cavapoo with dominant poodle traits sheds in spring to throw away bushy winter fur.
C) Generational breeding of Cavapoos:
Cavapoo’s parents are well known as the P generation. Most breeders introduce two kinds of Cavapoos.
- F1 Cavapoos: 50% Spaniel & 50% Poodle
- F1b Cavapoos: 25% Spaniel & 75% Poodle
4) Do Cavapoos Shed? Different Life Stages of Cavapoos:
A Cavapoo pup initiates shedding when it hit 6 months of age and continues shedding throughout his life.
You can guess the amount of shedding by looking at which parent traits are dominant in your Cavapoo. It is quite easy to know because a six-month-old pup clearly exhibits genetic characteristics.
Therefore, all you have to do is to observe the appearance of a puppy’s fur to understand the characteristics of spaniel or poodle breeds.
Once a puppy is 6 months old, the silky and soft fur begins to shed quickly. Presumably, this will make room for thick, sturdy coats that will last for years and will respond to growth or clumping based on the dog’s general health.
Cavapoos typically live from 12-15 years, so you can expect your dog to get 10-12 years older. The fur coats in older dogs can become tangled and weak so, there is a need to brush your dog’s hair more often to keep them healthy and radiant.
A) When Do Cavapoos Lose Their Puppy Fur?
As your Cavapoo pup becomes a 6-month-old, you will notice that they start shedding their fur naturally. This shedding can continue for few months until the new and thick fur becomes more visible.
With time, as your Cavapoo grows, you will observe that shedding frequency reduces and lead to increased hair growth. You will be happy when your dog’s permanent and shiny coat will be evident.
B) Do Cavapoos Shed More at Older Age?
Naturally, dogs change their coats as they get older. But, this change of coating is mostly visible only when a puppy to adult conversion occurs in dogs.
Aside from seasonal shedding in spring and winter, a Cavapoos fur looks different when it gets older.
As human hair gets dull and thin in old age, a dog’s coat also loses its strength and vibrance when the dog is in the final stages of its life.
In old age, coat thinning and shedding can be reduced by brushing your Cavapoo regularly along with maintaining their nutrition and exercise.
C) When Do Cavapoos Shed Excessively in Their Life?
Hair shedding happens the most when a puppy enters adulthood. The amount of shedding depends upon the dominant parent’s genes. Overall, canines shed excessively in the initial weeks of spring and autumn once a puppy becomes an adult dog.
In spring, Cavapoos shed their long hair and keep the shorter hair to stay comfortable in warmer months. While in fall, Cavapoos shed shorter hair and grows longer hair to uphold warmth in colder months.
No matter if you have a poodle type, this type of shedding occurs overall. Poodle hairs are inheritably short and curly and this is the reason their coat doesn’t look very long in fall and winters also.
5) Can Bathing Products Cause Shedding in Cavapoos?
Dog’s skin can easily get irritated by bathing products. If you observe unusual shedding in your Cavapoo, it can be due to the bathing products you might be using for them. Itching and scratching increase hair shedding.
It is very important to keep in mind while bathing your Cavapoo that bathing can accelerate hair shedding. Apart from cleaning your Cavapoo pup, if you bathe him frequently, he will be able to grow a new coat of hair very soon.
If a bathing product is irritating your pup, the hair shed will not seem to be normal. Make sure to use chemical-free non-irritating shampoo to keep him safe.
6) How to Reduce Shedding of Cavapoos?
The best practice to keep your Cavapoo away from excessive shedding is regular grooming. Being a mixed breed, Cavapoo’s hair can easily get tangled and dull if you don’t take care of them.
The more are the hair clumps, the more will be the hair shedding. You can apply the following steps to reduce the shedding of your Cavapoo:
A) Brushing:
Choose a brush with soft bristles so that your dog enjoys brushing. Brushing gently removes the loose and dead hair clumps out of your dog’s fur without breaking additional hair from the roots.
Moreover, good-quality brushes can also remove dirt and hackles that show up on top of your canine and leave the hair flowy, shiny, and untangled.
B) Frequent Bathing:
Cavapoo pups are very lively so you can bathe them more often. Bathing not only helps to nourish your dog’s skin but also prevents his hair from clumping.
While choosing bathing products for your pup, make sure to buy ones that are chemical-free and gentle on the dog’s skin.
Bathing and brushing are only ways to keep your Cavapoos fur healthy, shiny, untangled, and yes less shedding.
Conclusion:
As you know this dog breed does shed, but the amount of hair shedding depends on the dominant parent traits. Cavapoos shed their hair at different life stages. Cavapoos with spaniel hair shed more than Cavapoos with poodle hair.
Regular bathing and grooming can effectively help to reduce shedding in Cavapoos. Your canine is not able to do his own grooming but you must not forget about his shiny, healthy, and adorable look!