What is a Cavapoo, and what is an F1B Cavapoo?

What do F1 and F1B mean?

They're generation labels. F1 means the first generation of a cross between purebred parents of different breeds, and breeders add a B, for backcross, when that first generation is bred back to one of its parent breeds.

• F1 Cavapoo. A Cavalier bred to a Poodle, so about half of each.
• F1B Cavapoo. An F1 Cavapoo crossed back to a Poodle, so about three quarters Poodle.

These letters aren't official, so they mean what the breeder says they mean. A good question for any breeder, us included, is which parents sit behind the label on a particular puppy. The family tree is also only half the story, because the genes each puppy actually inherits are dealt fresh every time.

How are our F1B Cavapoos bred?

Our F1B Cavapoo litters have a Miniature Poodle for a papa.

No pairing here happens by accident. Where we have DNA results for a mama and papa, they help us plan the colors a litter may carry, and we are working toward health testing all of our mamas and papas, with the certificates we have posted on each parent's page. Our F1B Cavapoos are expected to weigh 13 to 15 lbs as grown dogs, and our Cavapoo size guide explains where that estimate comes from.

Each one we have available is on our F1B Cavapoo page with its mama and papa named, and the plain Cavapoos are on the Cavapoo page.

Do Cavapoos shed?

Every Cavapoo sheds some, and how much depends on a handful of coat genes each puppy inherits. A few genes account for most of the coat types you see in dogs, and one of them in particular is tied to shedding.

That gene is the one to know. One form of it gives a dog furnishings, the beard and eyebrows of a Poodle-type coat, and low-shedding breeds such as the Poodle carry two copies. A parent with two copies passes furnishings to every puppy, a parent with one copy passes it to about half, and a parent without it has none to give.

A Cavalier has a silky coat without curl, and a Poodle a curly coat with a harsher feel, so a Cavapoo can take after either side. Littermates don't always match, and nobody can promise a particular puppy a low-shedding coat.

Is a Cavapoo hypoallergenic?

No dog is, and a Cavapoo is no exception. There's no such thing as a dog breed that causes no allergies. The protein that sets off the reaction comes from saliva, dander and urine, and the length of the coat has nothing to do with it.

Coat samples tell the same story. When researchers measured the main dog allergen, they found higher levels on breeds sold as hypoallergenic, including Poodles and Labradoodles, than on other dogs, while the air in their homes held about the same amount.

If anyone in your household has dog allergies, see an allergist before you commit to any puppy, ours included.

What is a Cavapoo like to live with?

Friendly and happiest near its people, if the parent breeds are a guide. A Cavalier should be friendly and gentle, never nervous or shy, and a Poodle is very active and smart.

Energy is where the parents part ways. Poodles of every size need good exercise every day, while a Cavalier enjoys moderate exercise and is just as glad to spend the day on the sofa. A Cavapoo can take after either one, and the personality you see at pick time is a better clue than the label.

One piece of Cavalier advice is worth keeping for any Cavapoo. Cavaliers keep a spaniel's nose and may not come when called once they've found a trail, so use a leash and a fenced yard. Our guide to picking a puppy covers how we help you choose.