The Cavapoo is a personable, friendly fluffball of a dog. A cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle, from a young age, the Cavapoo typically exhibits the KC Spaniel’s lapdog friendliness and the Poodle’s intelligence and agility.
But are Cavapoo puppies easy to train? In this blog post, this is precisely what we’re going to be taking a look at. So, keep reading to find out more about the friendly fluffball that is the Cavapoo!
So Are Cavapoo Puppies Easy to Train?
Yes – the Cavapoo breed’s loyal and friendly nature makes most Cavapoo puppies very easy to train, even from a young age.
What is the Cavapoo like?
The Cavapoo is a friendly, loyal and docile dog. Cavapoos are eager to please and love nothing more than to show off tricks and skills to family and friends!
The Cavapoo isn’t one of the most popular family dogs for no reason – a Cavapoo puppy wants nothing more than to spend all day with its favorite people.
Though this loyalty can make a Cavapoo prone to developing separation anxiety if you aren’t careful, a Cavapoo puppy’s sociability is one of the things that makes this dog so easy to train!
Are Cavapoo puppies easy to toilet train?
Small breed dogs are notorious for having problems with toilet training. To what extent does the Cavapoo have these problems?
To a certain extent, yes – the Cavapoo has a small bladder. However, as long as you take your Cavapoo out regularly, your Cavapoo puppy should quickly pick up on what to do. The Cavapoo only really becomes capable of full toilet training at around 6 months.
If you watch your Cavapoo puppy closely during the day, they should give you some signs that it needs to relieve themselves. So just look out for your Cavapoo puppy hanging out near the door, scratching the door, whining or barking, or doing a little dance.
Make sure you restrict your Cavapoo’s access to any houseplants. For example, put the plants on a table or move them out of the room. This will prevent your Cavapoo from becoming confused about where their toilet is.
Many owners of small dogs like the Cavapoo find puppy pads very helpful for toilet training. With puppy pads, your Cavapoo can start off relieving themselves on a pad in the house, then you gradually move the pad towards the door, then outside.
Do Cavapoo puppies listen well?
The Cavapoo is a people-oriented dog that wants nothing more than to make people happy. Cavapoos love spending time with people. Because of this, the Cavapoo is excellent at paying attention when you train them.
Cavapoos are great at looking at you and watching what you do. So, use voice commands and hand signals with your Cavapoo puppy to get the best training results.
When should I start training my Cavapoo puppy?
The jury’s out on how old Cavapoo puppies ought to be before you start training with them. Some people say that this intelligent breed can begin to pick up on the meanings of your commands at only a few months old, while other owners say they notice progress at around the six-month mark.
With skills like potty training and tricks like rolling over, of course, you really have to wait until your Cavapoo puppy’s body has matured enough for them to be able to do things like these properly.
You can start trying to train your Cavapoo puppy as soon as it knows its name and responds to your voice. But, of course, it also helps if you know what your Cavapoo’s favorite treats are!
How quickly do Cavapoo puppies learn?
Whether you’re toilet training your Cavapoo or teaching it a command like “Sit” or “Stay,” the Cavapoo picks up training very quickly. You can coach your Cavapoo in simple commands like “Paw” and “Sit” in one day, while more complicated commands like “Roll Over” or “Crawl” can take your Cavapoo anywhere from 3 days to a week to learn.
How should I train my Cavapoo puppy?
The Cavapoo is still a recent, inconsistent breed and Cavapoos are often sensitive. Because of this, the best way to train your Cavapoo puppy is to use positive reinforcement and voice or hand commands. Avoid the use of aversive methods.
Being a small dog, some Cavapoo puppies are prone to becoming overweight. Taking this into account, it’s a good idea to limit the use of treats during training.
If you use foods like cheese (a food that many owners say their Cavapoo loves!), keep these treats as a reward for the most strenuous commands. You can also use your Cavapoo puppy’s kibble as training treats if you feed your Cavapoo dry food.
That being said, if you do find that your Cavapoo puppy is especially food-motivated, training them using the treats they like best will allow you to master even the most advanced of skills at an early age.
Another option is to use a clicker with your Cavapoo. Simply click the clicker any time your Cavapoo carries out a desirable behavior, and you’ll have your pooch Crufts-worthy in no time! Clickers also work incredibly well for a dog who is being trained by several people.
Take care when physically manipulating or carrying your Cavapoo puppy. Even a fully-grown Cavapoo dog is delicate at the best of times. Try to show your Cavapoo what you want it to do, rather than moving or pushing them around too much.
However, some Cavapoos have the agility of the Poodle. In this case, these Cavapoos can have higher energy requirements than the average Cavapoo puppy, and may need to be walked for longer. If your Cavapoo is like this, try training them to do more active tricks, like spinning, jumping, or rolling over.
Your Cavapoo will love getting the opportunity to burn off their energy, and tricks like these also make good pre-walkies warmup options!
Watch your Cavapoo puppy throughout training. If they lie down frequently, yawn a lot, or try to wander off, this could be a sign that your Cavapoo puppy is confused or tired. If this happens, go ahead and end the training session on a high with a fun game.
So, are Cavapoo puppies easy to train?
Yes – the Cavapoo breed’s loyal and friendly nature makes most Cavapoo puppies very easy to train, even from a young age. In addition, the intelligence your Cavapoo puppy inherits from the Poodle is another factor in how quickly your Cavapoo puppy can begin to understand your commands.
That being said, with the Cavapoo still being a new breed, Cavapoos can be inconsistent. Additionally, the Cavapoo’s size isn’t the only thing that varies considerably; there’s no guarantee that every Cavapoo will have all of these traits.
Every Cavapoo is unique and has their own personality. Some Cavapoos pick skills up with ease, while others need a few more sessions practicing the same skill. Some Cavapoo puppies do best with voice commands and hand signals, while others thrive on clicker training. It’s up to you to try out a variety of different methods and find out what works for you!
