There are so many Poodle crossbreeds out there these days, so how can anybody tell the difference? The Cavapoo and the Maltipoo are undoubtedly two of the most popular Poodle crossbreeds. However, which of the two is smaller – Cavapoo vs Maltipoo? What kind of coat do they have?
Which dog suits what purpose, and why were both dogs bred? Well, in this blog post, we answer all of these questions and more! So, if you want to learn more about the two cute balls of fluff that are the Cavapoo and the Maltipoo, read on!
The Cavapoo and Maltipoo are pretty similar dogs, they’re both Poodle crossbreeds, and they both have similar personalities and traits. But the Cavapoo is the larger of the two dogs with a straighter coat, while the Maltipoo is a smaller fluffball of a lapdog.
What is the Cavapoo like?
The Cavapoo is a cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle. The breed was developed in the late 1990s as a hypoallergenic family dog. Cavapoos can reach an adult height anywhere from 9 to 14 inches and weigh from 12 to 25 pounds.
What is the Maltipoo like?
The Maltipoo is a mix between the Poodle and the Maltese dog instead. The Maltipoo/Maltepoo was first bred as a hypoallergenic companion dog roughly 30 years ago. On par with the Cavapoo, MaltIpoos typically stand at 8 to 14 inches and weigh from 5 to 20 pounds.
What is the Cavapoo bred for?
As we touched upon earlier, the Cavapoo was first bred in the latter half of the 1990s. When creating the Cavapoo, breeders wanted to combine the sociable yet calm personality of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the smartness and unique, low-allergen coat of the Poodle.What is the Maltipoo bred for?
As we mentioned above, the Maltipoo is a recently-created companion breed. Hailing from the United States, the Maltipoo takes the small-size and playful, boisterous, companionable nature of the Maltese dog and combines it with the curly, allergen-free coat of the Poodle to form one of the best modern lapdogs.
What does the Cavapoo look like?
Just like the fluffball Poodle from which they were bred, Cavapoos often have very curly coats. However, wavy Cavapoos are also common. A Cavapoo’s coat color can be solid white, chestnut, gold, chocolate, fawn, cream, or even two or three of these colors at once! Chestnut and white are the most common colors.
Being a young and inconsistent dog breed, the Cavapoo’s size varies greatly. Some Cavapoos are lapdogs or even handbag dogs, while others are on par with the Poodle.
What does the Maltipoo look like?
Though both the Poodle and the Maltese are known for their stunning, bright white coats, a Maltipoo’s coat can actually feature a diverse range of colors.
Cream, white, and silver are among the most common colors. Like their Poodle forefathers, Maltipoos often have extremely curly coats. But, coats that are merely slightly wavy are also common.
Cavapoo dog versus Maltipoo: Who barks the most?
The Poodle has a long history as a hunting dog, traversing hills and dales, even swimming, without tiring. However, unlike other hunting dogs, Poodles do not typically bark as they chase down their prey. And you might think that it’s the Cavapoo that barks the most, with their Poodle prey drive and alertness combined with the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel’s hunting background, too.
But, perhaps surprisingly, the Maltipoo is generally regarded as the louder dog. Maybe it’s that protective Maltese alert-barking tendency – Maltese and Maltipoos love to get up high and survey their surroundings from a vantage point in the home, barking if they see anything strange.
How does the Cavapoo act?
The Cavapoo definitely has the Poodle’s intelligence. A Cavapoo is easy to train and listens well to commands. What the Cavapoo loves most is to get praise from its favorite people! The Cavapoo also has the Poodle’s agility. If you take your Cavapoo to agility or any other dog sports, watch them have a whale of a time as they fly around!
With the Cavalier’s undying loyalty, the Cavapoo has a tendency to get very attached to people. But this attachment can sometimes lead to separation anxiety if you’re not careful.
Unbelievably friendly, the Cavapoo will show off their best tricks for friends and strangers alike. Cavapoos will even greet burglars with a wagging tail!
How does the Maltipoo act?
The Maltipoo is way more of a couch potato than the Cavapoo. A true lapdog, the Maltipoo loves nothing more than to cuddle on the couch with you. That being said, Maltipoos do have an active side. Most Maltipoos enjoy a daily walk around the block with their owners, while others even relish hours of fetch!
Friendly yet alert, your Maltipoo will be the first to let you know of anything even remotely suspicious going on, whether this is a caller to the home or just an errant piece of trash flying by! Maltipoos get this alertness from their Maltese side.
Cavapoo vs Maltipoo Life Span: What’s their Life Expectancy?
As crossbreeds, both the Cavapoo and the Maltipoo are healthy dogs. This is because they take the health benefits from their two breeds over the health problems.
Life expectancy, then, depends entirely on a dog’s immediate parents. Surveying their medical history will give you the clues you need to get an idea of a Cavapoo’s or Maltipoo’s health. However, Maltipoos appear to have a negligibly better life expectancy than a Cavapoo.
How can I look after my Cavapoo?
Both the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and the Poodle are dogs with long ears. Because of this, many Cavapoos are prone to problems with their ears. However, you can prevent most problems by investigating your Cavapoo’s ears daily. Lift your Cavapoo’s ear flaps up, and you can inspect them for dirt and debris.
Did you know that Cavapoos are also prone to weight gain? This is more common in smaller Cavapoos. If left unaddressed, excess weight can quickly lead to heart issues in your Cavapoo.
But thankfully, preventing excess weight gain in your Cavapoo is easy. Simply make sure to take your Cavapoo for a long half-hour walk every day, accompanied by plenty of active play.
How can I look after my Maltipoo?
The Maltipoo has a soft, silky coat that they inherit from the Maltese dog. Though this coat can get thick and curly, don’t be fooled – Maltipoos should not live outdoors, irrespective of however much they may want to. Instead, let your intelligent cuddle-bug Maltipoo live indoors with you, where they can snuggle down on your lap and impress the household with their best tricks!
A smart and cunning dog, you don’t want to discover what a bored Maltipoo can do! So, keep your Maltipoo occupied by offering them plenty of training. Burn off your Maltipoo’s energy by giving them 15 minutes of exercise every day, too. Some Fetch in the yard, park, or even just the hallway is enough to poop your Maltipoo out!
An alert dog as well, the Maltipoo has the potential to become a nuisance barker. So, make sure you start to train your Maltipoo against excessive barking early on, especially if you live in an apartment or busy street.
Cavapoo vs Maltipoo Size: Which is Bigger?
Being a lapdog crossed with a Poodle, the Cavapoo and Maltipoo are reasonably similar sizes. The King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and Maltese are somewhat similar themselves, after all.
The Cavapoo, however, does generally have a greater weight and height. Cavapoos typically reach 9 to 25 pounds and stand at 9 to 14 inches. Whereas the more diminutive Maltipoo typically weighs in at 5 to 20 pounds and has a height of 8 to 14 inches tall.
Cavapoo vs Maltipoo Health: Are they Prone to Health Conditions?
As two crossbreeds, you need to think about the health risks both parent breeds may have when considering a Cavapoo’s or Maltipoo’s health. The Cavapoo, for example, is more predisposed to inheriting health problems like slipping kneecaps – a condition where your pooch may limp or refuse to walk.
Progressive retinal atrophy, where your Cavapoo loses sight due to their retina no longer functioning, and congenital heart attacks are two more problems. However, your Cavapoo can still live a full life without their eyesight – their other rich senses, such as their sense of smell, help compensate.
The Maltipoo is also prone to a range of health conditions. Whether inherited or idiopathic, many Maltipoos develop epilepsy, for example. Another common health problem among Maltipoos is White Shaker Syndrome. When your pooch is six months to three years old, this condition shows tremors all over your Maltipoo’s body, accompanied by general clumsiness and rapid eye movements. It isn’t painful, though, and treatment is available.
Then there’s patellar luxation, where your Maltipoo’s patella is not correctly lined up with their other bones. This causes an unusual gait, like hopping or limping. Also known as slipped stifles, patellar luxation doesn’t show up until late in your Maltipoo’s life, if at all.
One other Maltipoo health concern is a portosystemic shunt. This is an abnormal flow of blood from the liver to the rest of your Maltipoo’s body. The portosystemic shunt can be a real problem since the liver detoxifies the body, metabolizes nutrients, and eliminates drugs. Maltipoos with portosystemic shunt may develop gastrointestinal issues, appetite loss, urinary tract problems, intolerance of drugs, stunted growth, clumsiness, and low blood sugar.
One health issue that could affect both breeds is Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. A condition that occurs in many toy breeds, Legg-Perthes cuts off blood supply to the head of your Poo’s femur. This results in the head of the femur beginning to disintegrate. The condition rears its head when a pup is 4 to 6 months old. Thankfully, Leggs-Perthes can be corrected easily with surgery.
However, as crossbreeds, both of these dogs are generally healthy. Parent dogs are also screened for genetic diseases before breeding – only dogs with health clearances are typically bred. So, don’t worry too much, just be informed.
Cavapoo vs Maltipoo Grooming: How Much Do They Require?
The Maltipoo requires the most grooming. This is because both of these dogs are half derived from the Poodle. The Poodle is a hypoallergenic dog – they don’t shed. The Maltese don’t shed either. This makes the Maltipoo a completely allergen-free dog, though no dog can be said to be 100% hypoallergenic.
But unfortunately, this also means that the Maltipoo’s thick, fluffy, curly fur requires daily thorough brushing to avoid those cumbersome matts that easily crop up. So, you’ll need to invest in good grooming tools to keep your Malti tangle-free and gorgeous.
Conversely, The Cavapoo typically inherits the thinner, longer, more silky hair of the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. This type of fur is simple to look after, requiring basic brushing or combing just a few times a week. Cavapoos can have thicker, Poodle-like fur too.
Both dogs need regular baths. Unfortunately, bathing them too little leaves both a Maltipoo and Cavapoo prone to skin conditions and parasitic infestations, not to mention matting or clumps. On the other hand, washing too often can result in dandruff or fur loss. With all those hunting instincts, your Cavapoo and Maltipoo will probably get dirty often!
We recommend bathing your straighter-haired Cavapoo every 4 to 6 weeks and the fluffier Maltipoo every 2 to 3 weeks. Use a shampoo for curly or white fur for your Maltipoo and general dog shampoo for your Cavapoo. Lather thoroughly, rinse and brush and dry everywhere afterwards. Avoid burning a Cavapoo’s or Maltipoo’s floppy ears, but don’t allow them to stay wet, either – this could quickly lead to an ear infection.
Cavapoo vs. Maltipoo
So, the Cavapoo and Maltipoo are pretty similar dogs, aren’t they? After all, they’re both Poodle crossbreeds, and they both have similar personalities and traits. But the Cavapoo is the larger of the two dogs, with a straighter coat, while the Maltipoo is a smaller fluffball of a lapdog. Do you own a Cavapoo or Maltipoo? Which is your favorite breed? Let us know what you think.
