A cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle, the Cavapoo makes a perfect dog for many people. They are intelligent, loyal, friendly, and personable.
But you have to admit, Cavapoos can sometimes be clingy, can’t they? So, why are Cavapoos so clingy? Are they deliberately bred to be this way or conditioned this way?
Are they predisposed towards being clingy? And what can you do about a clingy Cavapoo? In this article, we’ll address all these questions and more. So, if you can’t wait to find out more about the friendly fluffy Cavapoo, read on!
Cavapoos are clingy, they were bred with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that is a notoriously clingy toy lapdog, bred for this sole purpose since the 17th century. So that the Cavapoo is unbelievably clingy too.
What was the Cavapoo bred for?
In the late 1990s, people began breeding the sociable yet calm Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the intelligent, low-shedding Poodle to create a new hypoallergenic lapdog breed. The resulting pooch was a small, friendly fluffball dog – the Cavapoo.
What does a Cavapoo need?
Because of the Cavapoo’s highly sociable nature, which it inherits from its King Charles Spaniel side, the personable Cavapoo loves being part of a family.
Cavapoos enjoy impressing everyone with their best tricks, and this dog excels at training, too. Sit, stay, lie down, roll over – whatever you want to teach your Cavapoo, they’ll have it mastered within a day!
Cavapoos prefer homes where they are not left alone for long periods of time, and they can spend all day playing with their favorite people. This could mean chilling out on the couch with a senior citizen or chasing after a ball with young children.
Are Cavapoos prone to separation anxiety?
Definitely, the companionability and clinginess the Cavapoo gets from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel give this downy lapdog a considerable predisposition towards separation anxiety.
To combat your Cavapoo’s tendency towards separation anxiety, make sure that you get them used to being alone from an early age. You could try leaving your Cavapoo alone in a separate room for longer and longer periods every day until they are content enough to spend hours alone.
You could also try desensitizing your Cavapoo to the triggers that show you are leaving the house. Try wearing your jacket or picking up your keys at entirely random times of the day. After a while of this, your Cavapoo should stop reacting to these triggers.
Are Cavapoos loyal?
Yes, Cavapoos can get quite attached to people, both literally and metaphorically. Many a Cavapoo owner will tell you how their Cavapoo follows them around the house all day and jumps up to snuggle with them on the couch.
That being said, this loyalty does not typically extend to a Cavapoo protecting you or defending their family against burglars and intruders. A Cavapoo typically loves everyone and will greet both strangers and people they know with a wagging tail and ball in their mouth!
Although the Cavapoo is an alert dog with keen senses and an excellent replacement for your doorbell, don’t expect your Cavapoo to serve as a guard dog.
Are Cavapoos good companions?
Cavapoos make great companion dogs! This friendly breed loves people and is happy to spend all day cuddling up to and playing with you.
Whatever you’re doing around the house, whether chores or just watching TV, you can bet that your Cavapoo will want to be in the middle of whatever’s going on. Your Cavapoo will happily come with you to the store, out on walks, or snuggle with you at home.
Is the Cavapoo a good handbag dog?
For sure. The Cavapoo’s small size – typically standing at 9 to 14 inches – means that Cavapoos love you to carry them around in your arms all day or tote them around in a handbag. Your Cavapoo will love bonding with you as they watch the world go by from the vantage point of your purse!
However, as such a young breed, Cavapoo litters are still inconsistent in size, and so, many adult Cavapoos are actually too large to comfortably be a handbag dog. But, you can rest assured that all Cavapoos think they are handbag dogs!
So, why are Cavapoos so clingy?
The main reason why Cavapoos are so clingy is that they were bred to be. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a notoriously clingy toy lapdog, bred for this sole purpose since the 17th century. So, it’s no surprise that the Cavapoo is unbelievably clingy too.
Another reason why a Cavapoo may be clingy is socialization and training. Your Cavapoo simply may not be used to spending time alone and so may start to follow you around everywhere. If your Cavapoo is clingy for this reason, try gradually getting them used to spend longer and longer time periods alone.
What should I do if my Cavapoo is clingy?
You probably adopted your Cavapoo because you wanted a small, cute companion dog. But you don’t necessarily want your Cavapoo to be too clingy. If your Cavapoo is too clingy, you might find yourself forever tripping over them as they follow you around the house while you try to cook or tidy.
Indeed, if your Cavapoo is very clingy, they can quickly get badly injured from getting in the way of people. A clingy Cavapoo may even start to refuse to sleep in their own basket or spend any time alone! So, what should you do about this?
As we touched upon earlier, it’s a good idea to start getting your Cavapoo used to spending time by themselves from an early age. When you are at home, go into another room and leave your Cavapoo by themselves for a while.
If your Cavapoo follows you everywhere, stairgates, baby gates, and even indoor pens can go a long way in keeping them safe and protected as you get on with what you want to do.
Since Cavapoos are predisposed towards becoming clingy and getting in the way, it’s a good idea to teach your Cavapoo a command for going to their bed or basket and lying down.
That way, you can make sure your Cavapoo is safely out of the way before you begin chopping, cooking, or doing anything else hazardous. You can also get your Cavapoo quickly out of harm’s way if the danger does arise, using a command like this.
How can I keep my Cavapoo occupied?
If your Cavapoo is clingy and follows you around out of boredom, suitable toys make a big difference in keeping them occupied and happy when your Cavapoo has to spend time alone.
Chew toys and puzzle toys are great time-consuming solo play options for a Cavapoo. Simply fill the chew toy up with soft foods like peanut butter and cream cheese, or stuff a puzzle toy with your Cavapoo’s kibble, and head off to get your chores done, safe in the knowledge that your Cavapoo has a non-destructive occupation to keep them happy and content.
If you like this then read our Complete Cavapoo Guide: Must Read Facts here.
