Cavapoo grooming & haircuts

Do you have an adorable Cavapoo? These small designer breeds are highly popular. Due to their Miniature Poodle heritage they come with the highly desired low-shedding coat. But what out: This doesn’t mean that the Cavapoo won’t need grooming, brushing and clipping.

Today we will look into how you can groom your Cavapoo quickly and conveniently as well as what kind of haircuts are available for this sweet pup!

How often do Cavapoos need grooming?

How often you groom your Cavapoo will depend on his age and haircut. The Miniature Poodle parent gives the Cavapoo a long-growing, curly coat. Unless this hair is kept short, you should expect to give your pup a quick brush daily and bathe and blow-dry him every 2 weeks.

Many owners opt to instead keep their Cavapoos in a short haircut, such as the Poodle teddy bear cut or a puppy cut.

If you live in an area with a lot of dust or mud, you will need to groom your Cavapoo more often than if you live on a property with grass or concrete.

Grooming your Cavapoo

You should get your Cavapoo used to grooming when he is still a puppy. This is very important – if you do not introduce grooming early on your dog may be apprehensive later in life. Even if his puppy coat is low-maintenance and does not require daily brushing, give him just a quick comb every day to get him used to standing still and accepting it being groomed.

Brushing your pup

Brushing will be the most important aspect of grooming. Use a slicker brush to gently comb your dog’s coat. Most dogs are most tolerant of grooming on their backs and necks and become more apprehensive when you work towards their belly and legs. You should brush your Cavapoo when he is already tired – such as after a walk or training session.

Bathing your Cavapoo

As a Poodle mix, bathing your Cavapoo is important to keep his coat clean and free of tangles. The longer your pup’s coat is and the more dusty or muddy your surroundings, the more often you need to bathe him. If you keep your dog in a short cut, you only need to bathe him every 4-6 weeks. If his hair is long and your yard muddy you can bathe him as often as every 2 weeks.

Blow drying

After bathing you should thoroughly blow-dry your dog’s coat, especially if you are planning on giving him a haircut. Wet or dirty coat will dull the blades of clippers quickly.

Cavapoo haircuts

Once you have bathed, dried and brushed your Cavapoo you can give him a haircut. Use high-quality grooming clippers that will help you keep the hair at bay!

Most owners decide for an easy cut, such as:

Puppy cut for Cavapoos

In the puppy cut, the hair all around the body is trimmed to about 1 inch in length, including the face and legs. This gives your dog the characteristic appearance of a puppy – which is where the name comes from.

The puppy cut is a great haircut choice for any owners of Doodle mixes. It keeps the hair short enough to not mat, while still looking cute and “fluffy”.

Lion cut

Some owners opt for the lion cut. In this hairdo, the dog has a “mane” of hair around his neck, as well as at the tip of his tail and his feet. It is especially popular amongst city dwellers as it keeps the dog’s coat clean when walking on asphalt and concrete.

Do Cavapoos need lots of grooming?

The amount of grooming your Cavapoo will need depends on his haircut and age. As puppies, the grooming requirements are low – just give your pup a daily spin with a brush and you are good.

As your Cavapoo ages, you will need to invest more time into grooming, especially if you plan on letting him have a long coat. The long hair of Doodle mixes can require time-consuming grooming efforts. Unless you have experience in caring for such a long coat you should not opt for a short haircut to start out with.

Last but not least, how much grooming your dog will need also depends on his alter status. Male dogs that are neutered typically have a less lush coat than intact male dogs. On the other hand, females often develop a so-called “spay coat” after being altered, which can be wooly and more difficult to manage than an intact females’ coat.

You should never forget to trim your Cavapoo’s nails with nail grinders. Especially as your Cavapoo gets older, he won’t wear them down through daily activity alone. Long nails can cause a variety of health problems such as muscle imbalances, altered gait or even infections if the nails curve and cut into the skin.

Are Cavapoos high maintenance?

Cavapoos are not high-maintenance dogs if you keep them in a short cut. However, in order to make your grooming easy and fast you need to stay on top of it. If you skip the daily brush for a week or two your Cavapoo will get dreadlocks and quickly not look his best anymore. The key to keeping the grooming at a low maintenance level is to stick to your schedule!

The Bottom Line

Grooming your Cavapoo doesn’t have to be a laborious task. It is extremely important to stay on top of grooming and clipping though. The longer you put off dealing with his haircut, the worse it may become.

The easiest way to keep your Cavapoo in a low-maintenance cut is to give him a puppy cut or pony cut. This way you are eliminating the long, flowing coat that tangles so easily. With a short haircut, your Cavapoo will be happier and you will, too.