Male vs Female Cavapoo

One of the first decisions that you will probably need to make after deciding that a Cavapoo is the perfect dog for you, is whether you would like a male or female puppy.

Here are some general factors when it comes to Male vs Female Cavapoo.

Male Cavapoos tend to be slimmer, behave like pups longer, are more playful, and become very attached to their chosen human. Female Cavapoos are stockier, more independent, intelligent, and tend to be the leader of the pack.

I currently own both genders and have noticed very specific differences between the males and females.

Read on to find the right gender for your puppy.

Male vs. Female Cavapoos

Even as you are making this decision, please remember that every dog is different and even though I will discuss typical male vs female factors, your dog can end up completely opposite to what I say.

Cavapoos being a mixed breed can make things even more interesting but even so, I will discuss everything in greater detail:

Size

Both the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Toy or Miniature Poodle are considered small dogs so the resulting Cavapoo tends also to be small.

However, in every litter of pups, you will find different sizes.

Normally there is a big pup, a very small pup (runt) and then the rest of the puppies are of normal size.

This affects what the adult size of each pup will be no matter what gender each pup is.

But taking this into account, generally female Cavapoos are ever so slightly smaller than male Cavapoos.

Sometimes there is no noticeable difference between them as regards to height.

Where you might see a difference is in their looks.

A female can appear more stockier and more compact than a male which can look leaner and more streamlined.

Coat and Appearance

At first glance, there is no apparent difference between a male vs a female Cavapoo coat.

The only difference in the coat will be whether the puppy has inherited the Poodle or Cavalier coat.

If the coat is more wavy and straight then it has more of a Cavalier coat and if the coat is quite curly then the Poodle coat is more dominant.

Both a male and female Cavapoo can inherit either coat.

Health and Lifespan

Both male and female Cavapoos typically have the same lifespan.

But bear in mind that their lifespan is hugely influenced by how healthy they are and what you feed them.

A dog with genetic diseases like MVD or SM will not live a long life.

This is why buying from a reputable breeder is so important as they will try their best to eliminate any genetic diseases from their breeding stock.

As far as diet is concerned, feeding a high-quality dog food will have an impact on your dog’s health and therefore influence how long they will live.

Gender does not have any impact on health or how long your Cavapoo will live.

Behavior

How your dog behaves is directly impacted by how your puppy is raised and trained.

An untrained dog will misbehave no matter what gender they are.

If you allow them to do whatever they want and not correct bad behavior then your Cavapoo will become unruly and unmanageable.

Some owners say that male dogs can be more aggressive and dominating than females but I have experienced the exact opposite.

My one female is definitely more dominating than my male dog.

She is the leader of the pack and the other dogs follow her.

I had a female Springer Spaniel who was very aggressive and I eventually had to re-home her as she was not happy with my pack and kept on attacking the other dogs.

In all my years of owning dogs, I have only had one male dog that was aggressive towards other male dogs.

Never with humans though.

Cavapoos are gentle and friendly dogs so if they come from a good breeder then there should never be an issue with aggression.

Behavior needs to be taught just like you teach your children how to behave.

Attending puppy school is a great start.

Humping

Both male and female dogs hump and it is a perfectly normal behavior.

They do this for a few reasons namely:

• Sexual urges
• Displaying dominance
• Playing
• Hormonal
• Excitement
• Medical reasons

Humping only becomes a problem if your dog tries to hump people, the humping is excessive or the other dog gets upset.

When this happens then you need to stop your dog from humping and redirect them with play or a favorite toy or treat.

Spay and Neuter

Unless you are a reputable breeder then both genders need to be sterilized.

A female gets spayed where some of her reproductive organs are removed and a male gets neutered where both testicles are removed.

The cost to spay a female Cavapoo will be higher than the cost to neuter a male Cavapoo because the operation is more extensive and takes longer.

Speak to your Vet to find out the exact costs for each procedure.

Wandering

Un-neutered male dogs are more prone to escaping and wandering off than female dogs.

They will go in search of a female to mate with and if there is a female in heat in your area then your un-neutered male dog will move heaven and earth to get to her.

Neutering can reduce this kind of behavior.

Bonding and affection

I want to share what I have experienced when it comes to bonding and affection.

This is what I have found:

Male dogs tend to bond stronger with a human than a female dog.

They will select their human and stick with that person no matter what they are doing.

My male Cavalier (Tucker) decided I was his person (much to my sister’s disgust).

He will literally watch me the whole day.

If I move away then he follows me. If I shower then he lies on the bathroom floor.

If I am making food then he watches me from across the kitchen.

He even stays with me when the other dogs are outside playing.

He does not like me to cuddle him but he will sit on my lap and lick my face.

My 2 female dogs have a different way of showing affection.

The one female also does not like to cuddle but she will lie on the bed and loves me to scratch her stomach and behind her ears.

She is happy to spend time with me or my sister so she is bonded to both of us.

My other female is much more affectionate and wakes me up every morning by lying on my head and licking my face.

She loves her morning cuddle session and comes to me throughout the day for attention.

Both female dogs are happy to play outside without me and do not need to be with me all of the time.

I would say that male dogs bond more strongly with their owners whereas female dogs enjoy more attention and show more affection but bear in mind that every dog is different so you might experience the complete opposite.

Multiple Dog Households

This is quite a complex topic so I will just glance over it.

Cavapoos are normally great with other dogs no matter their gender, especially if the breeder was focused on temperament when breeding.

If you only want two dogs and don’t plan on adding any more then it makes no difference as to the gender of the two dogs.

You can have two males, two females, or a male and female.

If you want more than 2 dogs then you will need to assess your present dogs’ temperament and character as to which gender to add.

For example – I had two female dogs and when we wanted a third one then we added a male to balance things out.

It has worked perfectly for us.

Summary – Male vs Female Cavapoo

You might have your heart set on a male or female but you might not have a choice in the end.

Cavapoos are very sought after and most breeders have long waiting lists.

Female Cavapoos are more popular because new owners are under the impression that male dogs mark inside the house and are not as affectionate but this is not true.

Not one of my male dogs has ever marked in the house and they were both very bonded to me and show affection in their own way.

Temperament also plays a huge role.

Speak to the breeder and describe exactly what you are looking for (calm, busy, dominating, reserved, cuddly) so they can match you with the right pup.

Gender should not be the deal breaker.