The Cavapoo — Cavalier King Charles Spaniel × Poodle — is a small dog with a soft, low-shedding coat that behaves like a gentler version of the Cockapoo's: wavy to loosely curled, fine-textured, and quietly determined to mat around the ears and harness line.
The coat
Most Cavapoos wear a soft, wavy single coat; some are curlier, a few are silkier and flatter like the Cavalier parent. The fine texture mats at friction points before anywhere else — behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits. Because the dog is small and the coat is soft, matting sneaks up: it looks fluffy right up until the comb stops dead.
How often should a Cavapoo be groomed?
Every 6–8 weeks professionally, with home brushing two or three times a week using a slicker and a metal comb through to the skin. Start puppy grooms early — Cavapoos are people-oriented and take to grooming well if their first visits are calm and short. The adult coat change around 8–10 months is the danger window for first-time matting.
Popular styles
- Teddy bear clip — the signature look: rounded face, plush 10–16mm body, neat rounded ears.
- Puppy clip — one even length all over; easiest to keep between grooms.
- Cavalier-style tidy — for flatter coats: bath, deshed, and scissor-tidy of feathering rather than a clip.
What does Cavapoo grooming cost?
Small size keeps prices moderate: typically £35–48 for a full groom, higher in London. Dematting is charged on top at most salons — a well-brushed Cavapoo is noticeably cheaper to own.
Between grooms
Comb the ear area, harness line and armpits — those three zones are 90% of Cavapoo matting. Wipe the eyes a couple of times a week (tear staining shows on light coats), dry and brush after wet walks, and keep an ear check routine: the drop ear plus hair means wax and moisture linger. If your Cavapoo inherits the Cavalier's feathered feet, ask the groomer for tidy "cat feet" to cut down on mud haulage.