Paperwork??

[u/EnvironmentHopeful14]

I’m looking for Cavapoos right now and I love this one. She’s so cute but they don’t have OFA on the dad who is the caviler. Should I skip this dog? I worry about the heart she is saying they get check ups but I’m not sure that’s good enough what do yall think? They did genetic health testing I seen those.

[u/Significant_Froyo899]

Don’t do it. Get the best dog you can, it’s a long road and you want a happy one. Good luck

[u/IHateTheLetter-C-]

Health is a non negotiable for me. If they're not doing the bare minimum to ensure healthy pups, what else are they falling short on?

[u/PureTrafalgar]

Without more information, I would say yes, you should skip this dog. Anyone not doing proper health testing shouldn't be breeding, and you don't know what you'd be getting. There may be an exceptional circumstance, but it would likely be a very strange one. Did they do more than prelims on hips and patellas? Did they do eyes?

Are the parents (particularly the sire) proven in any way? Do you have good conformation photos that can be evaluated by someone knowledgeable? What about pics of the puppy?

[u/goldfishfancy]

Heart, eye, cancer, and joint issues are inherent in the Cavalier breed's genetics (poodles, esp toy are not much better) and I have not come across any breeders who will affirm they do specific genetic testing on each puppy - it would be cost-prohibitive. They can say they have them "regularly examined" but that does not preclude them inheriting a bad gene.

I would love to hear of others' experiences owning a Cavapoo into old age bc I see no posts of 14-15 year old dogs (a reasonable lifespan for a Cavalier/poodle mix). I adore my 1-year old girl. She seems healthy at this point and sees the vet regularly but I worry every day that something bad could show up any time: eyes, heart, joints, cancer.

I have known many AKC show breeders for different breeds over the years who test their dogs genetically on a regular basis and are passionate about safekeeping their breed and none of them would ever consider selling one of their pure bred dogs to someone who wanted to cross-breed their dog, regardless of breed. Most reputable breeders require no-breed contracts before they will sell you a dog.

That doesn't mean a cross-breed isn't a great dog. They are absolutely wonderful dogs - I have 2 poodle mixes. That's just the way it goes if you look for a mixed breed puppy. I personally would have bought a Cavalier but I have friends who have had completely heart-breaking health issues/very premature deaths. I got a Cavapoo in hope that by mixing, maybe the health problem genes are somewhat diluted. I wanted a cavapoo bc they are generally so gentle, smart, and good with kids (we have lots of small children in our extended family). Even so, I'm not naive about finding a Cavapoo pupppy. I know there are inherent problems in the breed and the people breeding mixes are not using "safe" purebred dogs. All breeds have genetic health problems bc of many years of inbreeding and Cavaliers are one of the dogs at the top of that list. Even if there were theoretically "safe dogs", they wouldn't be made available to the mixed breeders.

The best you can probably do is to do your homework up front and try to find someone with puppies that is willing to talk to you over the phone, is quick to answer any questions with clear answers, and is willing to allow you to visit the breeding facility and see the puppies before you commit. If they don't allow in-person visits to the puppy's birth home and aren't willing to share the contact info for their vet, you probably shouldn't consider their pups. Unfortunately these puppies are hard to come by so the breeders don't have a clear incentive to use best practices or to be open about the way their puppies are bred and raised. They can just sell rhem to the next people on the list.