06/06/2025
This may be a touchy subject, but so trueâŠ
Cavapoos can certainly be sweet, affectionate dogs. But when we step back and look at the bigger pictureânot just one dog, but the broader patternâthere are some hard truths we have to face as dog lovers.
Yes, every breed we now recognize started somewhere. But whatâs often forgotten is the cost. Breeds werenât created overnightâthey were forged over decades, sometimes centuries, through trial and error, sacrifice, and immense heartbreak. For every stable, sound dog produced, many others suffered along the way: unstable temperaments, failed structure, debilitating diseases. Thatâs the reality of what it takes to establish a breedânot just create a mix.
So when people say, âAll dogs were mixed at some point,â thatâs trueâbut that doesnât justify starting the cycle all over again. Especially when we already have over 220 recognized breeds to choose from, each with a rich history of purpose, structure, and predictability.
And when it comes to the Cavalier and the Poodleâweâre talking about two breeds that already face serious challenges. Cavaliers are notorious for mitral valve disease, syringomyelia, and other neurological disorders. Poodles, depending on size, can struggle with epilepsy, sebaceous adenitis, Addisonâs disease, luxating patellas, and various eye conditions. Combining the two doesnât cancel out these issuesâit can double them. For every âhealthy, well-adjustedâ mix, there are ten quietly struggling with bad hips, bad hearts, chronic anxiety, or untraceable immune dysfunction. Thatâs the part we donât often see on social media.
And then thereâs the ethics. No dedicated Poodle or Cavalier breeder who has poured their life into protecting these bloodlines just hands out their dogs to be bred outside the standard. Itâs not about snobberyâitâs about respect for whatâs been built, and reverence for the dogs themselves. Purposeful breeding demands a long viewânot just cute puppies and good intentions.
Of course, every dog already here deserves love, care, and a safe homeâon that, we can all agree. But love also calls us to ask better questions about what weâre creating, what weâre passing on, and what kind of future weâre shaping.
The real question we all need to askâespecially when crossing breedsâis: what is the purpose? Breeds were created for specific jobs and temperaments, refined over generations to be predictable in both structure and behavior. When you mix two very different typesâespecially emotionally and neurologically, like a Poodle and a Cavalierâyouâre not necessarily blending the best of both. Youâre often introducing conflict: one is high-drive, alert, and intensely intelligent; the other is soft, low-energy, and bred to be passive. That can lead to instabilityâdogs who are emotionally confused, sensitive but reactive, or prone to anxiety.
I understand the intention to âwiden the gene pool,â but crossbreeding isnât how that works. True genetic diversity must be built with a long-term plan across generationsâtracking structure, temperament, and health in hundreds of dogs. Mixing two breeds with known issues (mitral valve disease, syringomyelia, epilepsy, Addisonâs, luxating patellas, sebaceous adenitis, PRA, etc.) without that structure simply rolls the genetic dice. And just because a dog is âregisteredâ doesnât mean itâs a good representative of its breedâor that the breeder has integrity. In fact, a Poodle breeder who freely allows their dogs to be used for mixing raises serious questions about their goals and their understanding of preservation.
And yes, your dog may be one of the lucky ones. But what about the others from that same litterâor the next generation? The ones with chronic heart problems, orthopedic pain, or reactivity who end up in shelters or bounced between homes because they werenât what someone expected? These dogs donât show up in curated Facebook posts or glossy breeder pages. But they exist. And they matter.
Itâs easy to focus on the dog in front of usâand again, Iâm so glad yours is thriving. But ethical breeding isnât about one dog. Itâs about responsibility for the future. If we continue making choices based on short-term satisfaction or emotional appeal, without deeper thought for structure, purpose, and predictability, then weâre doing a disservice not just to the breedsâbut to the dogs themselves.
I know we may not agree, and thatâs okay. But thank you for staying in the conversation. These discussions matter far more than most people realize.
Hereâs a follow-up article for a better understanding of why love is not a valid reason to breed đ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EjcY6FHGC/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Thank you Timea R. Bodi (author of this text),
for all the worthy and important knowledge you are sharing. Iâve connected your answers because they deserved a dedicated post. Thank you for continuously advocating for our breed.
