Breeding suitability guide — Cavapoo
For breeders: which tests, which thresholds, which mating rules apply
1. Recommended health standard for parents
These tests make up the recommended health standard for the Cavapoo — the baseline of any careful breeding program. They should be on file for every breeding animal.
| Test / condition | Scoring scheme | Passing result | Inheritance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cataract (HC) | Eye examination | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Elbow Dysplasia (ED) | X-ray | — | Polygenic | Parent breed |
| Hip dysplasia (HD) | X-ray | — | Polygenic | Parent breed |
| Patellar Luxation (PL) | Physical examination | — | Polygenic | Parent breed |
| Heart disease | Physical examination | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Von Willebrand disease type I (vWD1) | — | — | Autosomal dominant | Parent breed |
2. Mating rules
When one parent has a borderline result, the other parent must meet specific criteria.
We currently have no structured mating rules for this breed. Please consult your club's regulation.
3. Recommended additional tests
Sensible additions for line planning.
| Test / condition | Scoring scheme | Passing result | Inheritance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) (BOAS) | Physical examination | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Exposure keratopathy syndrome (exophthalmos, lagophthalmos, and/or macroblepharon) (EKS) | Eye examination | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Corneal dystrophy (CD) | Eye examination | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Microphthalmia | — | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) (PRA) | — | — | Autosomal recessive | Parent breed |
| Retinal Dysplasia (RD) | Eye examination | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Mitral valve dysplasia (MVD) | Ultrasound | — | Complex | Parent breed |
| Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM) (CM/SM) | X-ray | — | Complex | Parent breed |
4. HonestDog verification
- Upload a legible certificate (PDF or photo) per test in the breeder dashboard
- Certificate must show date, examining vet, and FCI/VDH logo
- Certificates older than 36 months are flagged as stale
- We extract the results from each upload using AI and check them for consistency with the dog's profile — the profile tile then shows 'verified'