When Do Cavapoos Calm Down?

I recently adopted an adorable little Cavapoo that I absolutely love.  She is sweet and fun and loves to hang around me all the time.  I know that she is a puppy, but I am curious to know when I can expect her to calm down.

After I got off work, I figured today I would dig into this topic for myself and see what I could discover.   Here is some of the information I found.

When do Cavapoos calm down?

Cavapoos calm down when they are about two years old.  When Cavapoos calm down, they have a lot to do with the physical, emotional, and mental development they go through during the puppy stage.  While this may seem like a long time, it isn’t as it can take time to calm down even after leaving the puppy. 

How long it takes them to calm down varies from one dog to the next, similar to children, as they are each an individual and develop differently.  Cavapoos may take until they are about two years old because once they are done growing on the outside, meaning their physical bodies, they continue to grow on the inside. 

Their hyper state of being is related to their growth on the emotional and mental level, which usually takes longer than the physical development they go through. 

Despite this hyper state of being that you may see your Cavapoo puppy display, in some cases, pet parents of this mixed dog breed will need to accept that it never leaves their dog. 

Some Cavapoos may never calm down because they are an easily excitable dog breed that, as an adult, may become hyper when in new situations or when meeting new people. 

This can be normal, depending on the dog and their personality, and in most cases, it can be controlled to a certain degree with proper training and learning social skills and some helpful reminders.

Cavapoos are an interesting mixed dog breed that blends the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle qualities.  These pure-bred parents have their own particular mental, emotional and physical attributes that make them who they are.

With the blending of these two unique dog breeds, the Cavapoo becomes a mixed breed on its own with some qualities of each.  Each individual dog may gain more or less traits from one dog parent than the other and display those qualities in various ways depending on who they are individually.

Around the age of two years old, many Cavapoos will begin to lose the hyper qualities that many pet parents see as they go through the puppy phases of life.

When this mixed breed grows from a puppy to an adult, it not only takes time, but most dogs will continue to develop mentally and emotionally, long after they are physically grown.  This means that this hyper puppy state may take a bit longer to go away as it is related to their emotional and mental health and development.

Some Cavapoos continue to display this trait long after they have reached their full maturity on all levels because this is who they are as a dog.  Some Cavapoos continue to be easily excitable and cannot control that when they are in new situations or when they meet new people.

 In most cases, good training and social skills can go a long way to minimizing this issue, as well as the occasional helpful reminder that their pet parents might give them.

This quality doesn’t make them a bad dog; like older children, it can be hard to remember what is expected of them in various situations, but applying the learned skills also takes time.  Some Cavapoos may never have the self-control needed to control this behavior no matter what their pet parents have taught them.  Sometimes it is a personality trait to be quickly excited and overly happy.

Why are Cavapoos social skills so important for these issues?

Cavapoos social skills are so important for these issues that being exposed to various social situations repeatedly can dull their emotional state when they are in them.  What was once exciting becomes the norm with enough exposure.

Not to mention that repeated exposure to various social situations the pet parent creates ease or stress and anxiety as the Cavapoo learns that these moments are no big deal, like when grandma comes to visit.

The first few times they are introduced socially, they may become extremely excited, displaying this excitement in various ways which may or may not be appropriate or acceptable.  With passive training in these social situations, they gradually learn that the problem is no big deal and they needn’t get excited as much, but also what is expected of them depending on how their pet parent reacts.

When social skills are learned, they can be thought of as a passive way of training a Cavapoo puppy similar to what their mother does during those first few weeks of life.  They learn that bouncing off walls and acting out is not acceptable during these situations and what they should be doing instead.

For instance, in that same situation where grandma comes for a visit.  The Cavapoo puppy will learn based on how their pet parent and everyone else responds, what is okay and not okay behavior.

Here is how it might work.  Grandma comes to the house for a visit to meet the new fur baby in the house.  Before she comes in to meet the puppy, it may be helpful for the pet parent to hold the Cavapoo, which can significantly reduce the chance that they will display hyper behaviors at that moment.

Once grandma and the new baby are introduced, and they have shared a nice introduction where grandma either petted, held, or touched the puppy, grandma can go sit down and relax.

The pet parent should still hold the dog in their arms or perhaps use a leash to reduce the chance that they can behave too wild.  At this point, the puppy can get close to the new person in their home and get to know them when they feel comfortable.

If they jump on her lap, they can gently be removed unless grandma doesn’t mind.  If they bark excitedly, they can gently be reminded of No Barking, and if they start to run around, tossing toys and acting out in an inappropriate way, the pet parent only needs to pick them up and contain them at this point.

It is helpful for pet parents to use soothing words that are calming to the dog at this time to reassure the dog that everything is okay even though they are acting a bit wild and hyper and keep the situation under their control.

How we react as pet parents profoundly affect how our dog behaves, especially when they are in the puppy phase.  With enough repeated social situations like these, as well as consistent formal training and a little patience, many Cavapoo puppies will eventually outgrow their wild ways and calm down.

What else helps a Cavapoo calm down?

What else helps a Cavapoo calm down is a trick that is sometimes overlooked.  This trick is nothing special but something that can be of great help…

The Cavapoo dog breed, like other dogs, can easily become hyper at times depending on the situation and who they are as a dog.

To remedy this, channeling it positively is sometimes best.  Channeling it positively would mean redirecting the behavior to something else.

This means that if the Cavapoo puppy or adult dog gets hyper when grandma comes to visit if the weather is nice and there is a space, taking the Cavapoo outside for some fresh air and room to move is helpful.

Take them outdoors, let them run off their energy.  Grandma can sit and watch them play, perhaps tossing a toy as she feels inspired, but instead of them bouncing off the walls inside, they are given a chance to run around and explore with their curious nature.

After a time, their playfulness and hyper state will calm down as they physically, mentally, and emotionally expel this energy through their five senses.

Channeling is a tool that should always be employed when dealing with negative behaviors, if possible.  Channeling creates a positive vibe around a negative situation.  You are allowing them to be who they are as a puppy at that moment but are providing them with a pathway for expressing it appropriately.

This is the same channeling that many active parents use when their children are growing up.

Final Thoughts

Cavapoos calm down at around two years of age, depending on who they are as a dog.  This time frame is just a guideline, and not etched in stone.

Pet parents can help with their hyper behavior by using channeling to redirect it to the right place.  Once this is accomplished, most Cavapoos will burn off some of this exciting enough to relax and calm down, at least for five minutes anyway!