How to Rehome Your Cavapoo (Cavoodle) Responsibly in Australia

Can you keep your cavoodle with some help?

Some reasons for rehoming a Cavapoo can be solved. Before you decide, consider:

• Distress when alone. PetMD names separation anxiety as the cross's biggest behaviour concern. A dog walker, daycare, a gradual alone-time plan and a qualified, reward-based trainer or veterinary behaviourist can help.
• Allergies. No dog is truly hypoallergenic. Talk to a doctor about managing symptoms before you decide.
• Grooming costs or matting. A shorter clip about every six weeks is easier to keep up.
• A move. Ask the landlord or strata whether a small dog is allowed before you give up.
• Health costs. Ask your vet about options; insurance or a payment plan may help.

If your circumstances have changed for good, start early so you have time to choose a home well.

What are your options for rehoming a Cavapoo?

1. The breeder. Check your agreement for a take-back clause; a good breeder wants to know.
2. Family and friends who already know the dog.
3. The RSPCA, your council pound or a rescue group, which assess, desex, vaccinate and rehome surrendered dogs; call first, as space can be limited.
4. A private ad, where you choose the new owner yourself.

What does the law require when you rehome a cavoodle?

• Victoria: the ad must show the dog's microchip number and a current Pet Exchange Register source number, even if you are giving the dog away.
• New South Wales: ads for dogs born on or after 1 December 2025 must include the breeder identification number; for an older dog, include the microchip number and check the NSW Pet Registry's current rules. Transfer ownership through the Registry or a C3A form, and never pass a dog to anyone under 18.
• Queensland: a supply number is needed to give away or supply a dog.
• South Australia: dogs born after 1 July 2018 must be desexed unless exempt, so tell applicants whether yours is.

Other states and territories have their own rules; check your state government's website and your council before you advertise.

How do you write an honest Cavapoo rehoming ad?

• Age, sex, weight, coat type and colour, and whether the dog is desexed, vaccinated and microchipped, with your state's numbers.
• Whether the Poodle parent was a Toy or a Miniature, if you know.
• Behaviour with children, dogs, cats and visitors, and how it copes alone.
• Why you are rehoming, honestly.
• Recent photos and a short video at home, and your suburb, not your address.

You can post a rehoming ad free on PetzLover with the numbers your state requires, and compare other Cavapoos listed for rehoming near you. Keep your phone number out of the ad text and let people message you first.

How do you screen people who want your Cavapoo?

• Who lives in the home, and who is there during the day?
• How long would the dog be alone, and what is the plan on long days?
• Does anyone have dog allergies, and have they spent time with a cavoodle?
• Who will groom the dog, and who is your vet?
• Do you rent, and does the lease or strata allow dogs?
• Have you owned a dog before, and what happened to it?

Should you charge a fee to rehome your Cavapoo?

Yes, usually a modest one. Animal Medicines Australia's 2025 survey found that owners paid A$1,793 on average for a designer-breed dog, so a free cavoodle can be worth reselling. Keep the fee below what a rescue charges (RSPCA Victoria asks A$500 to A$1,000 for an adult dog, with desexing, microchipping and vaccination included), lower or waive it for an older dog or one with health needs, and say why. In Victoria the advertising rules apply whether you charge or not.

How do you hand over your Cavapoo safely?

1. Meet first, at your home or a quiet park, and let the applicant handle and walk the dog.
2. Visit the new home, or see a video of it.
3. Sign a simple agreement with the dog's details, any fee, what you disclosed and a promise to contact you before passing the dog on.
4. Hand over the vet records, grooming notes, some of its usual food and a familiar bed or toy.
5. Transfer the microchip and tell your council; in NSW, the NSW Pet Registry does this online.
6. Take any fee in cash at handover or once a transfer has cleared, and never pay a 'courier' or refund an 'overpayment'.

If someone tries to scam you, contact your bank and report it to Scamwatch. Someone may already be looking: how to respond to a Cavapoo wanted ad explains how to check a wanted ad, and the breeder's guide shows what good breeders do when a dog comes back.