How do I find a good breeder?

[MerryMarigold]

Looking for a 3/4 poodle ie.Cockapoo, Cavapoo etc. Looked at so many classified ads I can now spot the puppy farm ones, bit I'm sure there are others better disguised in there. Also it's such a lot of money, I don't want to take risks. Decided I'd prefer to go straight to a breeder with a contract etc. in case of issues. But how do I find them? Are there lists by area?

[BiteyShark]

I think there is a uk cockerpoo website. You might be better posting on there because generally people on here are anti designer crossbreeds.

Ideally you need to look at all the inherited diseases of all the breeds and then the tests that are recommended on the parents. These tests are not 'vet tests' but things like dna testing etc. You can then weed out breeders that don't do the ones you want (or in my case for a pedigree cocker spaniel those that had never heard of them).

As you mentioned you want someone who will do a contract and check what's included. So mine had a clause that I could take the puppy back with a full refund if my vet found a certifiable condition on the first checkup.

Other things to check are how many litters, are multiple dogs being bred and the usual can you see both mum and dog and does it look genuine.

[MerryMarigold]

Thank you. Why would anyone be against a mixed breed? In my case, my son has a mild allergy to some dogs so we'd like as much poodle in there as possible to minimise shedding, but I don't want 100 percent poodle.

[adaline]

You can't guarantee any poodle cross will be low-shedding, though. That's the thing with crosses - you're mixing two breeds and you have no idea what qualities you'll get from each breed.

So you need to be prepared to cope with all the qualities of both breeds - both the positive and the negative ones.

[BiteyShark]

Often people are allergic to the dander so you might find your DC is still allergic.

People are against them because it's harder to find good breeders and puppy farms have jumped on the designer crossbreeds.

[tabulahrasa]

“but I don't want 100 percent poodle.”

Eh? What difference do you think there is between mostly poodle and poodle?

[Yokohamajojo]

Why not 100% poodle?

[Wolfiefan]

You have no idea if your child will be allergic. Many people aren’t allergic to the actual fur.
Poodle crosses are a puppy farmer’s dream. Avoid.
Pick an actual breed and get out and meet as many dogs as you can to see if there’s a reaction.
Contact a breed club for details of meet ups and a list of possible breeders.
Also worth a visit to Discover Dogs to see different breeds.

[WindyShrimp]

What is it about poodles that you don't like and hope will be countered by a relatively small proportion of another breed being in the mix? At 75% poodle a dog is going to be very poodle-y indeed and at that point you might as well consider a pedigree poodle as it will almost certainly be easier to find a reputable breeder of them, not least because there's a much higher degree of traceability.

Champdogs has some great articles about finding a breeder, obviously they're geared towards pedigrees but much of the information is entirely relevant regardless of whether you're going for a KC recognised breed or not.

I'd suggest reading the following: Guide to Buying a Puppy, Questions to Ask Your Breeder and Hints and Tips for Interviewing New Puppy Buyers. Obviously the last one is aimed at breeders but it gives you an idea of what a breeder should be asking you to ensure their pups are going to good homes. The RSPCA also has some advice on buying a puppy that is worth a look.

I would echo what has been said both about poodle crosses being extremely popular with puppy farmers/BYBs and that poodle/poodle cross doesn't necessarily mean safe for people with allergies. There's really no such thing as a hypoallergenic as, as has been pointed out, it's not just about shedding. Dander and saliva both contain allergens and those are unavoidable with any dog.

[missbattenburg]

I think it's worth pointing out - even more than folks have already - that genetics don't work like a menu system. You cannot put 75% of one breed in with any degree of guarantee.

Genetic inheritance doesn't work like that. Imagine you out 100 blue balls in a bag and 100 green ones. Mix those 200 total balls up. You close your eyes and pull out 100 balls. How many are green? How many are blue?

You might be tempted to say 50/50 but that's not true. It's random luck so, in theory, 100 of the balls you pull out COULD be blue. Or 99 could be blue and 1 green. Or 75 could be green and 25 blue. And so on.

So it is (more or less) with genetics.

You could put 75 poodle genes into a dog and 25 cocker genes. You randomly pull out 50 of those genes and all 50 could be poodle.

That's your puppy.

If you buy a mixed breed you need to be prepared for the puppy to grow up:

• entirely like one of the breeds - with all the good and bad points
  
• having inherited the bad from BOTH breeds (not the good bits you wanted)
  
• any mixture of the above
  

Therefore, a cockerpoo could be entirely like a poodle. Or a cocker. Or could be a highly clever, energetic dog who needs lots of exercise and mental stimulation and goes deaf on walks when they can smell something good, is a bit rubbish on the lead, chews shoes, reacts badly to loud noises and being shouted at and hates being left alone (some of the possible/typical traits of each breed).

[bunnygeek]

There are more and more Cockerpoo and Labradoodle and other poodle crosses ending up at rescues at really quite young ages, even saw a whole litter of Cockerpoos the other week in rescue. Why? Because people got a Poodle cross entirely for the hair thing but forgot about the brain inside said dog - especially when they inherit the hyperactivity of a Spaniel and the intelligence of a Poodle. It can be quite a lot of dog to handle. Here's three Cockerpoos at Dogs Trust right now
www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/filters/~390~~~~n~

If you want a low-shedding dog breed, forget these fad crosses as everyone has said - having a bit of Poodle in them doesn't mean they inherit the coat type. Either get an actual Poodle or one of the other low-shedding dog breeds via the Kennel Club assured breeder scheme or a breed rescue. Here's a list of breeds to consider:
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog-or-puppy/finding-the-right-dog/non-shedding-breeds-of-dog/

Do a load of research on the breed traits, not just the coat type, though.

[MerryMarigold]

Thanks all. Back to drawing board then!

[MerryMarigold]

Checked the dogs trust ones and they are all reserved!

[bunnygeek]

Yep, they do get reserved quickly. Think they were the ones with the puppies, they never hit the website (just their social media). Of those three, only one was suitable for a family with children under 10.