Talk to me about cockapoos

[MulberryDerry]

What are they like? Any health problems to beware of? Character? Good with children?

We met one recently and it was so fun and happy and gentle and smart. We fell in love.

No one seems to like them on Mumsnet but we had one and she was the most amazing dog. Bonkers in every way, loving and fun, the most loyal and affectionate dog I've ever owned.
She was highly strung, like most cocker spaniels, but had zero health concerns and lived to a rope old age.
We miss her terribly, have a cocker spaniel now who I love but she can't compare.
Finding a reputable breeder of cockapoos is next to impossible, we got ours from what I suspect was a front for a puppy farm although they seemed so legitimate at the time (this was before everyone had one). Just be really really careful who you get one from, I have noticed the rescues are full of doodles at the moment because people prob got them in lockdown and didn't realise how much of a handful they are and they can have terrible separation anxiety (ours didn't).

Also. Be prepared that you literally cannot tire them out.

They choose one person in the family (mum or dad) and will attach themselves to that ‘chosen one’. They get pathologically fixated on their owners. They’re just too highly strung and obsessive. I’ve met many and find them very friendly, beautiful dogs but very hard work. Exhausting. Such little sweethearts. Not a bad bone. But just way too clingy.

We got ours via a rescue on Facebook. She was 3 years old (now 7) and an absolute nutcase! Completely obsessed with me, follows me everywhere - always within a metre of me! She loves and is brilliant with the boys (middle childhood). She is really anxious out of the house, is so scared of other dogs and we can't take her off the lead in the park near home because she would bolt! But she's great at the seaside, loves to run and run, a paddle and a good dig! She lives amicably with the cat, doesn't shed, has the longest eyebrows and loves father Christmas and pressies! I often say she is the perfect family dog - everything you could want really!

This

You need to treat them almost like working dogs and train them continuously and they have a lot of energy. Possessive and aggressive behaviour when not given enough attention. Barking at anyone and anything. Cute but hard work and not an easy choice.

Cute but bonkers and very high energy

This! I know a few that we bump into frequently on dog walks and they are all exactly like this. They also all have extreme separation anxiety.

We have one and he's amazing. Great with the kids, loving and fun. Loves cuddles and just being with us. He doesn't like being on his own but is fine now we have another dog. Get two!

Oh that's quite mixed feedback.
How do you check the breeder?

We asked for a reference from a guy whose dog we liked. He has been very happy with him. And so the other owners of that litter. They have had a whatsapp group for some years now. Is it a good sign?

Also I know dog is a hard work. What do people mean def not an easy breed? What is an easy breed in comparison?

We have young kids and many more kids in the family. Plenty of time for walks and some great places for walks outside. But we'd want the dog to be socialised and accompany us everywhere

I’m a dog groomer so see a lot of them. People love them because they look so cute and are really
cuddly. I would never get one due to the separation anxiety, many of the owners comment on this.
Cuddly is cute, clingy is not. Also their mad temperaments. They are such high energy dogs

Problem is, you don't know what you're getting.

If the cocker half is show cocker, it'll be far less buzzy than working.

But you don't know which behaviour traits your pup will get from either parent. So you might get a sweet,easy going poodle temperament one. Equally you might get a curly haired working cocker spaniel.

Which is fine if you're prepared for a working cocker, but they are high octane dogs, prone to resource guarding, mouthing and separation anxiety.

So be very, very careful about your breeder indeed. The only dog I've ever known bite kids is a cockapoo

That's why breeding is important. With a registered pure breed dog you know what characteristics to expect, personality wise.

With crossbreeds like cockapoos it's far more of a gamble.

Cockers are not novice dogs unless you have a lot of time and money to invest in training properly

Adore ours. She’s 20 months old, very clever, funny and affectionate. She’s not hugely needy, but with working full time (I’m away 2-3 days a week for work) we do outsource some of it which comes at a cost. We spend upwards of £60 a week on walks and classes, grooming costs £45 every 6 weeks. Just had her spayed which was about £550 (lap spay with amazing aftercare). Daycare when we need it is about £20 and adding on overnights takes it to about £33. (Don’t do that often.) We raw feed and each meal costs around £1.20 (she’s very fussy). Add in regular healthcare £12 a month) and insurance (£32) a month and it’s a big financial commitment as well as time and energy. Wouldn’t be without her though.

Her parents were a show cocker spaniel (mother) and miniature poodle (father).

We have an American cocker cross poodle. Fabulous dog, highly trainable. Can take anywhere.

No separation issues.

Want to add, we did a lot of training. At puppy classes they said it takes two years to fully train a dog and achieve an unflappable dog. Too many people seem to think 6 training classes and that's it.

Yep, we have a cocker spaniel.
Puppy classes
Teenage dog class and fun gundog classes
Stage 1, 2 3 gundog classes
Scent work classes.

He's now a well behaved, almost reliable dog who stops and turns to whistle, calls off game and walks nicely to heel.

He's an absolute doll and I love the bones of him

We also have an American cocker miniature poodle cross. She’s quite little. She loves me the most but is also very happy with husband and children. She’s never had separation anxiety and can be left for a good few hours. She also loves staying with grandparents and occasional dog boarding.
she’s pretty easy going but at nearly 11 is still really active and needs lots of exercise and attention.

I love my little cockapoo but he is hard work. He’s absolutely attached to me. Fine to be left at home for a few hours but if I walk away from him out of the house (and leave him with DH) he loses his s*

One thing to be aware of is some of them do shed! I have a friend who has 2 with the same parents. They look completely different and they have completely different coats. One is super poodly and the other sheds like a cocker spaniel. Definitely not guaranteed that they won’t shed.

Also puppy farms and backyard breeders are a huge problem given their popularity.

I have a show cocker x mini poodle and she is the sweetest, softest cuddliest dog. Very very affectionate and just a ‘soft’ dog..
very very clingy, but I love snuggles so am happy with that, gets bad seperation anxiety ( hates the pack being seperated ) and will howl and whinge the sky down if left outside the store whilst you do your shopping

Cavapoos are a smaller, slightly lower energy and less bonkers breed. Very loving and cuddly.

Here’s my girl

I have a Cockapoo as my very first puppy. She’s just coming up to six months old. I think they can get a bit of a raw deal here sometimes. She is lovely, obviously the first few months have been hard as it would be for any puppy. But with constant training we’re well on the way to cracking the toileting (done), puppy biting and leaving her alone for periods - again like any other puppy. We had a bit of a family crisis last weekend which led to all sorts of last minute changes of routine for her, and she coped beautifully. We also got ours from a reputable Cockapoo breeder - they do exist!

We have a cockapoo from a good breeder. We purposely went for a crossbreed as didn’t want a pure bred - used to mongrels and nothing suitable in rescue for working family with dc and dcat.

she fits in really well. Both parents have good temperament and well socialised to family life when we got her. There is ongoing training - but that’s with most dogs. She is far less nervous that our previous rescue who was a flat coated retriever type. We think.

seperation anxiety is not a problem- we have kept up the training. As it happens our circumstances changed since we got her so we’re around all the time. That said I wouldn’t just leave her without a build up.

she can a bit possessive but again it’s down to training to keep her in check. For context I’ve met some very tetchy bulldog /chihuahua dogs so don’t think it’s just a cockapoo problem.

essentially - it’s down to a good breeder, socialisation and ongoing training. Just be prepared to pay £40+ on grooming every 6 weeks.

Cockapoos are a cross, not a breed. With a pedigree, there is a breed standard and you can predict some traits in the dog reasonably confidently (collies like to herd, terriers want to chase small furry things, huskies like to run for miles etc). Cockapoos are a mixture of two breeds which are both intelligent and high-energy but have different purposes - cockers are gundogs, and while poodles are also gundogs the miniature ones which are generally used in the crosses have over time become more companion dogs. Potentially that means you’re going to get a clever, high-energy dog which wants a job to do (cocker) mixed with a clever, people-focused dog which doesn’t like to be alone (poodle). Hence why owners often say they have separation anxiety. I have a pure spaniel as it happens, and he has terrible SA (spaniels are also prone) and it’s no exaggeration to say it has ruined our life as we cannot leave him home alone. Ever. I would never get a breed that’s prone to it again.

People who don’t have dog experience often say they want a clever dog. They don’t. They actually want a biddable dog, and there’s a difference. Clever dogs are trouble as they need a job to do or they go self-employed. You have to do gundog training or agility or obedience. Biddable dogs don’t need that so much.

The other thing to factor in is motive. Pedigree breeders are generally in it because they are obsessed with Dalmatians or Pomeranians and want to breed a really good example of the breed. Good breeders will only breed from healthy dogs with good temperaments and do genetic testing to rule out hereditary diseases. Cockapoos aren’t a breed, so you can’t breed a “good” one. So what’s the motive? Money and the demand for pups. Which makes it a lot harder to find a good breeder who’s not just breeding any old dogs together for cash.

I would look at pedigree miniature poodles, Papillons or Basset Griffon Vendeen for s first dog, personally.

They're very cute, friendly, loving, but they have endless energy and usually bark a lot.
My boy (labrador) was in puppy class with two cockerpoos - I thought he was bonkers, these two took bonkers to another level.

We have a cockapoo. She is neither high energy or too clingy. She's very attached and affectionate but not upset when left alone and not obsessive. She's actually quite a lazy lump, far more chilled out than our working cocker spaniel. She's full of personality and quite talkative - lots of funny noises especially when she's hungry.
The health issue she had was a luxating patella which needed surgery and it's worth bearing in mind that this is a possible problem from the poodle side. She made a good recovery but it's definitely something to avoid.